101 Trail Riding Tips

Techniques for "off-road" and "all-terrain" adventures.

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One of the great joys of horseback riding is to be able to leave the beaten path for such purposes as hunting, fishing or camping, or simply for the pure pleasure of being out in nature. To ensure that you and your horse are enjoying the tail in the safest and most efficient ways, 101 Trail Riding Tips presents a broad palette of advice, including selecting a good trail and/or pack horse, training for safety and responsiveness, choosing tack and other gear, and coping with a wide variety of terrains.

For example:

Add tapaderos--Valued by the cavalrymen and vaqueros of the past, and still standard equipment for field trial aficionados, who follow their dogs through brush and bramble, tapaderos are all too neglected by today's trail riders. "Taps" protect your feet from rain and snow and prevent their being snagged and scratched by branches. More important, tapaderos prevent that most horrifying accident, a foot slipping all the way through the stirrup and the rider being dragged after a fall.

Tapaderos with oversized stirrups allow you to wear bulky cold weather boots during winter. They'll protect your feet from splash when you ford a stream and your exuberant horse makes things worse by pawing in the water. Extremely valuable for all riders, tapaderos should be mandatory equipment on any child's saddle.

Here's a guide that's sure to increase the enjoyment of any trail ride, anytime and anywhere.