Expert: D LaChapelle www.Laurelmountainfarms.com - 7/21/2007

Question
QUESTION: I am hoping to copmete with my horse Lady in trail classes. The problem is, Both Lady and I dont have any expierience! Lady is 6 years old and doest know how to neck rein. Will this be a problem? I was also wondering if you could give me some traning tips for both me and Lady! What are the best things to wear during this class? I know about some of the obstacles but that is just about it!

ANSWER: Hi Abigail!

Is it an AQHA approved show?  If so, your horse must be going straight up in the bridle and you will be riding one handed.  This is a little advanced based on where you and your horse are in your training.  

If it is an open show, check with the association sponsoring the show and ask for a rule book.  You will be able to find specific rules for competition there.  It should define what equipment you can ride in with age limits and qualifications for performance.  

There are so many trail competitions popping up around the country now, it is exciting.  In my area we have "The Mountain Trail Competition"  It was written about in Western Horseman Magazine.  I have ridden that one for the past few years.  You can compete in the same gear you ride out on the trail in.  There are many large water crossings, waterfalls, hikers, jumps, ditches, logs, live animals and on and on!  It is a TON of fun.  If you want to see more of this competition, check out The Oregon Horse Center in Eugene, Oregon and then click on the Mountain Trail Competition.  

Abigail, go and visit the shows you want to compete in BEFORE you enter up and take your horse.  This will help you better prepare for future competitions.  Breed shows tend to be top shelf competitions.  Turnout is very important and very expensive.  Clothing can run into the thousands of dollars for outfits that are custom made.  I have several horsemanship jackets, shirts and vest combinations that ran $1,200.00 and $1,500.00 each.  Lots of sparkle and shine and very fun to wear but costly.  

For open shows go to your local western wear store and find a nice long sleeved shirt and vest.  That with a good fitting pair of jeans and a belt look great!  Make sure you have a good fitting cowboy hat.  Buy black if you are on a budget.  It goes with so many different things and looks great in the arena.  Make sure you have a good pair of cowboy boots as well.

For the open shows, I'm not fussy about clothing and keeping up with the latest fads.  I want all gear for horse and human good fitting and CLEAN!  I have always believed that you can't cover up a bad performance with sparkle.  A good solid performance beats glitter any day of the week!  

I LOVE the competitions that want you to dress just as if you were going out on your own trail ride.  These are just plain fun!  I think these would be the best bet for you and Lady.  Start slow, RELAX, and have fun.  

The best tip I can give you is THINK your way through the course.  If it is a course more like that in a typical horse show,  you will find lots of lope over poles, side passes, back through, bridges, and gates.  I look for a horse to be soft, obedient, and careful with the technical aspects of this type of course.  

If it is more of a Mountain Trail type of course or one based on real trail riding, again THINK your way through the course.  Look at each obstacle and evaluate the best way over, under, around or through it.  A soft willing horse that is careful footed and deliberate will plus the obstacles, while a rushed, scared, insecure and spooky horse and rider will not score as well.  

Go and WATCH lots of these competitions.  Know what you are in for and how to prepare your horse.  During your first bunch of shows, go for the exposure only.  No expectations of ribbons!!!  I don't want you to burden yourself or your horse with that.  If you were one of my students just starting out, we set obtainable, measurable goals and only compete against ourselves for the improvement of our horses.  Ribbons are not even a consideration!  Please keep this in mind.

If you need advice on how to navigate each question/obstacle, let me know specifics.  If you are having trouble getting your horse to relax, or bridges or walk/trot/lope poles on the ground.  I need more information in order to do a good job of helping you!  

Before my team goes to a show they can navigate all typical obstacles at home.  I have bridges that teeter-totter, streams, ditches, gates, keyholes, Irish banks, Lilly pads, stumps, huge walk over logs, downed timber...all sorts of junk to prepare on.  Your basic horsemanship needs to be great for good trail horse.  Soft, relaxed and obedient.

Abigail, give me specifics and we will go through the obstacles one at a time.  I can tell you the best way to get your horse comfortable with them and how to best navigate them for show.

This will be FUN!  I LOVE trail horse!  What a hoot!

Smiles and Miles!  Denise

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I guess i was trying to ask what i needed to teach Lady to prepare for this and how i should do it!

Answer
Hi Abigail!

Okay, here goes...for breed shows if your horse is a junior horse (5 and under) you can ride in a bosal or a snaffle bit.  Senior horse must be straight up in the bridle.  Since you have a senior horse, we will talk about that.  

Abigail, there is SOOOO much to do here.  About the best I can offer is an overview of the horsemanship and obstacles you will encounter.  

Yes, your horse will need to know how to neck rein.  This means riding in the body and a slow and steady progression from the snaffle bit into the bosal, then into the two-rein and finally into the bridle.  

You need to be able to walk, jog, trot, and lope collected both ways of the pen.  Most trail horse classes include dry work.  Modern AQHA, and Paint Horse trail classes are complicated courses that have tons of trot over and lope over poles.  Your horse has to be able to navigate these pattens without so much as a tic to a log.  You have to be very good at reading and memorizing patterns.  Being off course will get you the gate.  Your horse will need to follow a feel to drop her head and look closely at any obstacle on the ground.  This is true for walk overs, bridges any question on the ground.

You will need to be able to side pass, back up, pivot on the front and hind quarters.   

Of the things I just wrote about, how much of this can you and Lady do?  I need to know where to start!

Can you:
1. walk, jog, trot, lope and canter both ways of the pen?  2. side pass, half pass and leg yield?
3. walk, trot and lope over a pole on the ground?
4. walk over a simple raised bridge and a tarp?

YIKES!!! I wish you were in my area and I could just SHOW you all this stuff!  It is difficult to write about all of the things you need.  I'll keep trying my best!  

Please let me know the things you can and can't do from the above list.  I need to put things in a logical order for you and your horse.  I can then build a learning plan and a progression of skills for you.  

You have to be able to do each of the things I listed above.  Even doing something as simple as a mailbox requires a side pass.  

Hang in there Abigail!  We will get this.  It will just be piece by piece!  Any chance you will be in Oregon???

Smiles and Miles!  Denise