Spring into action with rider fitness

Guess what? It's almost spring - and with spring comes the start of a new show season.

Have you slacked off this winter? Are your breeches and boots getting a bit tight? Or are you just looking to be more fit and more competitive this show season? In any case, it's time to start an exercise program for both you and your horse.

The keys to getting back into shape are simple and apply to rider and horse alike:

• Don’t push yourself too hard. This can lead to injury, which can put you even further behind on getting into shape for show season.

• Create a plan you can stick to and which challenges your mind and body. If you or your horse get bored with a program, you won’t be able to stick to it.

• Incorporate a variety of exercises so that you work all of your muscle groups and continually challenge your muscles.

• Most importantly, have fun!

Every rider will work a bit differently. Some prefer group efforts or going to the gym. Others prefer to work at home on their own. Find what works for you.

Local tack stores such as Jax Farm and Ranch and Happy Horse have a library of books on rider fitness and getting your horse into shape. Remember that you not only need to do work on yourself and your horse, but also with both of you working together.

Those old exercises your instructor made you do, the ones you thought were torture, actually are great for getting both rider and steed into shape:

Try working without stirrups, especially at the trot. Slowly extend the amount of time you trot and post without stirrups to increase your strength and balance while your horse gets a cardio workout.

Spending time in your two-point position will not only strengthen your legs but also allow your horse to pick up its back, strengthen its abdominal and back muscles, work on extended gaits and do some stretching.

Ask your riding instructor or a friend to give you lunge-line lessons so that you can work on your balance and strength without interfering with the horse.

Another great way to get into riding shape is to incorporate some yoga or pilates into your fitness plan. Julie Leiken of Boulder has a great program designed to use pilates instruction to improve riding and communication between horse and rider. She offers clinics, group and private lessons both in dressage and pilates.

Good luck meeting your fitness goals!

Bobcat Ridge: A hidden paradise

Just south of Masonville off County Road 27 is a great natural area ideal for horseback riding. Bobcat Ridge has miles of trails and sweeping views of the valley and mountains.

A well-maintained parking lot with room for eight horse trailers greets visitors. The parking area is a loop with horse-trailer parking at the end for easy in-and-out access. A  trough and running water are available for horses.

The trails are all well marked, but riders need to be careful to stay on those designated for horses. The horse trail heads out from the south side of the parking lot and parallels the foot and bike trail. These trails rejoin at “the shelter,” a covered picnic area with informational signs.

Here, the valley loop branches. Follow it through the valley and toward a historic cabin, or follow it west and stop at the cabin on the loop back. Following the valley loop west, head south on the Eden Valley trail or north on the Valley Loop. The Ginny Trail continues west, but is not open to horses. The western branch of the Valley Loop winds along the edge of the hills, providing varied scenery and terrain.

The only horse access to Mahoney Park is via the DR Trail, which branches off the northern end of the Valley Loop. The loop turns east across the valley, then heads back south. A short trail branches off the loop and gives access to a bathroom and picnic area near the cabin. Both these areas provide hitching posts for horses. Be careful to follow the horse part of the Valley Loop, as it winds through the valley bottom and back to the parking lot.

The trails are well maintained, and the Valley Loop provides a nice afternoon walk or a great opportunity for conditioning and schooling. Some of the trails connect to national forest and private property, so equestrians need to be careful where they ride.

Happy Trails!

Trailering: How to fix and Prevent Issues

Many horses have problems with trailers. Whether they don’t load, don’t stand, don’t unload or will only load in certain trailers, these issues make moving a horse a nightmare.

Trailering issues can keep you from moving the horse to a new stable, going on trail rides or going to shows. They even can be a matter of life and death if the horse needs to get to a veterinarian.

Many people think in the short term -- "How do I get my horse in the trailer right now?" -- but fixing trailering issues is a long-term project which is only made more difficult by many short-term fixes.

Ideally a horse will be trained in how to load and trailer properly when young, and future issues will be prevented by making trailering a good experience for the horse and making the horse trailer a safe place for it. If your horse was not lucky enough to have a good trainer when learning how to trailer, it will need your patience and understanding to become a good traveler.

In the short term: How to load your horse:

• Plan ahead.
• Have all of the supplies you will need ready.
• Lunge line
• Whip
• Rope halter
• Multiple people
• Hay, grain or treats
• Have trailer attached to the truck and ready for horses.
• Trailer does not have to be cleaned.
• The smell of other horses may comfort your horse and make the loading process easier.
• If your horse is used to a hay bag, having that ready in the front may also make loading more appealing.
• Make the trailer as open and inviting as possible.
• Open windows so the horses have light and air.
• Open all doors.
• Walk, facing forward, with your horse.
• Walk with purpose.
• Don’t expect problems, but be prepared for the horse to not enter the trailer.
• Stay calm, trying to keep the horse quiet.
• Loading should not be stressful for you or the horse.
• The person leading the horse should keep forward pressure on the halter if the horse is not walking forward.
• When the horse is moving forward, pressure should be released as a reward.
• Rope halters provide a sharper pressure to move forward and can be that extra incentive for the horse to listen to you.
• Know your horse.
• Know what sort of stimulus will help the horse and what will be detrimental to the situation.
• If the horse responds well to whips, use that to encourage it to step into the trailer.
• If the horse does not like whips and tends to get excited or scared, do not bring out the whip; use the lunge line.
• Make sure experienced horse people are there to help you
• Plan for this process to take a while.

Once you have your horse loaded, reward it. Give hay, grain, treats, praise or to whatever your horse responds best so that getting on the trailer is a good experience.

In the long term: How to have a horse that loads and trailers consistently:

Having a long-term strategy means you won’t have to have a fight every time you take your horse someplace. Taking several steps can get this accomplished.

• First: Make the trailer a safe place for the horse.
• Load the horse at home.
• Don’t drive anywhere.
• Unload after a short period.
• Have the horse eat its dinner or grain in the trailer.
• Load and unload several times.
• Second: After the horse loads at home consistently:
• Go for short rides.
• Only unload at home.
• The horse will realize it always comes home.
• Make the rides pleasant for the animal.
• Third: Short excursions.
• Go to trails or shows that are close to home.
• Make the experience short and pleasant.
• Avoid difficult rides or stressful shows.
• Fourth: Preventing problems.
• Keeping a hay bag in the trailer will make the horse much happier about being there.
• Drive quietly, brake early and turn slowly, giving the horse time to brace for maneuvers.
• Trailer often.
• The more that trailering is part of a horse’s routine, the less likely you are to have problems.

Stay patient. Good luck!

Devil's Backbone: Gorgeous Scenery and Endless Trails

Distinctive rock formations on a ridge above the trail give the Devil's Backbone tract its name and provide beautiful and unique scenery for horseback riders.

This Larimer County Open Space area is just off U.S. 34 on the west edge of Loveland. Its parking lot has plenty of room for trailers but can be crowded on weekends.

The trail takes off from the west end of the parking lot and into a small ravine. Following the signs, the horse trail goes next to a set of stairs made for hikers and goes through a ditch rather than over the pedestrian bridges. The trail then winds through a valley offering gorgeous views of the Devil’s Backbone rock formation. The valley trail goes for a few miles, then crosses the valley and heads up a hill. This hill gets a bit rocky and steep, so make sure your horse has strong feet or good shoes. The views from the top of the hill stretch for miles and make the climb worth it.

Snow on the ground makes for some slick spots from both ice and mud, but the trail is very rideable in winter otherwise. The valley creates a bit of a wind tunnel, so it's advisable to dress for wind and colder temperatures. As the snow melts on warmer days, this is a perfect place on which to enjoy the sunshine because the trail stays on the eastern side of the mountain for several miles.

The Devil's Backbone trail holds endless possibilities, since it can be followed to the Rimrock open space, then through Horsetooth Mountain Park and into Lory State Park. The ride from the Devil’s Backbone trailhead to Lory's visitor center is about 15 miles. This can be a great day ride if you pack a lunch. Many other options along the trail can provide any length of ride desired.

Time for New Year's resolutions

Happy New Year!

For equestrians, it's time for resolutions and figuring out how to make this year better than last. This is a great opportunity to analyze where you and your horse are and what you can do to make your relationship better.

Your resolutions will depend on what level you and your horse have reached and what sort of riding you do. When you make a resolution, make sure it is achievable within the year for both you and your horse. Break the resolution into smaller goals to hit throughout the year so that you can measure your progress and feel you are sticking to the plan. Set up ways to remind yourself of these goals throughout the year.

My goal this year is to ride new trails -- so my small goals are to ride one new trail each month and blog about it. To achieve this, I will need to do research to find new trails in the areas I ride often, as well as finding new areas.

There will be some obstacles to achieving this goal. I will probably need to drive farther than usual to find these areas and may be disappointed in some of the places I find. I am prepared for these issues, however, and know that the reward of learning how to research and find new trails will make up for the disappointments.

Other goals for you and your horse may be:

• Going to more shows. Set a number of shows you want to attend this year, and spend some time looking at show calendars and planning which shows you want to see or participate in.
• Trying a new type of show. Maybe you’ve always wanted to do an endurance race, compete at a three-day event or try a working cow-horse event. You should pick a show, probably toward the end of summer. This will give you enough time to train for the competition, and will be during your horse’s peak fitness since most people ride more during summer.
• Getting over a fear or problem. Does your horse have trailering problems, doesn’t tie well or has a fear of clippers? Getting over these issues takes time and practice. To achieve these goals, set aside time every day or every week to work on a small aspect of the problem. Plan to have a lot of patience and work with your trainer to get tips, ideas and help with getting your horse over these issues.
• Fitness goals. Want to do a 100-mile ride by summer's end? Want to be able to ride a full hour without stirrups? Break these into smaller steps, and set weekly or monthly goals to work toward. Set up rewards for achieving these smaller steps so you keep closing in on the bigger goal.

Set your goals, write them on a calendar and hold yourself to them. Remember, making a resolution is about changing a small aspect of your life for the year. It takes commitment and resolve to achieve these goals, so make sure they're what you truly want to do.

Good luck in 2012!

Riding Instructors and Horse Trainers

While often horse people talk about their “trainer” there are two very different roles this person can take on when working with a client. The term trainer can refer to a horse trainer or it can refer to a riding instructor. It can be very important for beginners to know what the differences are and how to identify their needs and if the trainer is meeting those needs. Sometimes a trainer will work as a riding instructor when they are actually a horse trainer, or a horse trainer will attempt to be a riding instructor and both these situations have the potential to go very poorly. 

Riding instructors focus on the rider. The horses that are used in these lessons are already trained and respond well to the rider’s cues. As the rider progresses in a riding program, the horses may become harder to ride and need more precise cues or a more confident riders, but they should still be trained for riding. During a lesson with a riding instructor, the riders should be working on their position, using their aids, and giving the horse correct cues. Riding activities should work on building strength, proper riding position, and figuring out how the rider’s actions affect the horse. The rider should not be worried about teaching the horse, fixing any problems with the horse, and should trust that the horse will do whatever is asked, as long as the horse is cued properly. 

Horse trainers on the other hand are focused on the horse. They are concerned about teaching the horse new things, reminding it of how to behave, and making sure the riders is getting the best out of the horse. The horse trainer should spend time riding the horse and teaching it, but also needs to make sure that the rider can get the same results out of the horse. When riding with a horse trainer, your goal as the rider is to learn how to teach the horse and how to get the proper response from the horse. Lessons should be focused on learning new skills and have specific goals for both horse and rider. 

As a client you should be honest with your instructor and trainer about the skills and experience you and your horse have. Dishonesty, even withholding information, can get you, your trainer or your horse into serious trouble or even injured. If you are unsure of anything your trainer asks you to do make sure you ask questions and let them know if you are uncomfortable. If your trainer consistently makes you feel uncomfortable and does not help you work through the issue, you probably need to find a new trainer or instructor. 

Fort Collins: Dec 24-26

December 24^th

Its Christmas Eve, while you do your last minute shopping in Fort Collins, take a break and enjoy a carriage ride around Old Town Square. The carriage picks up passengers on Mountain Ave., just east of College Ave., near BeauJo’s Pizza. 

For last minute shopping, make sure to get to Happy Horse Tack early in the day, they close at 1pm on Christmas Eve. 

December 25^th

Looking for a way to spend Christmas afternoon? After the presents are opened and with dinner still hours away, now is a great time to see the movie War Horse. Directed by Steven Spielberg, War Horse is guaranteed to be a great holiday film that tugs at the heart strings and has the right amount of sentiment for this time of year. Set during World War 1, this movie follows a boy and the horse that he loves. 

December 26^th

With highs in the 50s and sunshine predicted for Monday, a trail ride on your favorite horse is a great way to spend boxing day. If you need ideas of where to ride, check out some of my previous blogs. With this warm weather, some trails will be muddy and possibly closed due to melting snow, so check trail conditions before heading out. The best bets for open trails are the Poudre Trail and Eagles Nest.

Also keep in mind, the National Western Stock Show starts January 5^th, so start thinking about buying tickets to those events. These tickets could make great stocking stuffers and last minute gifts. The horse show at the National Western actually starts on January 1 with the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association’s Pre-Denver show. Some great events at the Stock Show include: Freestyle Reining, Gambler’s Choice Jumping, Grand-Prix Show Jumping, An Evening of Dancing Horses, and of course, the Pro Rodeo. Most of these events require tickets beyond just the entrance fee, so make sure to purchase those tickets early.