September 2006

Concentrate On Soundness And Sanity In A Trail Horse

Frankly, there are few good horses out there for sale, whether you’re looking for the show ring or the trails. Your best defense may be taking the horse for a trial period, even if it costs a little more.

If you’re an avid trail rider, or want to be, you may spend more hours in the saddle than the majority of riders. It’s obviously important to find a horse that you can enjoy riding, be comfortable on, and one that will hold up to all the exercise. This calls for a special combination of brain and brawn.

Be sure you get a chance to ride the horse on an actual trail before making the purchase.

An exam by your veterinarian prior to purchase is important, but it can only tell you if the horse was sound and free of any obvious health problems on the day of the exam. Vets can’t predict future soundness with any certainty, let alone how the horse will actually perform on the trail. …