[LLB]

Hello everyone!

I ride an Arabian horse (his name is Taz and he is so cute!) and I almost always go trail riding and do most of my training and behavior improvements while we ride. Right now I am leasing this horse but I spend almost every single day with him. His owner, who owns another horse that she mainly rides, doesn't think I am doing enough "arena" training. She says that arena training is like being in school and trail riding is like being at recess. Is this correct? Should I be spending more time in the arena? I am reluctant only because I am not riding for anything but pleasure and not for any showing or anything like that, and I get bored just riding around in an arena doing circles and zigzags, etc. What do you think?

[Quick2Skip01]

Trail riding is good to improve the bond between horse and rider. Training can be done on the trail, but even trainers that are strictly trail, do some roundpen or arena work. I personally dont think its that big of a deal, as long as you are not letting the horse getting away with anything that it shouldnt be.

It is different between the two, but if you are doing only trail riding and dont plan on showing I dont think it should matter.

[Jess!]

Eh, not really.

I school Vogue 24/7, no matter where I'm at. If I'm stuck in the middle of a road because she's being dumb, you can bet your butt she's being schooled.

I work on flexing, leg yielding, neck reining, and many other things on the trail! I've only worked Vogue in the arena TWICE the whole time I've had her.

[Spin Away]

I train my own colt out in the trails and he's turining out to be a darn good horse. I see no difference training in a round pen or outside for me personally, I never did use pens and I have real good horses. So, do what your most comfortable with, you can't always listen to everyone.

[dpcinderella]

I think all horses need both trail and arena riding. Show horses need trail riding to relax and trail horses need arena riding to learn manners and etc.... All riders need both too! That is just my humble opinion!

[Beau]

I personally think that you should be doing both with a horse. I think trail riding is important, horses get to relax, and they get to see lots of new things. You can train while trailriding too, however, I think there are times when it is a lot more effective to work a horse in the arena, where there mind is solely on you, and not on all the things on the trail. You also have the walls to work off of, and I feel more comfortable with Beau, when we're doing something where she may get frustrated, in the arena, because I know that she's much less likely to try to bolt. However, it's just a personal prefrence. I find that horse's minds wander a lot more, when on the trail, which makes it harder to do initial training when you're on the trail.

However, you don't sound like you're actually working on the horses training a lot, like that's not your main focus, so I don't think it's a big deal if you aren't doing any arena riding. It is much more fun, to ride on the trail, for both horse and rider. So if you're just a pleasure rider, I'd say go ahead, and spend as much time as you like on the trails. If Taz doesn't have any major problems that need fixed, and you're just doing little corrections on the trail, I don't think you really need to spend a lot of time in the arena schooling. Minor corrections are done just as well on the trail.

[PaintedQH]

It can be work or recess or a combination of both at the same time. Just because you are not in an arena schooling the horse, doesn't mean you can't school your horse while on the trail. More fun and challenging on the trail.

[UsaHrsRidr2006]

I belive both have good attributes. Trail riding you do get a good bond with your horse, but also your horse gets despooked to things. Like on our trails we have old tired, old cars, all types of weird stuff. Arena training is like schooling you get to do alot of individual training.

[BettyBootsy]

Well we do both and before we had an arena we trained out on trail. I think theres nothing wrong with training out on trail. Actually you can be more creative and your horse is more responsive learning and not realizing it. Round bales out in the pasture are great training tools, ponds, different ground to cover. I think its awesome! Too much arena work tends to sour one. Now that we have an arena we always take em out on trail after every workout in the arena to refreshen there mind, enjoy and relax. I think it's people tend to feel more secure in an arena then on trail.

[Bruce Wiley]

It best to have their time in both environment.
Each one bring something exciting and keep their interest up and their performance keen.
I most times spend up to half of the time in the arena and end on a easy time out on the trail.
Some days, things are reverse.
Hard working sessions may take places out on the trail and the arena is use as a cool down with some lite manuvers.
Only doing one could cause a problem...the horse displays a disliking to one and will even fight for what it's wants, therefore this kind of horse now has become sour and the behavior must be change which could create other issues like loosing that good preformance and other vices like rearing, bucking, running backwards, and being out of control etc...
I would say to do both and mix things up.
I hope this helps.