by Patrick Corcoran

Created on: July 25, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

There's nothing better than rising early and hacking out across a dew covered field astride your favorite mount. When you've been riding that particular horse for a long time and have logged plenty of miles together the teamwork between you and your horse is surreal. You glide across your chosen path like one animal instead of two as you face the elements and the topography of your selected jaunt.

Well that was my first thought when I decided to take the challenge of penning my five favorite horse breeds for trail riding. Putting my first thought aside now I'll take a stab at what the five best breeds of horses would be for the best possible trail riding experience.

To pick the best suited breed of horse for trail riding you should first decide on your style of riding and the type of terrain you will travel across most of the time. For instance, if you're riding through arid country for long periods of time I would reccommend an Arabian. They are durable and adapt well to the dry climate. Other extreme factors may require other breeds such as thoroughbreds or other warmbloods if you like to take jumps along the way.

In general though the best all around breed of horse for trail riding in my opinion is the American Quarter Horse. Not just any quarter horse, but one that is registerd with quality bloodlines and the papers to prove it. These horses are very popular today for a multitude of reasons. A very important one is the fact they are versatile and dependable.

Aside from breed, individual horses can be different but it is generally accepted that the American Quarter Horse has a calm temperment. The better the lineage the more your chances for a well tempered animal increase. They are the German Shepherd of the horse world if you will, suited for anything. They sprint faster than any other breed, a good thing to have under you when you're on an unfamiliar trail and find yourself needing a quick burst of speed.

I will grant those who care to argue that there are other breeds of horses with well mannered dispositions and I've even seen crossed bred horses with plenty of sense. But if you want to improve your chances from the onset, look for a well bred American Quarter Horse. If you want to get more specific, try to find a chestnut colored one. Just kidding, I threw that in there to see if you're paying attention, color doesn't matter.

Besides temperment these horses generally have good feet. A hard hoof that will hold a shoe on is important when you're five

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