Trek/Trail Riding
Pre Trail or Trek:
**Make a check list of what to do and hand out to all employees working the trail ride. Sign off that they have done everything correctly. This may save your business.
-Grooming the horse, focusing on cleaning where the entire saddle and pad will go. As it is important to make sure the whole body is clean, these places are especially important. Also clean the hooves double when you would do on a normal basis.
-Double check that no where on the horse is hot and there are no abrasions. Sometimes dirt will cover these.
-Make sure that the tack fits, no one wants a sliding saddle.
-Using fly spray to prevent the horses from kicking. This could frighten people if they do not understand the horse.
-Use wraps or boots if needed
-Double check all tack after putting it on
**Shoe cages are a MUST for trail riding.
People:
For many people this might be there first experience being around horses. They are going to ask questions and get scared. This is a normal thing.
-Explain the risk of riding.
-Check for helmet fit
-Check if people have on the correct shoes and clothing (close toed shoes with a heel, jeans, t-shirt, and jacket if needed)
-If anyone has health issues. Make sure you pay extra attention to them, possibly riding with them if that is an option.
-If everyone signed the wavier
-Go over how to ride and steer a horse
-Help riders get on using mounting block
-Adjust stirrup height. Have buddy stirrups available if needed.
Post Trail or Trek:
-Help people dismount
-Get helmets back
-Tie horse up so you can untack them
-groom horse (include brushing and hoof picking)
-Look for anything that seems out of order with the horse (cuts, lameness, heat)
-Let horses get a drink, walk them to cool down if need be.
-Bath horses (if necessary)
-clean and put all tack away properly. This is very important.
**Treat these people coming to your trail riding facility as one of your own children. Double check everything and help them if needed. These people may be scared and that is OK. You never want to be the reason why someone is horrified of horses.
**Make a check list of what to do and hand out to all employees working the trail ride. Sign off that they have done everything correctly. This may save your business.
-Grooming the horse, focusing on cleaning where the entire saddle and pad will go. As it is important to make sure the whole body is clean, these places are especially important. Also clean the hooves double when you would do on a normal basis.
-Double check that no where on the horse is hot and there are no abrasions. Sometimes dirt will cover these.
-Make sure that the tack fits, no one wants a sliding saddle.
-Using fly spray to prevent the horses from kicking. This could frighten people if they do not understand the horse.
-Use wraps or boots if needed
-Double check all tack after putting it on
**Shoe cages are a MUST for trail riding.
People:
For many people this might be there first experience being around horses. They are going to ask questions and get scared. This is a normal thing.
-Explain the risk of riding.
-Check for helmet fit
-Check if people have on the correct shoes and clothing (close toed shoes with a heel, jeans, t-shirt, and jacket if needed)
-If anyone has health issues. Make sure you pay extra attention to them, possibly riding with them if that is an option.
-If everyone signed the wavier
-Go over how to ride and steer a horse
-Help riders get on using mounting block
-Adjust stirrup height. Have buddy stirrups available if needed.
Post Trail or Trek:
-Help people dismount
-Get helmets back
-Tie horse up so you can untack them
-groom horse (include brushing and hoof picking)
-Look for anything that seems out of order with the horse (cuts, lameness, heat)
-Let horses get a drink, walk them to cool down if need be.
-Bath horses (if necessary)
-clean and put all tack away properly. This is very important.
**Treat these people coming to your trail riding facility as one of your own children. Double check everything and help them if needed. These people may be scared and that is OK. You never want to be the reason why someone is horrified of horses.