New England Horse and Trail Pleasure Rides

As the snow swirls about pleasure trail riders contemplate spring. What
pleasure rides did they enjoy most last year and what new areas await exploration? This year come April 1st all the spring New England Horse and Trail pleasure trail rides will be posted on the Web site http://www.nehorseandtrail.com/ .

Usually there are 50 or so rides to choose from all over the New England area. Massachusetts has the most rides with Maine a close second. Connecticut, R.I., New Hampshire and Vermont also all have rides. All are marked rides so one can go as fast or slow as one chooses and ride english or western. Choices abound with mileage ranging from 3 to 25 miles. Some rides offer both short and long options. Some are judged rides but the majority of rides are just to give riders the opportunity to view different scenery and meet others with like interests.

Before one goes on an organized trail ride one needs a well trained horse that is use to things that one may encounter on rides. Water, hills, bridges, dogs and traffic are common on trail rides. Bring a friend for support as all horses are herd creatures. Your horse should be in condition to do the distance one plans on riding. If you are new to pleasure trail riding the “Pleasure Trail Riders Guide” which comes with your membership in NEHT can be a big help by telling you what to expect and how to prepare for your first group pleasure trail ride. It is good to start with a shorter ride closer to home. There are even weekend camping rides once you have mastered long one day pleasure rides.

NEHT encourages riders to set personal goals. We offer a recognition plaque to any horse that completes 250 miles of registered rides. There are sixteen breed distance awards showing that Arabs to Fjords make great trail horses. This is something that almost all horses can do.

The big NEHT awards ride will be April 30th in Groton Ma. This ride is the Littleton Horse Owner’s Art Caruso Memorial trail ride offering both 10 and 18 miles of trails along the scenic rivers and town forest trails of Groton. This ride use to be the first ride of the season but now there are often earlier rides in April. Veteran trail riders will warn you to always check the Web postings or phone as rain can be the nemesis of trail riders. No one enjoys swimming in the cool of spring crossing streams or riding through boggy mud. Last year with the monsoons a couple rides were cancelled or rescheduled.

Consider trying a pleasure trail ride this year. Dressage, eventers, hunters and even show horses benefit from a change of pace. If you like getting out of the rink enjoying different scenery, pleasure trail riding may be just the fun you are looking for.