...and on the eighth day God created the horse in perfect image, to romp, graze, gallop, play and make manure wherever it darn well pleases, in divine grace.
Thinking about a horseback riding vacation or simply going to a hack stable for an hour or so? Most people who own horses themselves usually opt for the former while novices and beginners go for the latter. Some so-called dude ranches specialize in horse back vacations for beginners.
We would like to think a hack stable would have nice, friendly, quiet horses that are 100 years old and would never pull a trick on us, ever. While the horses usually are friendly and quiet, they know the way of the trail and know when they are getting close to home. Some of them have what is known as a “hard mouth,” meaning, you must pull hard on the rein to turn or stop, the horse ignores your request or is very difficult to control. This can be scary if it starts to gallop and will not slow or stop.
Some beginners become apprehensive when arriving at a stable, especially when entering a corral and viewing the lineup of prospects to ride for the afternoon. Coming face to face with a 1,200 pound animal that will carry you around on its back can be daunting. Climbing up to ride is even more so.
Remember, in the horses-for-hobbies world, you may progress at your own pace, which means if you ultimately do not feel comfortable choosing and riding any of the animals at hand, that is okay. Never force yourself to try new things with the horse until you feel safe and comfortable doing so. Perhaps you could find a qualified instructor who will work with you on the ground first, doing things such as petting the animal, brushing or leading it around. Learning horse body language and horse psychology is an important part of Horsemanship, too. Some people only feel comfortable gazing in on the horse as it munches hay in its stall; that is as close to the animal as they want to get today.
If you try to force yourself to mount the horse and ride, it will sense your fear in your body language and the way you are carrying yourself, and this is a recipe for disaster. Horse people always like to help newcomers; they will not laugh at you if you choose not to ride today. They will not make fun of you if you say that you’re not comfortable even getting up on the horse.
Good cowboys never point and laugh.
That is why horses are so popular with everyone as a hobby; they are therapeutic in the fact that they are so “in the moment,” meaning you MUST stay focused on the animal at all times or you could get hurt. Horses make you forget your stress or upset as you are solely focused on brushing, petting, leading or riding. The very energy the horse emits is felt on a deep level with human beings.
They are also popular in building self-esteem and confidence. When you can take your time learning something new at your own pace, without fear and without worry of ridicule and then actually see your skills and knowledge growing, it is a tremendous boost for anyone’s belief system.
Some things a novice might want to notice about the horse they want to ride are how the horse is standing as it is tied, its head position and what its tail and ears are doing.
As the horse is standing tied in the lineup, is it quietly just waiting, one foot casually resting, or is it nervously dancing around, disrupting everyone around it? You want the horse that is casually waiting, interested but not upset.
The head position is always important because it can tell you what the horse is thinking at any given time. Remember, high head means high strung. Low head means a slow Joe.
The horse’s brain is just under its skull, between the ears. Being a prey animal, with wide set eyes, they will want to protect their brain by keeping their head away from harm. Raising it up or even coming up off the front end by rearing is the horse’s way of protecting itself when it feels afraid or threatened.
The low head set is conducive to relaxing or grazing. If it is relaxed enough to graze, no predators are present. That is the horse you want to ride.
The tail activity can indicate stress, anger or tension. There is a difference between swishing at a fly and switching angrily because the horse doesn’t want to be saddled or handled. Rapid switching of the tail, perhaps accompanied by a lifting of the hind foot in a mild threat should be taken into serious consideration by the handler. That horse is telling you to stay away.
Ears are a very good way to read the body language of the horse. Ears pricked forward mean that the horse is curious and friendly. You can approach and pet this horse. Forward ears with low head are always a good sign.
One ear forward and one ear back means, “I am curious about what is in front of me, and I am curious about what is behind me.” This, too, is not a cause for concern as it means the animal is aware of what is going on around it, and should be less likely to spook. You can pet this horse, too.
Again, pay attention to the head set; high head means nervous, low head means relaxed.
Pinned, flat ears are a very noticeable signal from the horse to you that it will kick you or it will bite you. Horses always signal their intention first, they never just act. The horse will always pin its ears first before it bites or kicks. Stay away from this horse, too, he is not friendly.
Your relaxed, quiet body language helps keep the horse relaxed, too. Relaxed shoulders, a quiet voice and avoiding direct eye contact with the animal let it know you are not a threat to it. This is another key to the therapeutic value of horses as hobbies. If you must maintain this body language style at all times around the animal, how could you not relieve stress and become more relaxed yourself?
Loud voices and quick, jerky body language will spook the horse in a matter of seconds.
It is important not to make direct eye contact with the horse because we humans are predators. Most people who see a horse immediately reach out their hand, look the horse in the eye and then step forward to pet it. Nothing is more offensive to the equine.
Instead, relax your shoulders, avoid direct eye contact. After glancing at the ears to see what position they are in, (forward, curious) slowly stretch out your hand without moving forward. Let the horse smell your hand; don’t let him think it is a plate or snack. If he starts to lick or wiggle his lips, he is about to sample the taste of your hand. Don’t jerk your hand away, rather just casually drop it out of reach, even take a step back. Check in with the ears again. They should still be in the forward, curious or forward/backward curious position.
If they are in a pinned position, what does this mean and what should you do?
Some questions to ask your guide at the hack stable are fairly simple. Are the horses quiet, which one is the most quiet? Are riding helmets required? Is galloping allowed? How long is the ride?
Look at the facility. The stalls should be clean, even if the barns are run down. The more important thing is the body condition of the horses themselves. Though fat is never healthy, I always would rather have a fat horse over a skinny one. Fat means the horse is getting plenty to eat and the hair coat is usually shiny with these guys.
Skinny means neglect or underfed, worms or too old. You don’t want to ride a horse like that.
Check the feet for a nice clean trim. There should be no chips or holes, and shoes should look nice and neat. There should be no limp when the horse walks around, and its head should not bob.
These same things go for the dude or guest ranches, too.
My colleague and friend, Lisa Houserman, kindly shared some of her rides and times of horse back riding vacations with me. Having no less than five horse vacations under her belt, Lisa says small things can become big things if you don’t ask questions first.
Lisa has visited guest ranches in Arkansas, Arizona, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all in the quest for the ultimate outdoor horse back riding experience.
Many dude or guest ranches are online and this is a very easy way start a preliminary search for the right facility. You can see pics of the place, the rooms where you’ll stay and the horses available to ride.
Ask whether the horses go English or Western and whether you may go in all three gaits, walk, trot, canter. Are riding helmets required? Look for a “broker” or “travel agent” style set up when looking for information, as several guest ranches may be listed with a person who has all their information at once.
Ask about rider experience levels vs. horse’s attitudes. Are there horses with more spirit for people who have extensive riding experience? Can you move around on the trail or must you stay within the group? If in snow country, you always want to book your vacation in summer months as heating of cabins or lodges can be a problem for some facilities.
In the lodging aspect, ask whether smoking is permitted. How far is the barn from the lodging? Are there other sights to see in the area when not riding? If flying, is there a shuttle provided to the lodging?
Basically, Lisa says, “You want the comforts of home.” For example, Lisa and 5 other women, arrived at one facility to find only one roll of toilet paper for all of them at the lodging, along with no curtains on the window or rods in the closet to hang clothes. Don’t tell me a cowboy wasn’t to blame for all that.
I guess most things you hear about a cowboy are true, but the important thing is they take care of the cows.
Ask whether breakfast is included or whether you may cook inside the lodge. Most guest ranches serve all three meals for you and will provide shuttle service for a fee. Find out if the place has any lawsuits for negligence or animal abuse. Animal care can vary by state, due to climate differences.
Ask lots of questions, check for references online from other customers.
Sounds like you should have been a cowgirl or a cowboy; riding your pony on a cattle drive and singing those campfire songs like Gene Autry. Can you think of having a better time?
How fitting that we really do ride into the sunset to the immortal words of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, “Happy Trails to You.”
The aforementioned article is meant as a guideline and not training analysis or consumer advice. Always seek the advice of a qualified trainer when handling or riding horses and check consumer advisories about guest ranches and riding vacations.