25/10/2025
Thanks Emotional Horsemanship by Lockie Phillips
I had something similar recently.
Ok, so my horses spend a lot of time trail riding in the beautiful Rutland countryside, often boxing for 10 or 15 minutes to suitable launch sites then riding for miles. I like the American term rather than “hacking” just because to me it means
🌟 Engaging their whole bodies including their minds,
🌟Space to walk trot and canter over varied terrain and through water.
🌟 Companionship and team work for horses and humans.
🌟 Habituation - the lorry ride means we are going to have fun.
🌟Confidence. Tractors heavy machinery lorries, livestock, great what’s next!
🌟Practice - leg yielding, elastic contact, turn around the forehand and haunches.
🌟 Hills - lots and lots and lots of hills.
Regular full trail riding replaces some of what is lost when we diminish their lives in small paddocks and stables. The physical loss of movement, choice and control is replenished. Mental and emotional self regulation is improved.
Please don’t get me started on the effect on their bodies, when introduced appropriately over time. It is invaluable!
There is a reason why my two choose to come in to the yard by themselves…
because coming in means going out out!
One of the Most Offensive Things a Client Ever Told Me.
It is the hallmark of being professional that often times, you have to bite your tongue, or be calm and quiet in the face of inappropriate behaviour. Thankfully, for the last two years, the folks I have been lucky to work with and work for, have enabled me to be 100% myself. And even solicit my total honest, and unmasked self. They call THAT professional, not the masked politeness that often befalls us all in a working setting.
But before I got that lucky, I was once sitting on a zoom with someone who said something that for me- was wildly, wildly offensive -despite the fact they meant it with good intentions.
"I booked with you because I kept wondering why this guy who appeared to know so much about training, riding and biomechanics, chose to just trail ride."
Framed, of course, in the common mainstream assumption that those that can't do much with horses, trail ride. Or, that lower level horses trail ride. Or that preparing for a trail ride is somehow a lowly endeavour.
I spent about 12 years working in trail riding for the public environments. At various different levels. One employer I had used to only "rescue" horses, meaning not spend more than 1000€ on a horse which in Spain only buys you problem horses. Another would drop a minimum 8000€ on well bred youngsters. The latter once lamented that when they visited breeders and mentioned they run a trail riding outfit, would be shown the horses in the back, with weak spines, minimal bone, poor head set. And she would instead insist on the quality of breeding that they hold Dressage horses in regard for, because her horses work harder and in greater demand than any sport horse could dream of.
What this client said was offensive to me, because they were an intelligent, talented and kind-hearted person making an enormous difference in their local community with advanced, empathic training. And yet, they demonstrated a profound prejudice and ignorance about one of the most difficult jobs you can ever ask a horse to do.
Trail Riding a fit, properly prepared, happy and aware horse is one of the highest expressions of quality training in my humble opinion. Requiring them to be as fit as a sport horse. As calm as a paddock puff. Adaptable as a Police Horse. As agile as a Working Equitation mount. As powerful as an Eventer. As collected as a Dressage horse. Yet be able to do all this with both connection to their rider and independence in their skills, while their rider relaxes and takes in the scenery.
Some of the most impressive feats of training I have ever seen, have been out on the mountain, in the forest.
Not in the arena.
