Best Horse Breeds for Trail Riding

I grew up riding horses in Canadian forests and mountainous terrain, trusting my horses to carry me safely through challenging footing, rough terrain, and obstacles. Roots, rocks, slippery slopes, mud, debris, and fallen trees are common occurrences. Wild animals also frequent the equestrian trails here, so choosing a physically and mentally sound horse is essential. There’s nothing worse than trail riding on a nervous horse who’s easily spooked and stressed.

Riding should be fun, as safe as possible, and an enjoyable experience. Riding on the trail allows you to see wildlife, beautiful parts of the forest, or scenery that you might not see otherwise, and it’s a great exercise for both you and your mount. There’s no better way to enjoy a beautiful day than on the back of a horse, enjoying nature.

Choosing the right horse for riding on trails is essential because, as relaxing as trail riding sounds, it requires a lot to do safely. Your horse needs to be intelligent, sure-footed, confident, and have good physical strength and stamina; all while remaining level-headed when unexpected things occur (like seeing wild animals on the trail or even hikers and bicycles on multi-use trails).

Many breeds can make great trail horses, but certain breeds (like gaited horses, for example), offer additional benefits that lead to a smooth ride in any terrain. Other horse breeds, like quarter horses or paint horses, are extremely level-headed, with a calm temperament to keep you safe on the trail. A good trail horse is worth its weight in gold, and the first step to choosing your dream trail horse is selecting the right breed for the job. I’ve compiled a list of the most popular horse breeds out there to keep you safe and having as much fun as possible on the trail!

What Specific Traits Make a Good Trail Horse?

Trail horses need specific characteristics to set them up for success. First and foremost, they should have good conformation and physical soundness, meaning they should be healthy and well put together. Good hooves and legs are crucial, as trail riding can be strenuous, and the footing varies. Thankfully, you can always shoe your horse or invest in hoof boots, but soundness is critical.

Secondly, a calm temperament. A trail horse should be able to “take a joke,” think independently (helpful when crossing rugged terrain), and maneuver through scary spaces, like a tight squeeze or cross water, without panicking. A lot of this will come down to training, but some horses have a natural, easy-going temperament that makes them much easier to work with. Willingness to trust you, as the rider, is vital for both of your safety! A good trail horse doesn’t spook easily and will put confidence in its rider, and should be comfortable riding out alone, without his barn buddies.

Size is another thing to consider when choosing a horse for riding the trail. If you choose a very tall horse and have to dismount frequently for things like opening gates, it’s in your best interest to have a horse in the more average range of 14h to 16h. Anything above 17h starts to get tricky, and you’ll have more difficulty passing under low-hanging branches.

Do Gaited Horse Breeds Make Better Trail Horses?

Gaited horse breeds certainly have benefits that other trail riding horse breeds might not offer, like different gaits that are smoother and more comfortable. However, most people ride non-gaited horses and love taking them on the trail. It comes down to personal preference and how much trail riding you’re planning to do with your horse.

Suppose you’re someone who takes your horse on occasional trail rides but mostly rides in a competitive discipline (like roping, or dressage, for example). In that case, you’re better off choosing a non-gaited breed more suitable to your discipline that can double as a trail horse. Quarter horses, appaloosas, and paint horses are very common. These types usually make wonderful trail horses, and can still excel in disciplines outside of trail riding. However, they won’t be as comfortable as a Paso Fino or a Rocky Mountain Horse for days and days on the trail.

If you ride long hours or spend weekends away trail riding, a gaited horse will help protect your joints from unnecessary wear and tear, offering a smoother ride. Gaited breeds often don’t translate as well into other disciplines due to their instinct to revert to their gait, so they’re rarer. Since gaited and non-gaited breeds offer unique benefits, I’ve included both types in this article.

What Are the Best Trail Riding Breeds?

• Quarter Horses
• Paint Horses
• Morgan Horses
• Paso Fino
• Rocky Mountain Horse
• Appaloosa
• Tennessee Walking Horse
• Icelandic Horse
• Mustang
• Andalusian

Quarter Horse

Quarter Horses are the most popular horse breed in the world, with over six million horses in their registry, and for good reason. Famous for their incredible temperaments and athletic bodies, these horses are one of the best breeds for trail riding.

Originally bred for ranch and cattle work, they’re naturally talented athletes with stamina and strength, packed into a 14h-16h body, and powered by an extremely level-headed brain. Their short, stocky builds give them a low centre of gravity, keeping them balanced and sure-footed in difficult terrain.

The American Quarter Horse is sensible, intelligent, kind, and known for being rugged and tough. Due to their incredible demeanours, they can be ridden by adults and children alike, and are a great first horse for someone starting out. This versatile horse breed with a calm nature is a common choice among trail riders. They’re a great all-around choice for beginners and experienced riders alike. I’ve personally had a few over the years, and they absolutely lived up to the expectations that come with the breed.

• Height: 14 hands to 16 hands
• Country of Origin: America
• Top 3 Traits: Incredible temperament, natural athleticism, and compact, strong builds.

Paint Horse

Paint horses, similar to quarter horses, are well known for their temperaments and athleticism. As an added bonus, these beautiful horses come in a variety of colours and patterns that are sure to have you standing out on the trail. The patterns recognized by the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) are Overo, Tobiano, and Tovero.

American Paint Horses are intelligent, sure-footed, athletic horses, making them a reliable mount. Paint horses are often double-registered with the American Quarter Horse Association, and have most traits of a Quarter Horse. They’re very similar and are well-known for their incredible versatility.

• Height: 14 hands to 16 hands
• Country of Origin: America
• Top 3 Traits: Calm and gentle temperament, beauty, and natural athleticism.

Morgan Horse

Morgan horses were originally bred in the United States of America, bred by Justin Morgan. Justin’s goal was to create a rock-solid, beautiful, strong, sure-footed horse to work long days on the ranch over challenging terrain. He strived for a versatile breed developed to excel in multiple disciplines, including trail riding.

Today, Morgan horses are known for their excellent conformations, deeply-muscled bodies, and their ability to compete well in English and Western disciplines alike. They also excel in competitive trail riding and endurance riding, such as the famous 100-mile ride. They’re frequently spotted in dressage, pleasure riding, cutting, jumping, eventing, and even western pleasure.

These horses are tough, built to last, and have great hooves that serve them well over rocky or challenging footing. They’re also highly intelligent and have laid-back temperaments; they’re well-suited to beginners and experienced riders alike. Morgan horses are definitely a highly underrated breed, and deserve much more attention in the equestrian community.

• Height: 14.1 hands to 15.2 hands
• Country of Origin: America
• Top 3 Traits: Excellent conformation, highly intelligent, gentle nature.

Paso Fino

The Paso Fino is a popular Spanish breed for trail riding. They’re naturally gaited and have a smooth, four-beat, lateral ambling gait, which, to a rider, feels like effortlessly floating across the ground. Thanks to their incredibly smooth ride, Paso Finos are extremely popular in the trail riding horse community.

Paso Finos tend to be smaller in stature, ranging from 13 to 15.2 hands high, and have kind and docile temperaments. They have high stamina and hardy hooves, and they’re also known to have long, thick manes and tails. Paso Finos are most commonly used in endurance riding, trail riding (both competitive and pleasure), mounted shooting, parades, and drill team competitions.

• Height: 13 hands to 15.2 hands
• Country of Origin: Spain
• Top 3 Traits: Incredibly smooth gait, stamina, docile temperament.

Rocky Mountain Horse

The Rocky Mountain Horse is another gaited breed for trail riding. They were originally bred in Kentucky, USA, in the Appalachian Mountains (contrary to their name). These hardy horses tend to fare well in difficult terrain due to their strong hooves, good conformation, and gentle demeanour.

Rocky Mountain Horses are easy keepers, with incredible stamina and a strong will to please. Found mostly competing in trail riding disciplines, endurance, and pleasure riding, these horses combine a smooth ambling gait with an incredibly gentle personality; the perfect combination for trail horses. They come in an amazing colour too, which turns heads on the trail. Their coats are chocolate brown, contrasting beautifully with their flaxen mane and tail.

• Height: 14 hands to 16 hands
• Country of Origin: America
• Top 3 Traits: Smooth gait, hardiness, gentle demeanour

Appaloosa

Famous for their show-stopping coat patterns, Appaloosa horses make excellent trail horses. Not only will an Appaloosa stand out visually, but its gentle, steady nature and ability to ride for long hours will also stand out. These horses tend to have great, calm personalities and do not spook easily, making them popular horses for beginners.

The horse world tends to consider Quarter Horses, Morgan Horses, and Appaloosas as those with the calmest temperaments. On a trail ride, anything can happen! You can come across animals, debris, and other horses or people on the trail. The perfect trail horse will stay calm and collected no matter the situation.

All of these reasons are why the Appaloosa is known as one of the best trail horses available in the horse world. Their willingness to please makes them an excellent horse for riders of all levels, and their bodies are compact and stocky, similar to a Quarter Horses. In terms of size, they tend to range from 14 hands to 16 hands high, and are fairly easy keepers, so managing their weight is important.

• Height: 14 hands to 16 hands
• Country of Origin:
• Top 3 Traits: Unique colour patterns, beginner friendly, gentle disposition

Tennessee Walking Horse

Another gaited breed to add to our list is the Tennessee Walking Horse. This breed originates from America and is famous for its sleek, athletic body and smooth gait. They have good temperaments and refined builds and good stamina for long hours on the trail. Tennessee Walking Horses are taller than most of the other breeds on the list, ranging from 14.3 hands up to 17 hands. They do a “running walk,” a smooth, fast gait that moves them seamlessly across the ground.

A Tennessee Walker will have a long, slender neck, straight head, and long legs. These are great horses for most riders, as they’re large enough to carry larger adult riders and have kind demeanours, making them suitable for beginners. Any colour is permissible in this breed, and you will notice them most in trail riding disciplines, endurance riding, and driving disciplines.

• Height: 14.3 hands to 17 hands
• Country of Origin: America
• Top 3 Traits: Smooth gait, intelligence, larger size for adult riders

Icelandic Horse

Icelandic Horses are an incredibly unique and versatile breed. These horses have a short stature, stout build, and can carry large riders. Known for their incredible strength and independence, this breed is excellent for long days in rough terrain.

Icelandic horses are easy keepers, so they don’t need much to keep their weight and condition. Icelandic horses tend to have a very long lifespan, so you can expect to be riding your Icelandic for decades. These horses are very intelligent and are native to Iceland and have a unique, smooth gait called a tölt. The tölt is a fast, animated movement that covers great distances in an incredibly smooth ride.

If you need a trail horse that can handle long days, riding in inclement weather and cold temperatures, Icelandic horses might be the right breed for you. They’re popular among older riders, too, as their shorter stature and relaxed nature is very desirable.

• Height: 12.2 hands to 13.2 hands
• Country of Origin: Iceland
• Top 3 Traits: Unique gait called the tölt, hardiness, incredible temperaments

Mustang

While not an official breed, Mustangs are understood to be “wild horses” (sometimes called wild mustangs) found in parts of America. They are descendants of Spanish horses that escaped captivity hundreds of years ago and are now feral. They survive in the wild due to their intelligence, extreme hardiness, and incredible strength and stamina. Because of this natural resilience, a mustang is set up to become a great trail horse. Their lives are essentially that; one long trail ride. The challenge is in domesticating and training a feral horse, and doing so will require a very experienced rider or professional training. Domesticated mustangs can be seen successfully competing in almost every discipline, from competitive trail riding to jumping. They are strong, intelligent, and hardy horses who can think for themselves and love a challenge.

• Height: 14 hands to 15 hands
• Country of Origin: America
• Top 3 Traits: High intelligence, extremely hardy, strong and athletic

Andalusian

Andalusians are a Spanish breed of horse, also called the Pure Spanish Horse (PRE). Usually recognized for their exquisite beauty and long manes, Andalusian horses originate from the Iberian Peninsula. Andalusians have been around since the 15th century, and thanks to their careful conservation over time, their conformation has hardly changed over the last few centuries.

These horses have been used for many things over the years, including bull fighting, dressage, driving, and jumping. Thanks to their incredible athleticism (most notably, their sheer strength relative to their size), intelligence, sure-footedness and will to please, these horses excel in a wide variety of disciplines. Andalusians make great trail horses because of their natural strength and hardy hooves, intelligence, and calm demeanours.

• Height: 15 hands
• Country of Origin: Iberian Peninsula
• Top 3 Traits: Compact and strong, very intelligent, docile and obedient nature

Overall Best Horse for Trail Riding

Overall, if you want a non-gaited horse, a quarter horse is the best horse breed for trail riding. Almost every quarter horse is steady, quiet-tempered, naturally athletic, and this breed comes in a range of sizes, making them appropriate for most riders. If you’re looking for a gaited horse, a Paso Fino is your best bet. Their slender build, athletic bodies and incredible stamina will get you down almost any trail.