The Trail Horse

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• has to be as precise in his movements as a dressage horse.
  It has to place its feet without the help of the rider exactly on the small edge, which is only 3 feet wide and drops down 30 feet. The trail horse has to be surefooted, otherwise, we don't get far.

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• has to be courageous like a Military horse,
  willing to go wherever the rider demands. Going down a cliff, crossing the roaring river, and climbing over fallen trees. Muskek and Swamps can not stop him, and neither a rope bridge nor the noise of gunshots will hinder him, from going where needed. Bushwacking or climbing over fridge size rocks, don't bother him.

 

• must be Agil as a show jumper.
  Jumping onto 5 feet rocks and back down without losing its balance on a 3-foot square space. Jumping across trenches and trees, and bulldozing through the willows following a faint trail.

 

• has to have the endurance of an endurance horse.
  because trail riding means that 15 MLS can easily turn into 30 if the same tree greets you the second time.
   

• has to be cool like a draft horse.
  Not to get anxious if other horses are nervous, or a mountain biker comes blazing down the trail. Skydivers landing next to him, or the tarp that flies in the wind don't bother him.
   

• needs to be squeezable like a polo horse,
  if there is only room for 8 horses in the trailer, but 9 need to be loaded. He also needs to be willing to pull the rider up the mountain, the rider holding on to its tail.
   

• needs to be able to speed up like a racehorse,
  when the storm is catching you on the mountaintop or the ferry is leaving before the time you expected.
   

 

• has to trot like a Sulky-Horse,
  because trotting reduces the miles....

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• has to be cool, like a Cutting horse,
  solving problems, that the rider is responsible for...

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• has to have Cowsence, like a QH,
  if you need to ride across a pasture with young hevers, and may not shy away if herding dogs are attacking, protecting the sheep.
   

• has to be patient and friendly, like a good Therapy-Horse, when kids come to feed or pet it, or the nasty mare is blocking the Alfalfa Feed bucket.

 

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But it is only a Trail Horse.....