Trail (horse show)
Encyclopedia
Trail is a competitive class at horse show
s where horse
s and riders
in western-style
attire and horse tack
navigate a series of obstacles. Contestants ride the course one at a time. Originally designed to resemble situations a horse and rider might actually encounter when on a trail in a natural habitat, modern trail classes now tend to focus more heavily on agility and manners, with courses bearing very little resemblance to real-world natural trails.
A typical trail course requires horse and rider to open and pass through a small gate while mounted; walk across a fake bridge; cross over a set of rails or logs at a walk, trot or lope; back up, often with a turn while backing; sidepass, often over a rail or log; turn on the forehand
or hindquarters within a confined area; and tolerate some type of "spooky" obstacle, such as having the rider put on a vinyl raincoat. The horse is asked to perform all three gaits
in the process of completing the course.
Additional obstacles or tests may include walking over a plastic tarp or through water; having the horse ground-tie (remain standing in one spot while the rider walks away); to walk, trot or lope
in very tight quarters, such as traveling through a series of cones or markers in a serpentine
pattern; or take a small jump (usually under 18 inches, as riders are in western saddles and cannot easily get off the horse's back into a jumping position
).
Sanctioned horse shows have extremely strict, uniform rules for types of obstacles allowed, distances and sizes used for agility obstacles, and rules for time allowed for each obstacle. Course designers often add both beauty and challenge to a course by adding potted shrubs, flowers, and brightly painting various obstacle elements.
Local shows not governed by the rules of a national organization may have simpler courses that do not require all three gaits have fewer, simpler obstacles, or easier spacing. On the other hand, unsanctioned shows may also have far more imaginative courses than do larger competitions. Obstacles not allowed at most sanctioned shows but sometimes seen at the local level may include asking a horse to load in a strange trailer; asking the horse to pass quietly by animal hides (cow hides are common, but even bear skins may be seen) or asking the horse to pass by or even lead unusual live animals (everything from goat
s and mule
s to llama
s). Often, the only limit is the course designer's imagination.
Another popular event that combines elements of a trail class with actual natural conditions is the judged trail ride
, where riders travel a natural trail, usually of five to ten miles, and periodically come upon obstacles where the horse's manners and performance are judged.
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
s where horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and riders
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
in western-style
Western riding
Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved from the ranching and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West...
attire and horse tack
Horse tack
Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack...
navigate a series of obstacles. Contestants ride the course one at a time. Originally designed to resemble situations a horse and rider might actually encounter when on a trail in a natural habitat, modern trail classes now tend to focus more heavily on agility and manners, with courses bearing very little resemblance to real-world natural trails.
A typical trail course requires horse and rider to open and pass through a small gate while mounted; walk across a fake bridge; cross over a set of rails or logs at a walk, trot or lope; back up, often with a turn while backing; sidepass, often over a rail or log; turn on the forehand
Forehand
The forehand in tennis and other racket sports such as table tennis, squash and badminton is a shot made by swinging the racquet across one's body in the direction of where the player wants to place the shot...
or hindquarters within a confined area; and tolerate some type of "spooky" obstacle, such as having the rider put on a vinyl raincoat. The horse is asked to perform all three gaits
Horse gait
Horse gaits are the various ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans.-Classification:...
in the process of completing the course.
Additional obstacles or tests may include walking over a plastic tarp or through water; having the horse ground-tie (remain standing in one spot while the rider walks away); to walk, trot or lope
Canter
The canter is a controlled, three-beat gait performed by a horse. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horses' trot but slower than the gallop, and is used by all riders. The speed of the canter varies between 16-27 km/h , depending on the length of the stride of the horse...
in very tight quarters, such as traveling through a series of cones or markers in a serpentine
Serpentine shape
Serpentine refers to the curved shape of an object or design which resembles the letter s, a sine wave or a snake; the latter is the derivation of the term.- Examples :* The Serpentine River...
pattern; or take a small jump (usually under 18 inches, as riders are in western saddles and cannot easily get off the horse's back into a jumping position
Jumping position
The jumping position is a position used by equestrians when jumping over an obstacle. It usually involves what is known as the "forward seat" or "2 point" because the rider has 2 points in contact with the horse; the legs and hands. It was first developed by Captain Federico Caprilli...
).
Sanctioned horse shows have extremely strict, uniform rules for types of obstacles allowed, distances and sizes used for agility obstacles, and rules for time allowed for each obstacle. Course designers often add both beauty and challenge to a course by adding potted shrubs, flowers, and brightly painting various obstacle elements.
Local shows not governed by the rules of a national organization may have simpler courses that do not require all three gaits have fewer, simpler obstacles, or easier spacing. On the other hand, unsanctioned shows may also have far more imaginative courses than do larger competitions. Obstacles not allowed at most sanctioned shows but sometimes seen at the local level may include asking a horse to load in a strange trailer; asking the horse to pass quietly by animal hides (cow hides are common, but even bear skins may be seen) or asking the horse to pass by or even lead unusual live animals (everything from goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s and mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s to llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
s). Often, the only limit is the course designer's imagination.
Another popular event that combines elements of a trail class with actual natural conditions is the judged trail ride
Judged trail ride
A Judged trail ride is a type of trail riding popular in the western United States where horses and riders are asked to travel a natural trail for a set distance with occasional stops for the horse and rider team to negotiate an obstacle, usually with varying options for difficulty, with higher...
, where riders travel a natural trail, usually of five to ten miles, and periodically come upon obstacles where the horse's manners and performance are judged.