Five Key Maneuvers for the Trail BY JERRY TINDELL

14 • April 2020 When I think about the times before automobiles, or the Transcontinental Railroad, and the great migration West, I can’t help to think about the stock that made it all possible. I think about the many of thousands of miles that were traveled by wagon, buggy, horse, mule or donkey back. It was a way of life and the stock were used out of necessity. Riding down the trail was not done much for pleasure. In today’s world, trail riding in most cases is a hobby, a pleasure, and a luxury. We can ride down the same trails close to home or venture out to new places and new territory. We can travel down well-groomed and traveled trails. Sometimes we come across the not so traveled path that can be difficult to maneuver. If we are lucky, we might be able to find a piece of untouched land to travel down and make our own path.

In the early days, the animals and their riders rode or drove day in and day out, and never thought twice about it. That’s just the way it was. Today between work, family and our ever-busy lives, most folks are lucky to find a chance to ride part-time, maybe a few days of the week, just on the weekends or maybe only once or twice a month. With our limited time, we want each trail ride to be safe and enjoyable.

I want to try to explain and help you understand body control and softness in our stock at all times, especially when we are riding, and definitely before we need it. In March’s article, I talked about the five key maneuvers that will help you be safe on the trail. As a review, they are:

1. Forward movement 2. Back up 3. Leg yield to the left 4. Leg yield to the right 5. Stop It is very important that we practice these maneuvers at home in a safe environment before heading out on the trail. If you cannot get these steps when your animal is in a controlled and calm mind, you will not be able to get them when the situation gets heightened or out of control. I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice these steps before you need them. It seems that people don’t have the time to do it right, but we always have the time to do it over.

Commonly, when things start to feel unsafe, go south or get out of control on a ride, it’s when your mule/horse/ donkey does not feel confident to go forward. Forward movement is the first key maneuver that I want all my stock to have. Without good movement, especially moving forward, you cannot get softness in your animal’s body or mind. Remember, the feet are connected to the mind: Move the feet to get to the mind.

For example, if you come across a scary bush, rock, or man-eating hiker, and your mount will not go forward, you’re either staying right there or you are turning around and going back in the direction you came from. Hopefully, it’s the way back home or to your trailer, or you got your bedroll and some grub for the night! All joking aside though, what happens if it is a more serious situation and you need to go that direction? What then?

Without forward movement, you are not going anywhere. So, practice at home in a safe environment before you need it. I sit up, apply my seat and legs to encourage and keep moving forward. Do not pull back on the reins while trying to go forward. Don’t worry if you get forward movement with a little sideways or moving into your leg. You should work on and reward one thing: the forward movement. Once you have forward movement that is consistent and with good cadence, you can now work on the second key maneuver, the back up. The backup, when used properly, can eliminate bolting, running off or getting in a hurry. It will also help build the fifth key maneuver, the stop. Between forward and reverse is a stop. On the opposing side of lack of forward movement, you might have too much forward movement, which would be your animal bolting or running off when they are unsure or afraid of something. This is a very unsafe situation. Unless you can “ride ‘em like you stole ‘em,” you might want to work on your stop and back up!

To build a backup from a standstill, I sit down, take the slack out of the reins, and pull back softly on the reins until they move a foot backwards. Remember your soft feel. Take note that I am not pulling back on the reins hard to pull them back, but I’m firm enough to not let them go forward. If they are moving forward at a walk or faster gait and I want to backup, I take my legs off, sit down, ask for a soft feel, exhale, say ‘whoa,’ and wait for a step back before I release.

You need to practice the backup and the stop at home before you need it. If you are on the trail and your animal runs off, you’re most likely going to get stiff and braced in your body, and

the more you pull the reins and stand up in your stirrups with a tense body, the faster they will run. There is the chance that they will stop before the cliff or the tree, but will you?

The third and fourth key maneuvers that I always practice and know before I go out on the trail are the left and right leg yields. The leg yields are very important body maneuvers that allow you to keep your animals from running into your legs. For example, if you are traveling down the trail and your animal spooks at that same scary rock or bush that they wouldn’t pass earlier, or you need to move off the trail for that man-eating hiker, you will need to be able to move them off your leg. When they spook or shy at something, they tend to move left or right running into your leg. I like my animals to stay in between my legs, as well as move left or right off my legs.

Like all the key maneuvers, practice your leg yields in a controlled area

first. It is best to be moving forward, then ask for a soft feel (giving to the bit), slow the forward with both hands as you apply one leg to move sideways. Release as soon as you feel them move sideways. When using my legs for any movement, I start with my seat, then compress my calf, then if I need, I will bump my leg or use my spur. Only use what you need and no more. Remember, both legs at the same time means forward or reverse, where one leg at a time is one side, moving off your leg laterally. Repeat the same steps on side two.

In order to build and maintain a safe ride, I feel we must understand all these key pieces of control. It is also important for a rider to not only understand the pieces, but to know how to achieve them. With our limited time to ride and enjoy our animals, why don’t we take the time that is needed, before we need it? It is no different than driving your pickup down the road and staying between the lines. It is unsafe to go into oncoming traffic, or to hit the ditch, or go too fast or too slow. This is exactly how I ride every animal. I want to stay between the lines, I want to go fast and slow, stop and backup and move left and right.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to practice all these maneuvers before you need them. It might just turn an OK ride into a great ride! We owe it to ourselves, and most importantly to our stock, to take the time that is needed. They will thank you in the long run.

Please contact me at (760)403-3922 or info@jerrytindell.com if you have any questions. Check out jerrytindell. com for a clinic near you. We also offer in house lessons and take in training stock throughout the year. You can find related training articles on our Facebook page (Tindell’s Horse and Mule School, Humans Too!) and Mules and More YouTube channel.

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Idaho

Scott Nichols suggests the Alice Lake to Toxaway Trail from the Petit Lake Trailhead in the Stanley Basin

Missouri

Last summer, a group of us stayed at Brushy Creek Lodge and Resort in Black, Mo., and had an amazing time. The campgrounds, cabins, and stalls are fantastic. Riding in the Mark Twain National Forest is very beautiful, hilly, rocky and plenty of water crossings. It is definitely worth visiting. --April Mulcahy

Tennessee

“This photo was taken while trail riding one of Tennessee’s best trails, Gruetli-Laager, Tennessee, at Badlands Horse Camp,” said Susan Stafford.

18 • April 2020 The Eastern Sierra

DiAnna Huntsman and ‘Gus the Wonder Mule’ riding in their ‘backyard,’ the Easter Sierra. DiAnna and Gus appeared on the cover of the April 2016 Trail Riding issue of Mules and More

“My recommendation would be to always take a day to acclimate your mule to the altitude, especially if you go out west,” said Kelli Beck, SK Ranch, Bolckow, Mo. “Also, plan your route by using a GPS trail app. And lastly, always trust your mule. My Lacey mule has showed me numerous times a better way for her to go on a trail or she has needed to stop and take a breather. I respect her and she respects me. This photo is me riding Lacey with my husband, Shawn behind me. We were in Pagosa Springs, Co., riding the Continental Divide Trail out of Palisades Horse Camp. It was one of the best rides I've ever had.”

“I have seen equine have a problem with altitude on occasion,” said Tammy Bradley. “Add plain salt to the ration a few days prior to gaining elevation to encourage plenty of water intake. Equines can deal with it better than humans, but those living at sea level can still have an occasional issue. Giving them salt really encourages the hydration, and just a teaspoon will do the job. If possible on your trip, gain your elevation slowly. We traveled from Florida and stayed in Colorado at over 8,000 feet elevation. We had no issues as our travel made our elevation go up slowly (it took three days) and we had our animals well hydrated. We did a side trip to Texas for a week, and one of our mules was a bit lethargic upon return. I don't think he drank enough while traveling, which I didn't expect out of this particular mule. I got him drinking and he was over it in a day. We had been at elevation for over a month before the side trip to Texas, but he still had an issue. Know your animals and listen to what they have to say. Prepare as best you can ahead of time for things you might encounter, like hikers with large packs and hiking poles, strange animals like llamas and goats that are used as pack animals could be encountered in the back country, as well as loose dogs. It's not always possible to prepare for everything, but having a good relationship with your mule will help bunches for these encounters.”

“I think it is important that your equine is in good physical condition and trained well enough to be ultra-attentive to your cues should any unforeseen and perilous situations arise,” said Meredith Hodges, Lucky Three Ranch, Loveland, Co. “To keep your trail riding safe and enjoyable, be sure to attend to the details! Spend plenty of time with the right kinds of exercises to adequately prepare your equine for the multiple tasks on the trail. Plan ahead to make sure trails are safe for the level of riding that you can manage. Do not load animals into the trailer in their tack. Make sure all your tack and equipment is clean and fits each animal. Check your equine’s feet before taking off down the trail. Check saddle placement and cinch up the saddle girth slowly in increments. Make sure the girth is snug, but not tight and use a crupper or breeching (in extremely steep country) if needed. Bring along essential safety equipment like a knife, fence pliers, lighters, food, and extra clothing, halters and ropes. Use good trail manners when riding in groups and know the rules if you meet other riders or hikers along the trail.”