Trail is a competitive class at

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 ...

s where

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

s and riders in western-style attire and

horse tack Tack is equipment or accessories equipped on horses and other equines in the course of their use as domesticated animals. This equipment includes such items as saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, and harnesses. Equipping a hors ...

navigate a series of obstacles.Strickland ''Competing in Western Shows'' p. 45 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 In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is " back up ...

, often with a turn while backing; sidepass, often over a rail or log; turn on the

forehand The forehand in tennis and other racket sports such as table tennis, squash and badminton is a shot made by swinging the racket across one's body with the hand moving palm-first. In tennis, except in the context of the phrase ''forehand volle ...

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.Strickland ''Competing in Western Shows'' p. 48-53 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 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's legs provide two points over which the rider's weight is balanced on th ...

). 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.United States Equestrian Federation 2007 Rule Book Western Division
p. WS20-24 accessed on August 28, 2007 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 The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

s and

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two po ...

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llama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft ...

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 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 (usually 10 to 15 miles) with occasional stops for the horse and rider team to negoti ...

, 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.

Notes

References

* Strickland, Charlene. ''Competing in Western Shows & Events.'' Storey Books, div. Storey Communications, 1998.
United States Equestrian Federation 2007 Rule Book Western Division
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trail (Horse Show) Western-style riding Horse showing and exhibition

See also

Notes

References