TRAIL
TRIALS PUTS TRAINING SKILLS TO THE TEST
By SUSAN
DUDASIK
Do you
enjoy trail activities but are bored with showing over the same
Trail class courses and tired of riding the same trails? Then
why not spice things up by participating in a Judged Trail Ride
or Trail Trial, a judged event that’s a cross between the
arena Trail class and competitive/endurance trail riding but
more laid-back than both. A Trail Trial takes place out of the
arena along a specifically marked trail which usually takes
one to two hours to complete. There are various obstacles along
the way with a judge stationed at each, so technically you can
be scored by several different judges, each with their own judging
style. Any type of tack is acceptable. You can use a Western
bridle with a dressage saddle or a snaffle bit on a 10 year-old
horse, as long as it’s safe and humane. If you have any
questions about your choice of tack, check with the event committee
beforehand.
Though
Trail Trials are a competitive event, they’re also a good
way to measure how well you and your horse work together. In
a show-ring Trail class, you have to meet a specific standard
and are judged by one or two usually professionally-trained
people. Since a Trail Trial can cover one to several miles,
the judges are usually experienced trail riding volunteers.
This allows you more freedom to do things your own way as only
you know how your horse will best handle each situation. For
instance, you might be asked to go down a short steep hill.
If the directions don’t specify riding down the hill, you
might opt to lead your horse down. As long as it’s done
safely, you shouldn’t be penalized for not riding. It’s
up to you to use your best judgment to safely navigate your
horse through the obstacle. Because of this, the best way to
approach a Trail Trial is to compete against yourself. That’s
because every judge will have a different opinion of how to
do each obstacle and you can’t please everyone. So if you
are pleased with how your horse does something, you’ve
succeeded. I realized this at one trial when the judge and I
disagreed on how my mule handled an obstacle. They had a rope
full of pie plates tied between two trees and a person hiding
in the bushes pulling on the rope as we approached. My mule
walked steadily past the plates but intensely focused on the
person in the bushes. The judge gave me an extremely low score
because my mule didn’t look at the plates. I was extremely
pleased with my mule for telling me there was someone hiding
in the bushes!
While a
Trail Trial isn’t as rule-oriented as other events, that
doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. In fact, you’ll
probably be asked to do much more difficult things than expected
in the showring. Often the obstacles sound easy, but if done
properly, they aren’t. For instance, having your horse
walk up a short semi-steep hill, stopping about half way up,
then backing down. This is a very controlled obstacle as most
people let their horse charge to the top then stop. Having to
stop half way then back down takes practice. While side-passing
on level ground may be easy, it’s much more difficult when
done up or down hill. You might be asked to dismount from one
side, then mount from the other, back down a narrow trail or
trot close by a helium balloon or plastic bag tangled up in
a short bush, a common sight on trails located near parks or
picnic areas. Tying a piece of trail-marking ribbon to a branch
or post is another easy obstacle, as long as your horse stands
still and you can do it one-handed, for one of the biggest faults
you can commit during a Trail Trial is to completely let go
of your reins. And, for no reason should you ever wrap your
reins around the saddle horn!
Trail Trials
are meant to be fun and challenging. Most of the obstacles are
realistic and have a trail-related purpose, like dragging a
log or putting on a slicker. Others are just for fun and may
be designed as a tie-breaker like backing in a figure-eight
between two trees or carrying a bucket of water without spilling
any. The list of obstacles that may be encountered during a
Trail Trial is endless. On past rides I’ve had to lead
a strange pack animal, open a gate with a llama tied near it,
cross deep water, drag a Christmas tree, cut a branch from a
dead tree, lead my mule into a deep narrow gully and mount from
the ledge, forge our way through thick brush, dismount on a
semi-steep slope then lead my mule back down and open a road
map then refold it. So, as you can see, competing in Trail Trials
can be a real test of your horse’s training and a great
way to spend time on the trails.
archives
Susan Dudasik
Shadow Rider Equine News
srider@salmoninternet.com
Member: Idaho Press Club
North American Saddle Mule Association
