Making a Mountain Horse

Climbing the multiple high mountain trails in our national forests in the Gem State of Idaho is one of the greatest joys of my life. I’ve always been an avid trail rider but have previously considered it more like “recess” for intense arena sessions. It’s something that all my horses have been good at without even really trying. I didn’t consider it the kind of thing that you trained for. It’s just time spent riding outside with your best bud. But now that I’ve spent quite a bit of time riding the mountains alone on some of the most challenging trails that I can find, I have come to really appreciate the unique qualities that make a safe, reliable and enjoyable mountain mount. I’m sure there are those out there that do more miles than I do with more animals on the trail at a time that have even more sage advice to offer. I think what I hear the most from other riders wishing they could do the rides I do is that they don’t feel safe out there, or don’t trust their horse. They often ask, what if you meet, hikers, bikers, bears, moose, deer, bridges, rocks, . . . etc? What do you do? How do you train your horse to be good out there all alone? So, for what it’s worth (and, granted, it may not be much!!) I thought I would try to put into words what I think makes an excellent mountain horse and share the top 5 things that are important for creating a mount you can climb mountains on! 

First things first, your horse must be BROKE. Not that I don’t take green horses out on the trail, I absolutely do, that’s how they get good and broke, but if you are planning a solo trip or something on sketchy footing where such green horse behaviors as balking, spinning, bolting, bucking or shying would create a wreck, I would advise against putting both you and your horse into that situation. You don’t want to create a situation where either of you can get hurt or create bad memories that will resurface down the road. So, do your time and due diligence and train your mountain horse just like you were going to ride in front of judge. Set standards of perfection for behavior and don’t let unsafe behaviors slide. A good mountain horse can do all the fancy stuff that a dressage horse can do. They should be broke through the body parts, soft off your aides and ready and willing to move and respond to your aides no matter what other distractions are present. The more you can control and help move their body parts, the more likely you are to safely guide them through whatever obstacles are present. Your check list for a really good mountain horse should be shoulder in/out (keeps all 4 feet on a narrow trail), side pass/leg yield (navigating obstacles), turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand (turning around on narrow trails), backing circles (I’ve had to back UP a switch back!) and lots and lots of bend! When threading your mount through the jumble and mess of a trail that has yet to be cleared you will be thankful for the ability to place each of your horse’s feet carefully from his back! 

Chico on Queen Mnt

Second, if you want to be able to count on your horse to help you know what is out there, don’t desensitize them; instead expose them! Sounds counter intuitive, right? Don’t you want your mountain horse to also be “bomb proof”? Well, since I ride alone, I don’t. I want my horses to be aware of their environment and feel comfortable telling me what they are seeing so that I know what is out there too. The last thing you want is for them to internalize their fears and worries and put their nose down and do their job until they just can’t take it and sell out and leave you there! Instead of desensitizing, I encourage you to teach your horses that IF they are worried about anything to look to you for reassurance and guidance and courage. That means you must be the courageous one until they learn to trust your instinct! It also means you must not get your horses into trouble and give them a reason to not trust you. Trust is a two-way street, and it is imperative that trust runs both directions for partnership to work when you need it the most! To help build trust I like to do a lot of obstacle work on the ground and at liberty. This is great for helping the horse to think through obstacles and for you to build control of the feet. I think it’s also a really great time to remember that a horse that is afraid should never be punished or disciplined. I don’t allow them to engage in unsafe behavior (I have one that really liked to whirl) but I don’t punish them. I soothe them and encourage them and then we conquer the fear together. 

Ernie on Gold Hill

Third on the list for making a good mountain horse is FORWARD. This is more about horse selection when choosing a mountain horse but I do think you can both cultivate and squash forward in a horse. You want a forward thinking and forward moving horse. If you have to beg a horse to keep on moving down the trail not only will it wear you out but it will dull your horse. A horse that is always looking forward on the trail is much less likely to spin and bolt back down the trail for home. They enjoy the movement and the challenge of covering new ground. A forward thinking and moving horse will get you through obstacles, across bridges, over logs, etc. If you can’t get one reliably moving forward when you need it most you are going to find yourself on one side of an obstacle that MUST be crossed to get you home and you have to spend valuable time on the trail in training mode rather than in traveling mode. While a good supple and maneuverable rein back is imperative having a horse continue to move forward when asked can save your butt! I encourage forward by allowing my horses to move out in all 3 gaits on the trail as footing allows. 

Fourth on the list is patience. While I love the forward thinking and moving horses I also need one that will stop and stand still for as long as needed while I consult a map, explore a trail, pick some huckleberries, whatever. I don’t want to have to manage a horse while I’m doing something else. Mounted or not, if I stop and have to take care of something I would like my horses to stay calm and quiet and with me. Along this same line of thinking is standing quietly to be mounted from the ground or any other object, standing tied, trailering quietly standing quietly to be tacked up. Generally not destroying my patience and peace of mind while I’m out there relaxing! You can teach your horse patience by tying them up. Lots. Spending time tied is a dying art. If you are riding alone it is also important your horse can stand quietly while tied up all by their lonesome out in the middle of the wilderness while you wonder off for pictures, berry picking, meditation, what have you! Tie that pony up! Lots of time tied at home where they feel safe is imperative for building a strong and patient horse out in the woods. 

Fifth and last (at least on this short list) is conditioning. Climbing mountains is hard. For the weekend rider or one that wants to do a little light site seeing, the high country is not the place to take your pudgy couch potato pony that is generally used to doing about 20 minutes of walking on flat ground! We work very hard for these peak rides. We refine and train in the arena all winter then hit the trails just as soon as we are able. I ride the low country regularly until we can get up into the higher country and then I carefully monitor the condition and breathing and sweating of my horse taking plenty of breaks as needed. A tired, distracted of physically exhausted horse is much more likely to take a bad step and there are places a single bad step can be disastrous. You want your horse as fresh and alert at the end of a good ride as he was going out. 

Kit on Red Top Mnt

This short list could be much longer, but this is a good start. I get so many requests from folks that want to go up into the mountains with me, but in my mind, once you start climbing the big stuff, it’s not for the weekend warrior. Kind of like running marathons, it’s a commitment. It’s the only way to keep you and your horse safe, happy and healthy while still enjoying all the splendor that our area provides. We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth and it is a rare privilege to be able to climb up into those places. You truly do feel closer to heaven in the high places!