Trail etiquette: Do’s and don’ts of riding outside the arena

There are fairly clear-cut customs or rules for riding inside an arena (see my blog post on Arena Etiquette). But what about riding outside an arena? There aren’t any established “rules” for sharing the trail like there are for sharing arenas.

Good article about BLM trail use etiquette from Mother Lode (December 2021).

Take me straight to:

Safety
Tail ribbons.
Basic decency
Sportsmanship

I’ve spent hours–days!–riding outside the arena, and for most of them, trail etiquette never mattered. I rode alone, on large cattle ranches. Since moving to Oklahoma, however, I’ve spent more time riding on public trails. Oklahoma has many horse-friendly trails, such as those at Lake Thunderbird, that include obstacles and even mounting blocks. I’ve gone on group trails rides, with participants who could barely control their horses.

And then there is endurance. Occasionally trail etiquette is a topic on the Facebook AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) page, or similar pages such as North America Endurance Green Beans. Unfortunately, such discussions often boil down to “In the old days everyone was tough and never complained about riders racing past them” vs. “It’s a ride not a race (see my post on Racing vs. Riding), to finish is to win, it’s more important to help others…”

For me, it’s about safety and basic decency, and, when it comes to an endurance ride, it’s about sportsmanship. Because safety is most important, it’s the longest section, and the first.

Above: Trail etiquette is about safety, decency, and sportsmanship. Photo courtesy of Becky Pearman Photography.

Safety

It is your responsibility is to keep yourself, other people (riders and other trail users), your horse, and other horses safe. You must be capable of controlling your horse from the saddle and from the ground. Yes, I know things happen and sometimes you will have moments of little control. Happens to everyone. People and horses have to learn, and you cannot learn how to ride down a trail from the safety of an arena. Try to do your learning on safer, less populated trails, and keep in mind the following suggestions.

Tail ribbons

Both in the arena and on the trail, riders use ribbons tied in their horses tails to convey warnings.

1. Red ribbon = a kicker.
2. Yellow ribbon = a stallion.
3. Green ribbon = a novice (rider I presume… but maybe also the horse?)

Want to add a ribbon to your horse’s tail? Read How to braid ribbons into a horse’s tail.

The yellow ribbon

I’d never heard of the yellow ribbon for stallions thing until riding endurance. It seems kind of weird to me, because there is no real danger in riding up behind a stallion… Not more than riding up behind any horse!) Stallion riders, on the other hand, should probably be wary of riding up behind mares. Especially with colts in early spring! If anything mares should wear ribbons in their tales…

Let me make it clear (in response to suggestions–thanks!) that stallions, like all horses, need their personal bubble respected. When I say there is no danger in riding up behind a stallion, I mean to within a horse’s length. If you are close enough to be kicked, or not far enough away to be able to stop if the horse in front of you stops or slows down unexpectedly, you are too close. This goes for passing too.

Mare riders should give stallions extra space when passing. Don’t pull in right in front of them. Don’t hover at their shoulder. Even if you personally are used to riding and riding with stallions (for those of us who have spent time on the track, a stallion is nothing special), don’t assume that someone riding a stallion has full control. Give them space.

The green ribbon

I had never heard of this either. Usually it’s pretty easy to identify green riders and horses without the aid of a ribbon. But it’s a good idea, that way if you are passing, you will know to give them extra space. A green ribbon can mean a novice rider, or it can mean a green horse. Either way, be extra considerate when passing or leaving them.

The red ribbon

I’ve known about the red ribbon since I was a child. It’s a good idea, but all horses kick. It’s a good idea to stay out of the range of their hooves, riding both inside and outside the arena. What’s more, it’s just good trail etiquette to maintain a decent distance between your horse and the rider ahead of you.

Always give the horse ahead of you room. Some need more space than others. If a horse has a red ribbon on its tail, or is nervous, give it more space, as in the photo to the right above.

Following distance

No tailgating

Even if a horse is not wearing a red ribbon, assume it will kick. Assume also that it’s not going to like having another horse–even its best buddy–with its nose buried in its tail. It’s probably also going to irritate the rider.

This means no using other horses as brakes. You need to be able to control your own horse. Wanting to chat comfortably with the rider in front of you isn’t an excuse either. Front riders: remember, if you speak without turning your head, the people in back of you aren’t going to be able to hear you. Shouting might help, but its no guarantee. If you want to chat, wait for a wider place on the trail.

Above: When on the trail, everyone should maintain a safe distance between the rider in front of them. The people in this photo (courtesy of Painted Bar Stables) are setting an excellent example.

No drafting without permission

Drafting means following close enough that the ride is made much easier for your horse. (That’s why I am always tempted to do it on long trips in my car… behind semis. Note that this is technically illegal in some places.) The lead horse faces all the scary obstacles (which requires heightened alertness) and maintains the pace.

Some people love to go in front all the time. I am one of them. Generally, if you ask me, I’ll say sure, go ahead and follow me. Unless I am training a new horse, in which case I’ll want to leap frog, or take turns going in front, back, and middle. (See the section below on passing.) This is good training for all horses! But always make sure it’s okay with the people you are riding with before doing this.

Passing

Warn riders when you intend to pass them, no matter what your gait and speed. Speak loudly enough that they can hear you. Unless everyone is racing to the finish line in the final miles, slow down to pass someone. This is especially important on narrow trails.

Respect others’ space when you pass. Don’t ride up right behind them. Don’t pass so closely you can reach out and touch them (or your horses could kick each other). Keep your horse bent so that it cannot kick other horses. Warn other riders if your horse might kick (better yet, do not pass unless you can give them at least six feet… or however much space YOU need to control your horse.)

When there is oncoming traffic, pass to the right (left shoulder to left shoulder), just as you would in a car (unless you live in UK, NZ, or Australia). Leave as much space as possible between you and the other riders. If the trail is narrow, take advantage of open spaces and wait if you see riders approaching. On a hill, riders going uphill have right of way (again, just like in automobiles).

If you are carrying a whip or crop, move it to the side away from the other horse when passing.

Above: Pass to the right (left shoulder to left shoulder) when there is oncoming traffic. Leave as much space as possible between horses.

Most importantly: Don’t zoom past someone who is on the ground, or mounting/dismounting. This could put the rider in danger and result in a loose horse.

If you are the one being passed…

Don’t hog the trail. When someone comes up behind to pass, make it easy for them. Pull as much to the side as you can when moving at a trot or canter. If you are walking, get completely off the trail when possible.

When pulling off-trail to allow someone else to pass, face the trail (don’t point your horse’s kicking end at passersby!)

Slowing down and speeding up

Do not stop or slow down suddenly without warning. Hand signals are good (I use the standard hand up traffic signal).

Do not stop at the top of a hill. Horses coming up behind you need to–and will–maintain their forward momentum. Stopping can cause crowding, pile ups, and associated dangers (kicking, slipping, falling…). Once you commit to going up a hill, go all the way up and over the crest.

If you are leading a group of riders at a trot or faster, and slow down to go down a hill or through a technical stretch, don’t pick up speed again until the last rider is safely down the hill or out of the rocks.

If you are riding with other people, make sure it’s okay with them to increase the speed. This includes not taking off at a canter or gallop without warning.

Above: If you want to school your horse at a canter or trot when others want to walk, wait until you find an open area. Many public horse trails have areas with obstacles where you can lope circles (for example) while others do the obstacles.

Your horse needs to be able to stay behind without turning into a maniac. It’s really good training to have people leave your horse at all paces. You need to have control of your horse even when they round a bend and disappear from sight (yes, this takes training). Your horse also needs to be able to leave other horses at whatever gait you want. This too takes training and practice. It’s important to find a riding buddy who is willing to work on these things with you.

Other trail users

Horses have right-of-way on most trails. Runners, hikers, and bikers should move off the trail when they encounter a rider. That said, it is the rider’s responsibility to keep a safe distance from pedestrians and bikers. These may not know they should step aside.

Remember, non-horse people may have no understanding of horses. They might believe that a rider always has full control (like they would a bike). They probably don’t know that horses can be totally fine with tractors and cars and jump ten feet when confronted with a tiny plastic bag.

Basic decency

Water

I will start with water because it’s also a safety issue. It’s also the main reason many people dread riding outside the arena. Going through water (or failing to do so) can result in injury to horse and/or rider. A horse not drinking can result in dehydration and metabolic crisis.

Going into and/or through water

Some horses need to be taught to do water. If yours is one of those, ride with a buddy whose horse goes into water well. That will make it easier to train yours to do the same (the alternative might be wet boots). Hopefully you can do this before an endurance event or group trail ride. The good thing is that once they’ve gone 10-15 miles, horses become much better about drinking and entering water.

If you are on the trail with a group and someone’s horse doesn’t want to cross, help out. Don’t just ride off leaving a bellowing horse and frustrated rider behind. (Unless the rider asks you to do exactly that. Sometimes it’s the only way…)

Remember, it’s generally easier to cross wide bodies of water than narrow ones, because horses will jump narrow ones. Some riders are terrified of jumping. None of us likes to be jumped into trees or bushes. Don’t let your horse jump onto another horse.

If your horse isn’t good at water and you think you will need to dismount, bring a long lead. I don’t do this at all, because I am always afraid of being jumped on. It’s safer in the saddle. But there is no doubt that sometimes leading is the fastest way to get across. Just be careful the result isn’t a loose horse and/or a mashed rider.

Horses drinking

Share troughs and streams! But don’t crowd others. Allow other horses space to drink.

Don’t gallop off if someone is trying to encourage their horse to drink (this applies to endurance rides). You don’t have any moral imperative to baby other people’s horses through a ride, and if it’s a group of riders, you leaving probably won’t matter. But always check, and if it’s a solo rider, it’s kind to offer to stay until their horse has swallowed some water. At the very least, leave at a walk.

Don’t sponge from the water tanks. This happens all too often in holds at endurance rides. If you want to do it, make sure you have your own bucket.

Gates

Always leave a gate as you found it. If it’s closed, close it. If it’s open, leave it open. The first time you fail to respect the current gate status will be the last time you are welcome on a ranch. (Maybe I should have put this under safety. Cattle could get out and you could get shot.)

When riding in a group, share gate-keeping responsibilities. Don’t make one person do all the dismounting and mounting. Never rush through a gate that someone has held open for you and gallop off. That could be dangerous and is bad sportsmanship.

Don’t crowd through gates, even if they are permanently open.

Riders in trouble

Be kind and understanding. Yes, all riders have the same responsibility to keep themselves, their horses, and others safe. Everyone should be able to control their horse. But, as I said above, things happen. Always assume that unknown people and horses are learning and treat them accordingly. Help out if you can.

This includes something as simple as mounting, even if the rider isn’t really in trouble. Don’t take off when someone is trying to get on their horse and don’t blow past them at a trot or canter.

When someone is injured

It shouldn’t need to be said that you should help an injured rider. Less obvious: the first thing you need to do is secure the horses. Tie them or have someone else hold them at a safe distance from the injured rider. If they are held, make sure that the handler is confident and capable of dealing with more than one horse.

If someone needs to ride off for help, pay heed to the horses left behind. You don’t want them acting up and possibly breaking loose. The person who leaves should do so quietly until at a good distance (preferably out of sight of the “left behind” horses).

Caring for the trail and camp

Keep the trail and trailhead clean. Do not litter. (I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’ve received feedback that it belongs in this post, so there must be very careless riders out there).

Don’t leave horse poop all over the parking lot (take it out with you, or if there is a dumpster for it, put it there). If you camp, keep your campsite clean. If there are facilities such as pens, leave them in the state you found them. If your horse (or you) damages something, fix it, or figure out how to pay for its repair.

If you can, take care of the trail. Remove debris (fallen branches, etc) and trim foliage if you can.

Sportsmanship

Being safe and considerate of other horses and riders is good sportsmanship, both inside an arena and on the trail. Sportsmanship refers to the continued consideration of others even when under the pressures of competition. Most of the time, riding outside the arena probably isn’t competitive. Trail etiquette should come easily then. However, because trail etiquette is sometimes time-consuming, it is easy to lose sight of it when competing.

The following already-mentioned points are vital to good sportsmanship:

1. Don’t draft off others (especially don’t draft all the way up till you can make a dash for the finish)
2. Be polite at watering holes and gates.
3. Help others in need.
4. Don’t crowd others or pass dangerously. Safety is more important than winning.
5. For AERC events, don’t lose track of the motto, to finish is to win. Although an endurance ride is a race (as I have argued elsewhere), good sportsmanship means putting the welfare of your horse, other people, and other horses above winning.

Before and after riding down the trail…

Apply these rules to ride camp at endurance rides and crowded parking areas at trail rides and other events! Most apply not only to riding, but also to leading and tying your horse.

Most importantly, respect the space of other horses and riders. Leave them a bubble of safety when leading, tying (think about this when you park your trailer), queuing for the vet, hosing, and so forth.

Addendum February 2024: Not respecting space can lead to kicking. My mare River kicked another horse after vetting in at her first ride. (Read about it here.) From now on River will wear a red ribbon, but to be fair to her, she would not have kicked had her bubble been respected.

Don’t take advantage of the personal bubbles left by others to jump the queue! They are not inviting you to cut in line, they are being safe and considerate.

Have I forgotten anything?

If so, let me know in a comment!

Thank you to everyone who helped out with pictures and suggestions!

Links to other resources

Basic guidelines for Trail and Racing Etiquette on the Old Dominion Endurance site, linked on the AERC Tips for your first ride page.