As a horse lover and enthusiast I can honestly say that trail riding encompasses one of the greatest pastimes a person can partake whether traipsing along the tree-lined paths of a mountainous landscape or along beautiful sandy shorelines. As a former three-day eventer I have discovered that there are few situations in life that elicit such an exhilarating and relaxing feeling as that of a good, comfortable trail ride with friends, equine and human alike.
#1 The Rocky Mountain Horse
Though I’ve never actually had the honor of being seated atop a Rocky Mountain Horse I have discovered through extensive research that they are considered an ideal breed for trail riding. The Rocky Mountain Horse originated in the late 1800’s in the rugged mountains of Kentucky. Its wonderful sure-footed gait and gentle disposition allowed it to successfully carry young and old inexperienced riders over the treacherous mountain ranges of Kentucky.
The Rocky Mountain Horse has a naturally beautiful and smooth four beat gait that allows it to glide along the rough terrain with ease giving its passengers the ride of their life. Bred for its incredible endurance, strong heart, high intellect, willing temperament, and fun-loving personality the Rocky Mountain Horse has quickly become a favorite among trail riders.
The athletic nature, calm demeanor, and tough, sturdy legs and feet have allowed this particular breed the ability to traverse rugged trails with ease to the relieved comfort of their riders. Beauty, an excellent conformation, a high intellect, sure-footedness, and an unrivaled level of endurance demonstrate why the Rocky Mountain Horse is my number one pick for a trail riding breed.
#2 The Appaloosa
I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with the Appaloosa horse breed in relation to trail riding. Originally believed to have been brought to the New World by Spanish explorers in the 1600’s the Appaloosa was first thought to have been utilized and bred by the Nez Perce Indians of northwest America primarily for hunting purposes. Soon they decided to accentuate the strong, fast, sure-footed, and intelligent nature of this beautiful creature through selective breeding for specific traits.
The Appaloosa is an extremely versatile breed complete with an excellent disposition, incredible intelligence, and an eager-to-please attitude. At times the Appaloosa horse has been known to be stubborn but all in all they are a very willing horse breed that is extremely active and blessed with above average endurance.
Similar to the Rocky Mountain Horse, the versatile, intelligent nature of the Appaloosa coupled with its incredible stamina, happy-go-lucky attitude, and its sure-footedness makes it an ideal breed of horse for trail riding adventures. The amazing breeding standards of the Nez Perce Indians that persist today provide us with wonderful equine companions that lend themselves to their excellent reputations.
#3 American Quarter Horse
Again, this is another breed I’ve been fortunate enough to have had experience with in the world of trail riding. This breed of horse is a result of crosses made by American colonists in the 1690’s between imported English horses and those originating from the Spanish stock referred to as Chickasaw ponies. This breed was initially bred to partake in short distance races that were a quarter of a mile or less, hence the name Quarter horse.
The popularity of the American Quarter Horse soared and soon pioneers looking to conquer the wild west found themselves searching for a hardy, willing horse with great stamina. Its amazing adaptability to changing conditions and circumstances has made it one of the most popular breeds not only in America but across the entire world as well.
The even, willing temperament and agile, powerful disposition of the American Quarter horse has proven to be very beneficial in the area of trail riding. The stock body type of the Quarter horse is more compact, muscular, and powerful than that of other breeds. It is able to traverse rugged terrain with ease and adapt readily to changing conditions.
The American Quarter Horse has a broad chest, powerful hindquarters, and is surprisingly quick and nimble. It is highly intelligent, extremely willing to please, has a gentle nature, and excellent disposition. All of these elements combine to produce an excellent equine specimen worthy of the third place spot on our list regarding breeds ideal for the trail riding experience.
#4 Arabian
The Arabian horse is an amazingly spirited and affectionate creature. This breed originated in the deserts of the Middle East though there is speculation as to the exact region from where they first emerged. Originally utilized as war horses, the Arabian horse would share tents with its human masters due to extreme weather conditions and the threat of possible theft which resulted in the Arabian horse developing an affinity for mankind.
Arabian horses are reputed to have incredibly high endurance, above average intelligence, and are astonishingly quick learners. They are also noted for being very athletic, exhibiting a proud and noble spirit, being extremely gentle by nature, and are well-known for their speed. This breed of horse has only 5 lumbar vertebrae and 17 pairs of ribs as opposed to the 6 or 7 lumbar vertebrae and 18 pairs of ribs found in other horse breeds. This anatomical anomaly provides the Arabian horse with a short but strong back, high tail carriage, arched neck, and strong bones. As a result, they have the ability to carry more weight than would be expected with ease.
The Arabian horse was bred for its admirable intelligence, willingness to please, alertness, agility, and fantastic disposition. The larger lung capacity has provided them with incredible displays of stamina that are ideal for trail riding. They are a hardy breed that is very sound due to their strong legs and athletic nature.
#5 Morgan
The Morgan horse breed was one of the earliest breeds to have developed in the United States of America dating back to the late 1700’s. The development of other American horse breeds was significantly influenced by the Morgan. These breeds include Standardbreds, Quarter horses, and Saddlebreds.
The Morgan horse breed is a compact creature with strong legs and feet, large eyes, and a muscular build. They exhibit a willing personality, are athletic and hard working, and noted to have very smooth, elastic gaits. The Morgan is known to possess awesome power, as well as being highly spirited, loyal, and friendly.
Its propensity towards high intelligence, a docile, playful nature, and incredible soundness make it an ideal addition to the trail riding realm. The hardiness and versatility of this particular horse breed combined with the fact that it exhibits incredible measures of stamina makes it another excellent choice for trail riding excursions.
Morgan’s are most famous for their amazing soundness and extremely charismatic personality. Their shorter, more compact stature lends them greater stability, strength, and sure-footedness. These are all excellent qualities to have in a trail horse. The gentle nature and patient personality exhibited by this horse breed has given them the reputation of being an excellent mount for younger, less experienced riders. All in all the Morgan rates high on the list for top trail riding breeds.
