my horses

Question
how can i get my horses to relax on trail rides or just going riding???

Answer
Meghan,

Getting a horse to relax on trails depends a great deal upon the horse.  Some horses will only relax if ridden alone.  My endurance mare is a case in point.  Alone she's a lovely ride; in company it's a nightmare!  I've seen other horses that only do well in company.  When training horses from the beginning I try to ride them both in company and alone fairly early.  Mathew Mackay Smith said it best as far as getting a horse to settle.  Take them out and ride them until they are quiet, bring them home and put them back out in the field.  Do that every day for a week and you'll have a different horse.  If you insist on shutting them in a stall between riding and stuffing them with grain then it'll take longer.  They're much more cheerful.  Adult horses do best on diets of all the hay they can eat, water and salt.  Plus 24 hr. turnout.  Most people cannot do that so have to feed grain either because they cannot feed enough hay (Lord it's gotten expensive) or the horses are doing more work and need the extra calories.  

In any event, it takes a lot of work to get a horse to relax.  Mainly you have to just ride them and encourage them to stretch their head and neck out.  Don't try for collection, ask them to relax.  You may do best riding alone at first if other horses encourage more cheerfulness than you desire. Once they figure it out they will do it.  You have to be quiet in the saddle, keep your hands down and quiet, doing just enough to keep them under control without fighting with them.  They do get the idea but for some it takes a lot of miles.  I've seen Arab endurance horses that ran away with riders at the end of 50 mi. endurance races. Saw one do it after 100 miles!  Some can never relax totally; it's just not in their natures to do so.  High strung breeds are harder to get to relax.  

So, maybe some of what I've said will help you with your horses.  Put some miles on them on the trails and they'll learn to settle.  Biggest thing is patience and willingness to spend the time it takes to get the results you want.  3 or 4 miles probably won't do it.  10-15 probably would.  

Lyn