28/ DECEMBER 2019 THE RIDER


Whether riding by yourself or with friends, decide what gaits to work in during the ride. Consider the experi- ence levels of the horses and the riders, the trail’s terrain, and the distance to be cov- ered. Options include doing the trail totally at the walk, walk-trot, or walk-trot-can- ter. The speed within each gait can be varied to add more variety. Once the horse is


Palm Partnership Training™ Get Results You Can Use


Make Your Trail Ride A Picnic”


By Lynn Palm It’s time to apply all


the great trail training we have covered to do a fun ac- tivity with your horse— going on a picnic. Be sure to follow all of the previous steps for training your horse on the trail covered in previ- ous articles before heading out. Once you have in- cluded a warm-up for the horse and a warm up for the rider, it is time for the picnic pack up. A number of good


companies now make sad- dlebags that allow picnic items to be safely and con- veniently carried on horse- back. There are bags that fit or attach on either the front


or back of the saddle. Gen- erally a western saddle, or a saddle specifically made for trail riding, will give more attachment points for carry- ing bags. Plan the packing list of


what to bring on the picnic at least one day, if not a week, ahead of the depar- ture date. Try to pack as lightly as possible. When packing, always put heavier items or long items over the pommel or at the horse’s wither area in front of the saddle, rather than off the back of the saddle. Of course, pack heavier items on the bottom of the saddle- bag to keep it weighted down. Try to balance the weight within each individ-


ual saddlebag. Distribute the weight between saddle- bags as evenly as possible. Besides the picnic


goodies, remember to bring some important items for your horse. Put a halter on him, either under or over the bridle, with a good lead and snap attached. Tie the end of the lead around his neck using a knot that will not hang down so low that it gets caught between his legs. Equip him with protec- tive boots, especially if he is wearing shoes. After the rider’s warm-


up is completed and the horse has been warmed up at the walk, trot, and canter in both directions; plan how the ride will be conducted.


packed, do a short under saddle warm-up to make sure everything is secure and will stay in place during the ride. Then it’s time to hit the trail! Once the picnic desti-


nation is reached, find a tree to tie the horse to. Because the halter and lead are al- ready on the horse, you will not have to change tack to tie him. Select a spot to tie him where, within a 360-de- gree circle, there is enough room between him and the next horse that they cannot touch. Always tie the lead rope high. The knot should be at the ear level of the horse. Always use a slip- knot to tie him, putting the end of the lead through the slipknot so he cannot pull on the end and untie himself. The length of the lead al- lowed between the tree and the horse is also very impor- tant. It should be taunt at the horse’s natural head level. If he is tied lower than this, he has the chance of getting a leg over the lead. Secure the reins so the horse cannot get them over his head or step through them If your horse is a be-


ginner at being tied on the trail, he will probably move around the tree and/or paw at the ground. These behav-


iors show his lack of experi- ence and patience. Have the picnic in a spot where you can keep an eye on him. Just watch him, but don’t in- terfere unless he gets into trouble. Leave him alone and he should settle down in a while. The more you rec- ognize or acknowledge his impatient behavior, more he will act up.


the


Favorite Recipe! Here is one of my fa-


vorite picnic dishes to make ahead of time and take in my saddlebag on a trail ride picnic. It is super easy to make, tastes great, keeps well, and will give you the energy to ride the rest of the day!


Lynn’s “Crispy Oriental Noodle Salad” Step 1: Cut one large head of Napa cabbage into long, thin slices Slice up the bulbs only of 8- 10 green onions. Mix together. Step 2: Melt one stick of butter. Crumble into the melted butter 2 packages of ramen noodles (from a ramen noo- dle soup package without the seasoning packet). Add in ½-cup of sesame seeds and 2-1/2 ounces of slivered almonds. Mix together. Step 3: Combing 1 cup of oil, 1 cup of sugar, ½-cup of vinegar, and 2-teaspoons of soy sauce. Mix together. Step 4: Mix the ingredients of Steps 1, 2, and 3 together just be- fore serving.


Hint: To keep this salad nice and crispy, I like to pack the ingredients from each step in separate con- tainers and mix them to- gether just before the picnic begins.


Your Next Step… If a horse that is tied


during a trail picnic gets too fretful or uncontrollable, you need to address the issue. Here is how turn the situation into a learning ex- perience for him. Untie the horse from


the tree and lead him to a spot closer to the picnic where he can graze. Let him graze for 10-15 min- utes, then tie him again at the tree. Allow him to re- main tied for 10-15 minutes, then untie him and let him graze again for the same amount of time. Alternate between short segments of the horse being tied and grazing. This should calm him down while teaching him to accept tying. The more you take the horse on the trail and expose him to being tied, the more he will accept this. When the picnic is


over, it is time to pack up for the trip home. The good news for the horse is that his packs should be lighter. Be- cause of the weight differ- ence, be sure to re-secure all packs and bags to the saddle and make sure they are bal- anced properly. After returning from


the picnic, be sure to cool out your horse. With cold- water sponge his legs, back, girth area, between his legs, and where the headstall of the bridle lies before putting him back in his stall or into the trailer. Cooling these


areas will help prevent stiff- ness and soreness. Be sure to give him a treat and a pet to say “thank you” for a great picnic trail ride to- gether!


Until then, follow your dreams…


Lynn’s Training Tip… Be smart with what


you pack for a picnic. Care- fully secure it on the horse so you do not have a chance of scaring the horse or los- ing your lunch! I really like the Bick-


more Leather Company’s new Mac Wipe Trail Pack Equine Body Grooming Wipes. The wipes come in a resealable bag designed for packing into a tight area like a saddlebag or an already cramped tack box. Body Grooming Wipes are perfect for long weekends at the show as a fast fix on the way into the arena, before and after a tough workout, or just as a refreshing clean up for your horse. They are also great for any on-the- trail cleaning chores, includ- ing mopping up spills. Once back at the barn, treat your trail partner to a sooth- ing bath with Bickmore’s Mac Wipe Body Wash. This mild witch hazel based for- mula with essential oils leaves your horse’s coat looking and feeling shiny and clean. Applied full strength or diluted, it does not contain any harsh or abrasive chemicals like other washes. It is perfect for taking off the trail dust and leaving your horse feel- ing refreshed.


Mind Management


By Jayne Thurber-Smith “Motivated by a need


for survival, my horse’s highly developed sensitivity suddenly turned to strength, and there I was, doing battle with a runaway…” Terry Church, author of The Na- ture of Being Recently my daughter


Janette met me for lunch at our favorite restaurant, after I had spent the morning at the barn. When she arrived, I groaned loudly as I stood to greet her with a hug. I could barely stand upright. “What happened to


you?” she asked, as I slowly lowered myself back to my chair.


“I came off Tara,” I


said sadly. “Oh no! Are you


okay?” “I’m fine — I landed


in the mud which wasn’t so great for my jeans, but kinder to my muscles than hard ground. I’m just sore. We were warming up in the arena when she heard a loud noise directly behind her and bolted for the fence. I was afraid she was going to try to jump it, but at the last second she shot left and I went right.” “What were you think-


ing about?” Janette scolded, shaking her head at me. “Nothing – just my


riding!” I answered. I stared out the window instead of at her accusing gaze. I knew what she was


getting at. We had this dis- cussion before. Janette isn’t a horse


person but she has three large, energetic dogs which are close to mini-mule size. She is in the process of training them to walk calmly in her “frightening” neighborhood full of killer squirrels, riotous children and other dogs. We try to coach each other on control- ling our thoughts and pos- ture,


also on not


automatically defaulting to a worst case scenario when working with our animals. Horses may be prey and dogs may be predators, but they both feed off fear ema- nating from their leaders in a negative way. “Yeah,


right!” she


laughed. “Are you sure you weren’t thinking about the fact that you’re moving to another house in a month, and worrying about every- thing that has to fall in place before that can happen?” I stood corrected. I had thought of noth-


ing else for the past week, and of course Tara would have sensed that I was zing- ing with negative electric energy from the moment I entered the pasture to catch


her this morning. No won- der she wanted to run as fast and far away from me as she could. I would too. We owe it to our


horses and our own mental, emotional and physical health to take some slow deep breaths, maybe even meditate, and then show up at the barn without our worry wheels


running.


That’s the best way to stop a runaway before it starts.


About the Author: Jayne Thurber-Smith


(Photo of Tara by Jayne Thurber-Smith)


lives in Virginia Beach, Vir- ginia, with her husband and two of her four children; her oldest son lives in Brooklyn, NY and her middle son lives in Orlando FL. She divides her time between working alongside the horses at Back Bay Gambol Stables and writing for Faith & Friends magazine.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55