THE TRAIL AND YOUR HORSE or TenderFoot

ground more often than the sole on level surfaces but on uneven rock there is more chance of the sole coming into direct contact with objects. Sometimes it may be a good idea to let the horse pick his course and speed as they know what they can handle better than we do.

     On softer ground this may not be of any note as a stone can be pushed down into the ground with little force. Stones that are on a hard surface may drive up more into the sole. When you walk barefoot across your lawn and step on a rock it may not mean much and usually only on the instep, your tender spot. If you walk across a hard surface ( like pavement) barefoot and step down onto one lone rock even with your heel it can hurt. It doesn't give... An unshod horse may have a more conditioned hoof but that does not make them ‘comet, the super horse either’.

     Other things to consider, longer expanses of flat rock, is it smooth, rough, is there gravel, or sand on the surface that can make it less secure footing? (especially on hills or angles ). Types of rock as well are things to consider, sandstone, granite, lava..etc. Sandstone generally not a problem, granite if level usually okay but with sand or grit can become very slippery, and lava rock can surprise you ( and your horse ) by how quickly it can ruin a hoof. ( more so with unshod horses ).

     The weather can also play a role on the terrain as in packed sand flats, pavements, and rock, making the surfaces much more slippery. Areas with hard pack that you ride all the time may turn into very slick surfaces with very little moisture. Slippery mud on a hard surface. Here a shod horse may have an advantage with the shoe being able to dig in more. Even common dirt on an angle may turn into a slide. As well certain areas may have their own concerns, as in the desert a seemingly solid area you ride all the time suddenly turns into a horse trap as your mount sinks in up to their knees or chest. Many seeps can remain unnoticed until you add moisture and ride across a sink hole. ( looking for puckering, or bowls will help you spot some of these ). Prairies can have any of the same conditions as well as fields turning into bog lands or you discovering what ‘gumbo’ really means. ( Gumbo: A mixture between mud, quicksand, and clay, that you can sink into and can pull a tied boot right off your foot, or just keep adding more and more of itself to anything pulling out of it, like laminating with glue.) Horses and other animals have been found floundered in gumbo seeps where they have sunk down and acquired so much weight they couldn’t pull themselves out but kept trying until exhausted. You don’t want to find them after it has dried either when it turns into concrete. Some areas around slues and ponds are bad for this. In the mountains aside from the rock being more slippery undercutting and other water habits can play a role. Coming down a trail you thought was solid can be surprising if you discover that what you thought was a ledge turns out to be a shelf that the rain has just washed all the support out from under…( and you thought that we invented skiing..)

     There are also the issues of washes and flood paths but these are mostly easy to spot. It all comes down to being aware of your surroundings and in inclement weather if possible go with what is familiar and allow some trust in your horse.

     Snow and ice have their issues as well. One must remember that after a snow fall many things on the ground can be hidden from view. After a heavy snowfall may not be the best time to go exploring new territory with your horse. Even men walking and watching a new trail can be surprised by buried rocks, branches and other pitfalls. A practice followed by many experienced trail riders / walkers is to find a game trail that heads into your general direction of travel. The trails are usually more stable and used sooner than non trail areas. Hard pack snow or crusted snow ( especially after an icy rain or heavy wind ) can surprise you as all of a sudden you break through to the softer snow below. Ice of course everyone is aware of in this instance. Almost anyone who has ridden in heavy snow areas or talked to those who have will be aware of the following instance. A man riding home from town ( or whatever ) in winter starts getting cold and decides to take a shortcut off the trail. He cuts across some fields until he finds his horse bogging down in heavy snow. The horse is having quite a go of it and being the kind soul he is (or being impatient with the progress ) decides to jump off and lighten the horses load a bit. Now the horse was trudging through snow about waist high and when the rider jumped off it did indeed make it easier for the horse. The horse being no dummy decides to hot foot it back to the barn, and gets away from the rider. As he bounds off the rider realizes that he stepped off his horse into waist high snow...

GHOST WRITER GORDON WIKS
	ARTICLES	PVHORSE	NEXT PAGE