Please note that the pros/cons are my personal opinions only, and are written from an endurance conditioning perspective. Many of the cons can be pros and vice versa. For example – a heavily used trail with other recreational users may be listed here as a negative attribute, but could be seen as a positive attribute since it means that trail management has an incentive to continue trail maintenance. The details below are intended to be “considerations” rather than judgments on the suitability for of the trail for YOUR conditioning.

If you have a favorite trail in your area, submit a review! I will give you credit and a link back.

Trail Listings

Use the left hand navigation pane to choose your location, or click a link below
California - Northern

  • Cache Creek/BLM public access (West of Williams)
  • Auburn Trail System (Auburn)
  • Western States Trail (Auburn)
  • Skillman Overlook (Nevada City)
  • Oroville SRA (Oroville)
California - Central
  • Lake Comanche South Shore (Ione)
  • Round Valley (Brentwood)
  • Pleasanton Ridge (Pleasanton)
  • Mount Diablo (Walnut Creek)
  • Peoria Flat
  • Henry Coe (Gilroy)
  • Fort Ord/Creekside Terrace Trailhead (Spreckles)
  • Fort Ord/Marina Equestrian Center (Marina)
  • Red Hills (Chinese Camp)
  • Del Valle (Livermore)
  • Ohlone (Livermore)
  • Dinosaur Point (Los Banos)
Nevada
  • Tahoe Rim Trail
  • Red Rocks
  • Antelope Valley
  • Washoe

Rating System


Trail attributes for each location are rated in “boots”.

“Wilderness Experience”

  • 1 boot – A heavily used public use area with little to no natural beauty. Wonderful place to be if there’s a chance of a unplanned dismount and you want paramedics called, less wonderful if you are looking to “get away from it all”.
  • 4 boots – Limited use with spectacular views. Probably not a great location if you are trying out a new, green horse as we might find your remains only after a long search with the help of a SAR dog...

“Boot Recommendation”
  • 1 boot – Good for bare hooves. Typically sand or dirt with no significant rocks or gravel.
  • 2 boots – Some rock or gravel that might be a challenge to a sensitive barefoot horse, or a long stretch of asphalt. Carry a set of boots on your saddle just in case.
  • 3 boots – I’ll probably chose to boot the front hooves, especially if I’m doing the ride at “endurance speed” of mostly trot. Gravel and/or rocks on a majority of the trails.
  • 4 boots – I’m likely to boot all four hooves especially at endurance conditioning speeds. Significant gravels or rocks or other challenging footing conditions

“Trail Difficulty”
  • 1 boot – Practically a flat canal bank. These trails, depending on use and visibility, may be good trails to do speed work or go out for a light hack on an unconditioned horse
  • 4 boots – are you conditioning for the Tevis? Trying to teach a horse to be a good navigator and keeper of their feet? These trails have single track, drop offs, boulders, low branches, and stream crossings – possibly all at the same time.

“Amenities”
  • 1 boot – Nothing. No toilet, no hitching post.
  • 4 boots – Home away from home….kinda

“Value for Cost”
  • 1 boot – Why did you come here?
  • 4 boots – Incredible trail for practically free.

“Overall”
  • 1 boot – generally unsuitable for endurance conditioning rides
  • 4 boots – an incredible resource for conditioning for endurance rides.