Trails & Purposeful Riding
At EERC, trail riding is not simply recreation—it is a meaningful measure of a horse’s confidence, soundness, and reliability. Preparing horses and riders for the demands of real-world riding requires intention, conditioning, and awareness. This section focuses on the skills and mindset needed for safe, purposeful riding in open spaces, where trust and communication matter most. Thoughtful trail work allows rehabilitated horses to build sustainable careers while offering riders a deeper connection to both horse and landscape.
Trail Riding Skills
📘Trail Riding: A Complete Guide by Audrey Pavia: A 2026 comprehensive manual covering everything from choosing a trail horse to advanced skills like camping and competitive racing.
📘ABCs of Trail Riding and Horse Camping: by Robert Eversole: A field-tested guide with hundreds of tips and essential checklists for outdoor adventures.
📘Trail Riding : by Janine Wilder: Focuses on developing a solid trail horse and navigating a variety of terrains safely.
📘The Art of Trailriding :Offers 33 lessons specifically designed to improve your riding skills and confidence in the open.
✍️Trailmeister: A dedicated resource for trail riders, offering tips on gear, horse care, and finding the best trails.
✍️Horse Trails of America: An association website featuring a comprehensive map of trail locations, state travel guides, and community forums.
✍️Horse and Rider: Trail Riding Archives: Features practical articles on conditioning your trail horse, winter riding, and stress-free summer prep.
✍️Active Riding Trips: A blog focusing on horseback riding vacations, dude ranch reviews, and tips for being a better rider on the trail.
🎧Horses in the Morning: A leading daily podcast that includes regular segments on training tips and trail riding adventures.
🎧The Ride Podcast: Features interviews with top clinicians and professionals, including episodes on ranch sorting and versatile horse skills.
🎧Along For The Ride with Andrea Fappani: Conversations with industry experts focusing on horsemanship excellence.
🎧Warhorse Endurance: A specialized channel exploring the world of endurance riding and long-distance trekking.
🎥The Long Rider (2022/2025): A visually stunning documentary following a 3,000-mile equestrian journey from Canada to Brazil, exploring human resilience and the man-horse bond.
🤍 Why EERC Emphasizes This
Trail riding reflects a horse’s true readiness for partnership in the real world. It requires confidence, adaptability, and clear communication in changing environments. We emphasize trail riding because it supports soundness, builds trust, and offers rehabilitated horses a sustainable, meaningful path forward beyond performance-based careers.
Conditioning & Endurance
📘Go the Distance: The Complete Resource for Endurance Horses: By Nancy S. Loving, DVM. Often called the "Bible" of the sport, it covers everything from selection and nutrition to advanced metabolic monitoring.
📘Endurance 101: A Gentle Guide to the Sport of Long-Distance Riding : By Aarene Storms. A step-by-step, beginner-friendly guide to building a partnership and understanding the "To Finish is to Win" philosophy.
📘The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition: By Donna Snyder-Smith. Focuses on rider balance and the gymnastic conditioning of the horse.
📘America's Long Distance Challenge II: By Karen Bumgarner. Solid, common-sense advice from a rider with nearly 30,000 career miles.
✍️The Sweaty Equestrian – Excellent modern articles on packing lists, elite rider habits, and surviving the "metabolic pull".
✍️Endurance.Net – The central hub for endurance news, ride results, and technical updates in the USA.
✍️AERC Endurance News – The official monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, featuring expert educational columns.
✍️Redheaded Endurance – A personal blog following real training logs, ride reports, and the daily reality of a distance rider.
🎥Beth Endurance (YouTube) – Offers detailed training vlogs, including Canter Intervals and Full Week Training Logs.
🎥The Long Rider : A documentary following an 8-year journey across the Americas on horseback, showcasing the ultimate test of equine and human endurance.
🎥Oregon Field Guide: Endurance Riding : A PBS special that captures the culture of 100-mile rides and why riders call it an "addiction".
🎥Horses & The Science of Harmony : A feature film exploring the physiological and psychological bond required for high-level performance.
🎥Hidalgo (2004): While Hollywood-fied, this remains the most famous film centered on a long-distance race (the "Ocean of Fire").
🤍 Why EERC Emphasizes This
Whether you're prepping for your first 25-mile Limited Distance ride or preparing for a long afternoon on trip, here is a curated collection of resources to get your horse trail-ready and "fit to finish.”
Safety, Packing & Navigation
📘The Complete Guide to Trail and Endurance Riding: By Donna Snyder-Smith. Excellent sections on evaluating terrain safety and "emergency" equitation.
📘The Essential Guide to Horse Trail Riding: By Cheryl Kidd. A deep dive into the "Checklist" lifestyle, from trailer safety to overnight containment.
📘Backcountry Horse-Advantage: By Dan Ames. Focuses on the "Leave No Trace" philosophy and the technical skills of packing a horse for remote travel.
📘Equine First Aid: A Pocket Guide: A durable, "bring-it-with-you" manual for treating trail injuries until you get back to the trailer.
✍️The Ultimate Trail Riding Checklist: A comprehensive "must-have" list from the American Quarter Horse Association covering horse, human, and emergency gear.
✍️Navigating with Gaia GPS : A technical guide by Gaia GPS specifically for equestrians navigating off-grid.
✍️Saddlebag Essentials for Distance: The Sweaty Equestrian breaks down the "on-body" vs "on-horse" packing philosophy.
✍️Safety on the Trail: Rules of the Road: A quick-read article on trail etiquette and right-of-way between horses, hikers, and bikers.
🎧The Warwick Schiller Journey On Podcast: Frequently discusses the psychology of safety and how to handle "spook" situations on the trail.
🎧Horse Radio Network: Endurance Ride Podcast: Great episodes on gear reviews, GPS tech, and how to pack light for long distances.
🎧The Trail Ride Podcast: Dedicated to trail riders, featuring interviews about safety gear, equine first aid kits, and navigation tips.
🎥Unbranded (Documentary): The ultimate film on navigation and packing logistics as four riders cross the backcountry from Mexico to Canada.
🎥Julie Goodnight: Packing the Saddle: A practical video on how to balance weight and pack essentials so they don't bounce or cause rubs.
🎥How to Use a Compass & Map: While produced by REI, this is a critical skill for any rider heading into areas with no cell service.
🎥Trail Horse Safety & Obstacles: Visual demos from Equine Trail Sports on safely approaching bridges, water, and downed timber.
🤍 Why EERC Emphasizes This
Whether you're heading out for a two-hour hack or a multi-day pack trip, being prepared for the "what-ifs" is the difference between an adventure and a disaster. Here is a guide to mastering the essentials of the trail.
Riding with Intention
📘101 Trail Riding Tips: Shop Secrets for Your Horse: By Dan Ames. A fantastic guide on how to treat the trail as an arena, using natural obstacles to improve your horse's agility and focus.
📘The Art of Liberty Training for Horses: By Jonathan Field. While often done in an arena, his "connection" principles are vital for a horse that stays mentally "with" you on a scary trail.
📘Connected Riding: What It Is and How It Works: By Peggy Cummings. Focuses on the rider's body awareness to help the horse move with better balance and less strain over uneven terrain.
📘Zen Mind, Zen Horse: The Science and Spirituality of Working with Horses: By Allan Hamilton, MD. A deep dive into being "present" in the saddle and how horses mirror our internal energy.
✍️The Mindful Rider: This blog focuses on the intersection of mindfulness and horsemanship, perfect for riders who want to stay calm and intentional.
✍️Training on the Trail: Exercises for Success: An article from Horse Illustrated detailing how to practice leg yields and transitions in an open environment.
✍️Building the Trail Horse’s Confidence: Julie Goodnight explains how to intentionally guide a horse through spooky situations rather than just surviving them.
✍️Posture and Balance for the Distance Rider: The Sweaty Equestrian discusses how intentional body position affects your horse's long-term soundness.
🎧The Journey On Podcast with Warwick Schiller : Essential listening for anyone wanting to understand the "why" behind their horse's behavior and how to ride with more empathy.
🎧The Dressage Radio Show: Don't let the name fool you; their episodes on "Classical Principles for the Trail" are gold for intentional movement.
🎧The Willing Equine Podcast: Focuses on positive reinforcement and science-based training that creates a horse that wants to go down the trail with you.
🎥7 Clinics with Buck Brannaman: Specifically the "Groundwork" and "Lessons on Horseback" segments, which emphasize that every movement should have a purpose.
🎥The Path of the Horse: A documentary exploring the deeper, more spiritual connection humans can have with horses when they stop "using" them and start "being" with them.
🎥Mastering the Trail: Developing the "Extra Set of Eyes" :A training video focused on rider awareness and scanning the environment to stay one step ahead of your horse.
🤍 Why EERC Emphasizes This
When you're out on the trail, it’s easy to slip into "passenger mode." Riding with intention is about turning every mile into a conversation with your horse, focusing on biomechanics, mental presence, and mutual confidence.
Conservation & Land Stewardship
📘Caring for Livestock After a Disaster: By Temple Grandin. While focused on disasters, it covers land management and biosecurity essential for stewards.
📘The Scouting Guide to Wilderness First Aid: By J. Wayne Fears. Crucial for understanding human impact and safety in fragile ecosystems.
📘Backcountry Horsemen of America: Wilderness Ethics: The definitive text on low-impact horse camping and keeping trails open through sustainable use.
📘Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: By Cherry Hill. A classic on managing manure, water runoff, and pastures to be an eco-friendly horse owner.
✍️Leave No Trace: Horseback Riding Skills & Ethics: The Leave No Trace official guide on minimizing your hoof print and protecting water sources.
✍️Invasive Species & Your Horse: An article by Backcountry Horsemen of America on why weed-seed-free feed is non-negotiable for wilderness riding.
✍️Trail Maintenance 101 for Equestrians : American Trails provides technical advice on water bars, clearing brush, and preventing trail erosion.
✍️Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) Blog: Focuses on protecting horse lands and ensuring trails aren't lost to development.
🎧The Outside Podcast: Frequently covers environmental preservation and the ethics of public land use.
🎧The Horseback Riding Guide Podcast: Features interviews with trail advocates on how to volunteer for work parties and "Ride for the Brand."
🎧Wilderness Podcast: Deep dives into the history of protected lands and how trail users can act as eyes and ears for forest rangers.
🎥The Wilderness Act: 50 Years of Protection: A documentary explaining why certain trails are restricted and how equestrians fought for "primitive" access.
🎥Leave No Trace: Stock Use (Video): A practical video by the National Park Service on high-lining, tie-outs, and campsite restoration.
🎥The Green Horseman: Educational shorts on sustainable horse keeping and trail advocacy from various USDA extension offices
🎥The River and the Wall (documentry): A powerful documentary following five friends (including filmmaker Ben Masters) as they travel 1,200 miles on horses, bikes, and canoes to document the borderlands and the ecological impact of potential wall construction.
🤍 Why EERC Emphasizes This
Moving from riding trails to protecting them is the hallmark of a true "steward of the land." This list focuses on "Leave No Trace" ethics, trail maintenance, and preserving access for future generations