​Single File

​Single File
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Ever watch animals traveling such as cows or horses. You will usually see they are in a single file on smaller trails, and if they are grouping up there are more in the middle then the front or the back. To be towards the front but with others around you is the safest for survival. 
 
With one looking out in front and one looking out in back the middle horses have more chance to survive an attack.  In the wild, a mare is usually in front, and the stallion is in the back to try and protect the herd. 
 
So, with riding what is most natural is to have a lead mare lead the ride and a strong confident gelding in the back. This will make it a calmer trail ride. 
 
If you have a weak leader and or, a weak horse in the back, the trail ride can become chaotic due to the unbalance. The horse in front keeps spooking and the horse in the back keeps spooking because they are not confident in their job, which makes all the horses in the middle feel unsafe. Then they all start acting up.
 
If you watch your horses’ ears, you will see what they are paying attention to. The lead  horse's  ears  always go  forward to listen to what is ahead. The last horse's ears always go back to listen to what is coming up. When they are experienced and confident they just listen and may give warnings to the other horses that something is coming.
 
 But when they are not confident, they become very spooky and begin spooking at everything because they are unsure of themselves, unsure of their job in helping the herd and become overwhelmed with anxiety very fast. 
 
It is similar to people walking through a haunted house in an amusement park, you know something is coming from the front or the back but you don't know what it will be. So, you get very scared and jumpy and begin to scream and run from everything even when it’s your friend tapping you on the back. 
 
Horses are happiest when they feel safe and that’s when they perform their best for us. So, when starting out a ride its best to be single file with a good leader and a good follower in the back, so they are confident and not fighting for their place in the line. It makes it more organized and less chaotic. 
 
Once the horses have been working for 30 min or more and are calm, then you can try switching up places. But just know if you are going to lead or go last, you and your horse need to be confident. You can fake it for short periods of time, but if you and your horse start to become nervous go back in the middle so you do not upset the trail ride. 
 
If you start out walking side by side and the horses are not experienced or confident, the two horses do not have a leader, especially if you are not paying attention. And therefore, the horses can be more spooky and reactive. They may also act up more as they are fighting for their spot. Usually, one will keep trying to slow down and one may keep going faster because they want to follow one another and the stronger horse will take on the lead, and the weaker or follower horse wants to go behind because that is where they feel comfortable. 
 
 
If you want to have a calm safe ride. Do what the horses do naturally. Start out at a forward but not crazy speed. By going forward, you will wear off some anxious energy the horses have.
 
Go single file with a good leader in front and a good non spooky horse in the back. Put all the spooky unexperienced horses and riders in the middle and then once you have worked some energy off and the horses are calm, you can start switching places or riding side by side. But never forget the horses feel safer in somewhat of a line, so if they are getting nervous go back to single file until they calm back down.