In-hand trail is a relatively new class that has been added to many breed associations and some open shows. This is a class that, as the name suggests, allows you to lead your horse through obstacles. This class is usually open to one-year-old and two-year-old children who are not yet shown under the saddle. The obstacles are usually the same as for the standard trail classes, with the exception of traps.
I believe that the manual trail is a great addition to the show and training of any horse, and this is a great way to start teaching your horse how to maneuver obstacles. This gives young horses extra space to focus on this is not as difficult on their feet as relaxing and learning their work with their handler. Not only does he prepare your horse for the usual, under the classes of saddle trails, it is also a great way to start teaching the show!
The manual trail class typically includes the following obstacles: gates, walks and trotters, back passages, sidewalk, mailbox or raincoat, bridge, turning in the box, walking and / or trot around and around the cones. The course may include all or only some of these obstacles, and in general, the larger the show, the harder and harder the obstacles! Let go through these obstacles one by one and see what needs to be done and how best to do it.
Goal:
Most shows now use a rope gate, rather than a real wooden gate. This is usually made of two jump standards, set about 6 feet apart, with a thick rope tied to one side and looped over the other. In the most basic form, the guide must bring the horse near the gate, pick up the end of the loop, lead the horse through the gate (the hole between the jump standards) and replace the end of the loop to close the gate. In this case, the horse should stand calmly and go willingly when asked.
The best performance of this obstacle is achieved when the horse moves in the exact position in which he will be, someone on the back opens the gate. This means that it must stop parallel to the gate, having a sufficient distance for the conductor not to be pierced. After he goes through the opening of the gate, the handler must support the horse so that it will again be parallel to the gate and its bleaches, even with the place where the loop engages.
Walk / Trot-Overs:
They consist of 3 or more earthing poles that fit a certain distance (2 feet for walking, 3 feet for trotters). The horse should wade without bumping into the pillars with its feet, and ideally should set each foot halfway between the pole it steps over and the next pole in the line. The most difficult part for some handlers is that they do not have to go through the pillars with the horse! The handler must be able to walk along the side of the poles, while the horse moves in the center of them. It takes a lot of practice. At home, the handler must gradually deal with this, becoming farther and farther away each time they practice their walk / trot. I find that training the horse in the lounge helps a lot by helping the horse feel comfortable working farther from you.
This obstacle is really a “practice, perfect” situation! Most horses will learn to pick up their legs after they stumbled across several magazines. As soon as your horse is good, so as not to knock on the Poles, you may want to slowly lift them from the ground. If he moves to 4-6 “raising pillars” with ease, he will have no problems on the show, which will pass through flat poles!
Return paths:
Return passes at exhibitions can be set straight, L-shaped, T-shaped or zigzag. Reverse aisles may also consist of a triangle of cones or barrels, which the horse must be between or around them. The horse must travel even the distance between the obstacle, turning when the handler asks. This is an obstacle that is best done slowly!
Start your job by simply asking the horse to return in a straight line. Do not worry about earthen pillars or cones, just teach your horse to reinforce, as you ask, without resistance. Make your way to the base between the two poles. Rise from there, but do not rush. Patience is the key! If you are upset by your horse to not do it right, he will remember this and start giving you problems every time you get to the end.
Side passage:
Side walk seems to be the most difficult obstacle for most people On the show you may be asked to go in any direction, and it may not be just one straight pillar that you need to go through! Side obstructions can be set to L or V, where the guide should turn the horse to squat or the front at the corner. The best handler will not even need to touch the horse to get it right, even in these difficult obstacles!
On most horses, you can begin to train the side aisle, firmly holding the lead (to prevent forward movement) and poke the horse to the side (right where your heel or spur was moving as you ride) until it takes a small step to the side. Every time he leaves, you must release the pressure on your side, this is his reward! Again, practice, practice, practice! Sometimes you can just stretch out your arm, next to him, and he will start a side walk.
Mailbox or raincoat:
This is a fairly simple obstacle, but the horse must stand still and trust you. If you encounter a mailbox in your trail pattern, you must walk (or rummage through the pattern) to get your horse straight to the mailbox, and stop with the horse with a barrel about a foot from the mailbox. The handler then opens the mailbox, removes the envelope and holds it so that the judge sees, and then replaces it. The raincoat is made very similar. Stop the horse next to the cloak (which is likely to be hung over a pole bend or similar strong object), remove it and put it back on the horse, and then replace the cloak with its original position.
To prepare for these obstacles, your horse must stand still when asked and must be lifted so that you move around it. I always prepared horses for these things. At home, I'll take the mail and raise my hand very quickly or delete the mailbox open and closed. I do the same with the collector, working to such an extent that I can throw a raincoat on top of a horse and even pull it over my horse's head! Of course, you will not do this in the show-ring, but it is always better to be ready. Thus, nothing will bother your horse when in the ring.
Bridge:
The bridge is an obstacle that is most often found in photographs and is known to all. However, by showing a hand trail, the handler must not cross the bridge with his horse! Walking along the bridge, the horse should move straight along the bridge. He should not be nervous or try to quickly get through, but it is allowed for the horse to sniff the bridge and / or bow its head low, crossing it.
Although many shows have heavy arched bridges, you can start by laying a piece of plywood on the ground. This requires regular work, and it may take several hours for a horse to safely cross a full bridge, but is well worth the effort. Doing this job will make your horse more comfortable by passing strange legs when you attend shows, such as bars, metal areas or entrances / arenas to the arenas!
Box insert:
As simple as it sounds, this is a problem for many participants when it comes to the trail. Most shows have a 6 # x6 drawer, which is not tiny, but also not large enough for you to turn a horse or walk in a circle. This means that the handler must move both the horse’s shoulder and the back end! ... And this should be done without entering the window (except that you can enter the corners of the window when turning)!
This is one obstacle that is actually easier for me to perform than a saddle than on the ground. When you ride, you can use your legs to drive a horse around a turn. From the ground you have to teach your horse that when you move your body, you want it to move it in a certain way. Usually (if turning right), you can move the horse's shoulder, walking towards him, as if you are asking for the end of the show. Every couple of steps you will need to pause and ask the horse to move the hip towards you. This requires some practice, and each horse reacts differently!
Walks and trails:
The last obstacle you may encounter in the ring of the path is a walk and a lynx. They can be installed in combination with recreational / trotting, but usually consist of several cones, designed so that the handler can walk or growl the horse between (in serpentine or a series of circles / eights).
Depending on the distance between the cones, the handler may or may not want to bypass the cones. If they are located farther apart and the horse can weave through cones, the handler must remain on one side and simply push or pull the horse around the cones. If you need to make an S defect so that it can pass through an obstacle, then the handler will probably want to intertwine with the horse!
The commonality between all these obstacles is the need for patience and practice. In your hand the trail is not a class, you can go in the cold. It takes many hours of hard work at home to prepare a horse for difficult maneuvers and possibly terrible obstacles. Also, do not try to get everything for one lesson! Each horse is different and while one horse can “get it” at once, the other horse can take a week to hang the same obstacle.
Just remember that your horse will not be better to play in the show-ring than his average day at home!
The last word of encouragement: Trail is a very useful class, and although it requires a lot of hard work, your horse will be much better for it. The work you have invested will not only help you play the show, but also create a more pleasant horse. Your horse will learn to respect you and work with you, and if you remain patient, he will learn to try his best when you ask him!
