you and the trail...

​Why Trail Riding?

Horses were practically born for trail riding—well, most of them. Let’s skip the broncos and those on the extreme ends of the spectrum (no offense, Falabellas and Shire horses). For the average equine, a good trail ride is like a stroll in the park. Historically, humans used horses to get from A to B long before asking them to waltz in sandboxes or chase cows for sport. Trail riding? It’s their bread and butter!

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Mental preparation:
Horses must be experienced in hiking and be 6-20 years old. They must be able to ford streams and cross bridges etc. without difficulty. Your horse must be able to stand while tied and should be calm and socially acceptable. The important thing is that you learn to trust your horse and give it a sense of security.

Remember: My horse is capable of going to the Alps. Regardless of whether he has ever been there or not, because he is a horse.

Leading:
In order for your horse to fulfill his task, you have to give him space and let him do his job. The horse has four feet and two eyes on his head. So he is quite capable of watching his own feet, and he is twice as good as you at climbing. After all, your horse has four legs, you only have two.
 

Remember: I watch my feet and my horse watches his... and I give him up to 3 meters of space.

 

In English, that means: it is my job to pay attention to where I put my feet and it is the horse's job to manage his feet. To do that, your lead rope must be long enough (3.80 - 4 m) for your horse to see what's going on. If you hop down the path 1 m in front of him, he doesn't have much time to think about where he puts his hooves. So give him space and make sure he stays off your legs. A distance of 2-3m is optimal. No matter what, he must not approach you closer than 1m or harass you. If you have the opportunity to practice quietly descending stairs with your horse, then do so. Going up and down, where going down is more difficult if your horse is to come down the stairs as slowly as you do without pushing.

Make sure that he stays on the path and does not try to pass you on the right or left. It is therefore essential that YOU give him security and keep your distance. You can already practice this now, from the ground, on the sand court with pylons or poles, where it simply goes through the slalom course 3 m behind you. Practice with him going in front of you and you following him. Your horse must stop, stand still and move forward on command (voice, rope signal or body language). See T-bar tow.

If you have an inexperienced horse, or don't have enough experience yourself, you are welcome to take part in a clinic in Palmer Lake CO. . Here you will get the tools for the Alpine Tour.

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Fitness:

Both rider and horse must be sufficiently fit to master a 40 km day trip. Your horse is sufficiently fit if you can trot or jog for 20 minutes in flat terrain and your horse can return to a resting pulse rate of twice the normal resting pulse rate within 5 minutes and breathe calmly again. At high altitudes, your horse will still need more time to calm down, but this is less of a problem for him than it is for you.

Personal fitness:

You should be able to walk up 5 flights of stairs or 60 steps at a calm, even pace without getting completely out of breath, even if you are breathing heavily. If you don't make it to the ride, it's not a problem. Then you just have to overcome your pride and be prepared to sit on your trained horse, which will then carry you up, or you can take the gondola.
 

Use the tail as a drag lift.

Here it my personal secret: All my horses have learned to go up the mountain in front of me. I hold on to the tail at the very back and let myself be pulled up. I lean my weight against the tail. On the flat, I would stand in a supine position. Since it's uphill, I walk like on the flat, and my horse pulls me up. You can also practice this at home. Get someone to lead your horse (2-3 m distance) and hold on to your horse's tail. Lean back until your arms are fully extended and on command you both start walking. You stay in the back position and let the horse pull you across the square. Double lunge or driving reins help if you want to work alone. On steep trails, we do it the same way, with the small difference that you also lead the horse that is walking behind you and you really walk uphill.

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The Alpine Tour Riding:

We mainly ride at a walk. Whenever possible, we will trot and walk for about 5-10 minutes every hour. When going downhill and on steep sections, the horses will be led by the lead rope and rope halter. We will stop to eat about every 2 hours for about 15-20 minutes. Lunch will be a light meal, at an inn or from our front pockets.
 

Information about you and your horse:

Please let us know if you are afraid of heights or have vertigo. If you have allergies or other medical problems, please communicate this to a trusted participant or the guide.

Horses and loops: Horses that could hit or are not dog-friendly, please inform the other riders by loop and verbally.
 

Leading on the trail:

The horses are not led by the bit. So you have to be able to unhook your rein with a snap and attach it to the rope halter. If possible you have a 12 feet single rein with two snaps, one at each end. If you unhoock one end, you have a 12 feed lead rope. This avoids having to carry a lead rope and reins with you.

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Hoof protection:

C- ride: Suitable hoof protection is absolutely necessary. Duplos extra (green) with or without small studs are recommended. Shoes must fit and be tried and tested. (Take a rasp with you.) (If the hoof shoes do not stay on, you may have to quit the ride, or get duplos naild on). The shoeing must be relatively new.
 

B-ride: For the B-rides, we strongly recommend only riding with Duplos green. Hoof shoes are not suitable.

Equipment horse:

Intact and tested equipment (suitable saddle with a large saddle pad). 2. Girth if possible (only possible with a Western saddle) or crupper. On the alpine Rides we need a breastplate. Provisions, drink and rain protection on the horse. 12 feet lead rope and rope halter, (Parelly type) spare horseshoe (Duplos green), saddle bags on the front for lunch, drink holder, rain protection must be mountable on the horse. The saddlepad must be large enough so that the bags do not touch the horse's fur. The horses need the usual vaccination protection. If desired, a rain blanket for the horse. Mineral and cereal (barley or oats) for the horse for the whole tour.

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Saddle: A well-fitting and tested saddle is a prerequisite for every ride. Saddle pad or an additional thin wool blanket under the pad reduces friction. The saddle pad or the blanket should be large enough to prevent the rear saddle bags from lying directly on the skin.

 

Bridle:

Bitless bridle or snaffle, it's up to the individual and their preference.  The rule here is: a good fit and a tried and tested product are a must for every bridle. We ride bitless couse it is the easiest on the horse.

 

Saddle bags:

Small front saddle bags, larger rear saddle bags. Also take them with you during training and define chafe marks. Leather belts or Straps to tie your Cantle Roll.  These are available in different lengths and at affordable prices in every outdoor shop. . Rain cover for the horse. Fly protection, emergency horseshoe/spare horseshoe, feed and water bag – folding bucket or feed bucket

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Personal equipment:

Mountain-compatible hiking boots, Shoes/Boots: Sturdy, ankle-high trekking shoes are particularly suitable; in any case, you should be able to walk well in them, even in rough terrain. If you like, you can pack a pair of lighter shoes for the evenings, such as trekking sandals. Thin and thick socks.spare shoes for you, blister bandage, rain gear, hat, comfortable riding clothes, gloves, slippers, Underwear: Breathable functional underwear with flat seams, depending on the season; at least three sets of changeable clothes.mini personal hygene bag, flashlight, knife, ID, cell phone, camera, spare batteries. You will need a packed lunch for the first day.

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Rain gear:

A suitable raincoat covers horse, rider and luggage extensively. Double S Rain Sicker.

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Headgear:

Helmet or wide-brimmed hat; helmet thtat protects against head injuries and sunstroke.

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Outerwear:

A layered system is recommended so that you can put on or take off something depending on the changing Daytime temperatures. For example, functional underwear, T-shirt, shirt, thin fleece pullover.
Softshell jacket, water- and wind-resistant outdoor jacket. Many trail riders also swear by vests with lots of pockets for smaller items such as hoof picks, pocket knives, money, etc.

Gloves/bandana/sunglasses/pocket knife/multitool Cleaning kit Hoof pick, curry comb and small brush (magic brush is sufficient)

Sigg bottle or small plastic bottle. Emergency first-aid kit for horse and rider. Medication that I take regularly or need often. Identity card – passport – equine passport – IMPORT DOCUMENTS CH Hygiene tissues/toilet paper – sun cream – insect repellent and a small shovel.
 

And more:

Wallet – bank card or credit card – lighter/matches – cell phone – watch – camera – memory card – charging cable – power bank, LED lamp (small and bright)Plastic bags (for used underwear, horse manure, rubbish, etc.)PLEASE label items.

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Luggage:

A maximum of 20 kg of luggage per person will be transported in a single bag marked with your name. Please bring a well-labeled bag for feed and feed and drinking buckets. Please bring cereal feed for the journey there and back and on the road, special feed/mineral feed, etc. in a labeled, closed bucket.

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Overnight accommodation and paddocks on the way:

The horses will stay overnight in a fenced pasture in 7x7m paddocks with hay and water. If possible, there will always be two horses together. Fence stuff and electric device is available and carried in the support vehicle. Emergency shelters for the horses are partly available, but must be organized flexibly on site. We stay overnight in inns, in multi-bed rooms of a simple standard. The price includes accommodation and half board, as well as a support vehicle and a guide. Lunch and all drinks must be paid for separately. Single rooms only with surcharge.

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Insurance cover:

You have liability insurance that also covers damage caused by your horse. By registering, you confirm this fact. For the tour, we take out an insurance policy for large animals that covers rescue costs up to CHF 5,000.

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The trail boss calls the shots.

The instructions of the Guide must be followed. Helmets are compulsory for riders under 18 years of age.

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Dogs:

Dogs can only be brought along after consultation. Dogs are not allowed in all restaurants and not everywhere in the rooms. Some hotels charge an additional fee of 15 chf for dogs per night. You must be able to walk to the right of the horse on command and, if necessary, be leashed from the horse. Each dog owner is responsible for his or her own dog. As a participant, you agree that your dog may have to ride in the support vehicle if necessary. If too many dogs are registered, all dogs will be left at home.

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