Trail riding
Trail riding is riding a horse along established trails through countryside, forest or hills, for recreation and to cover distance rather than to compete.
At a glance
| Setting | Waymarked trails, forestry, moorland and long-distance bridle routes. |
|---|---|
| Pace | Mostly walk and trot over hours, prioritising the horse's stamina and soundness. |
| Terrain | Rocky, root-crossed and wet ground where hoof protection is often used. |
| Kit | Endurance-style tack, saddlebags and often hoof boots for barefoot horses. |
Trail riding covers everything from an afternoon on forest tracks to multi-day expeditions with camps between stages. The emphasis is on the journey and the horse comfortably covering ground, not on speed or marks.
The varied, often hard and stony surfaces make trail riding one of the settings where hoof boots are most useful, cushioning the sole and shielding the hoof wall on abrasive ground where a barefoot horse might otherwise be footsore.
Because this discipline works horses over hard or abrasive ground, hoof protection can matter. The HoofBootFit sizing tool matches a fresh-trim length and width to the hoof boots that fit.
Sources: Federation Equestrian International (FEI) ยท British Equestrian