History of Trail Riding

Throughout history...

There has been a mutual trust between horse and rider. Over time, as the horse grew in value for herding, hunting, and pulling loads, methods for controlling the horse started developing – the halter, the bit, the bridle. The rider’s comfort was an early priority; fringed cloths or pads were used by Assyrian cavalry around 700 B.C., making them the earliest form of saddle-like equipment. Saddle bags came into use around the same time, as a way to store any necessities for a long ride.

As civilizations developed and clashed, the horse came to be very important during times of war. A mounted soldier had the advantage of improved mobility, as well as greater height and speed, over any opponents on foot. With speed being a factor, stirrups came into use as a much easier way to mount as well as dismount.

There is proof that horses existed in North America during prehistoric times, but became extinct until Spanish and European settlers starting bringing them over in the 1500s. Horses would eventually play a large part in the eventual growth of the United States. Many individual states, particularly in the open plains of the West, owe their settlement and early development to horseback riding.

Indispensable

Beginning in the Colonial era, Quarter Horses were bred for speed in short distances, resulting in a stockier horse used for ranch work and working with cattle. When people think of riding they still think of stock horses and moving cattle and great spaces on horseback. To this day, horses are almost indispensable for cattle drives, and Quarter Horses are still one of the most common horses used for trail riding in America.

Horses were so key to human survival through the ages, and useful for so many chores, that centuries went by before the idea of trail riding for leisure came into vogue. Today, with the abundance of cars and other motorized vehicles, trail riding can seem like a rare happening, particularly in less rural areas.

Today

But dedicated horse trails and bridle paths still exist throughout the country, and you can even find riding clubs, organized excursions, and equestrian tours that visit fairly exotic places. In America, popular trail rides take visitors through Civil War battlefields, Yellowstone and other national parks, and cattle ranches. Trail riding participants can uniquely experience the exquisite scenery throughout the continental U.S. and Alaska.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can take a trail ride almost anywhere in the world, and truly travel in the hoofprints of history.