Extreme Trail Horse OBSTACLE CHALLENGE -- Cash PRIZES

[beeblebrox]

" I was afraid they would all be inept riders like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJOSc9syJrk I’m hoping this lady has learned how to stay with her horse and put that chunk of a beast on a diet since the video was "

Poor horse is not 100 % sound, looks like it is not ready for this and if the guy yanks on it’s mouth one more time… To me the horse should be relaxed about the obstacles and that horse is all over the place, I am hoping this is not a GOOD EXAMPLE. Trying to buck through most of it but then again I might also with all the yanking

[katarine]

Shadow, every day you think I suck eggs is a good day in my book carry on!

[Juneberry]

[QUOTE=Shadow14;3780849]
I must have missed the part where she fell off the horse??? or do you know her from someplace else???[/QUOTE]

Oh she didn’t fall off. by stay with the horse I meant stay with it’s movement. aka not getting thrown back when the horse moves faster, and being able to actually sit a trot instead of bouncing on the horses back like someone just learning to ride.

@Shadow14;3780849

Yes the horse is fat and a little hard to control but they did the coarse and while a little rough nothing really that bad.

as far as the control of the horse I did not see any moments where she was out of control. I certainly wasn’t faulting her there. horses tend to feel a little frisky when it is windy. (as far as how the judges score that, I have no clue so didn’t really care about it)

@Shadow14;3780849

There is nothing you could fail her on, take points yes but not fail.

I didn’t say fail. And I must say I don’t have a single horse that would go through all that, so to that aspect I was impressed.

@Shadow14;3780849

As for jerking the mouth you don’t know the horse or how sensitive it is. We certainly can make judgments based on nothing.

I’m assuming you are thinking I am complaining about her jerking her horses mouth to control him. however I’m not talking about that kind of jerking. I’m talking about her hands being all over the place and inadvertently yanking the horses mouth because the rider was totally off balance. But seeing as this is a trail competition I don’t know how much this is judged on the riders ability rather than the horses ability. for all I know she bought that horse 2 weeks ago from someone who trained it do all the crazy (not in a bad way) trail stuff and she herself is just learning how to ride… I’m not sure. I do know my 6 year old (heck even my 4yo) has softer hands than this lady does however

I particularly love the part where she grabs the wrong part of the rein and tries to turn him with it before realizing that she can’t control him with that rein (I don’t know what that part of the rein is called in western. she just has this extra part that goes back to the bridle on the left hand side) again this can be just linked to nervousness.

@Shadow14;3780849

We also don’t know if she was suppose to lope between stations but it appears like the coarse was large and loping was required.

yeah no idea about the lope so was not part of the reason I was complaining about this particular horse and rider combination. I’m just talking about what I know should be a pretty integral part of every ride.

[katarine]

Juneberry, he has to like them better than my ride on my horse, at all costs. (the references to it’s so much better than the OTHER ride that was posted - he’s predictable as head lice when school starts) even picking a girl surfing on her horse’s face and bouncing like a pogo stick has to be better than Chip and I…my guy worried about the cans, figured out the back through ‘ok’, and mangled probably the 5th gate he’s ever worked…but I am so, so, soooo much worse than that bouncy mess. Just take him at his word. He hasn’t learned a thing since the Nixon administration, and dern proud of it, too! Any minute now we’ll get another lecture, get your prune juice, you may need it.

[Juneberry]

I think maybe shadow misunderstood me, I was talking about the horrible rider, and he was talking about the course in general. I can see that the video I linked was technically an OK ride if you only take the trail elements into consideration.

In that case I do agree that the one I posted was better than the one Kat posted. Kat’s horse is still learning and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

However, in my eyes there is something wrong with abominable riding and horsemanship in ANY case. especially if you are taking yourself into competition.

I feel bad for that horse and his mouth.

[Shadow14]

Katarina you totally blew the garbage bag and dropped it to the ground. You blew the backup and pushed the pole totally away, again I feel you blew the backup. Then we come to the gate. You lost the gate totally, you gave it a big push and lost control of it… I know you say they don’t judge how you do the gate but your effort was poor and I would score you next to nothing.
So in your coarse you blew 3 obsticles totally. I would fail you for sure. The other lady did everything so so but nothing you could fail her on.
A tip for everyone on the gates. If the hinge is on your right when approaching the gate BACK through the gate. If the hinge is on the left when you approach then ride FORWARD through the gate.
NEVER ever loose the gate, keep your hand firmly on the gate and let the horse pivot around your hand. To do them perfect you need to sidepass, back, pivot, sidepass. The horse must at all times control the openning with his body and you must only open it enough to squeeze your horse through. NO wide open, just enough for the horse to pass through and you must keep the hand firmly on the gate.
Katarina I know you think I am full of it but I could do them to perfection, as I could for the back and the sidepass. It is all a matter of doing things to perfection with absolute control over the horse, both hind and forehand. Each seperately controlled to keep the horse square.
Again this is something anyone can practice at home.

[Shadow14]

[QUOTE=katarine;3780950]
Shadow, every day you think I suck eggs is a good day in my book carry on![/QUOTE]

katarine I cut you slack on your ride the first time but after receiving your PM I no longer cut you slack. Your performance sucked.

Guys think agian of 10 as a perfect score and everything, every little tick, every time the horse is the least bit out of exactly where you want it to be subtract 1 point. Score in your head.
Keep the horse square if backing, to the gate, to the object you are picking up and practice mounting on the off side. It is alot harder then it looks.
If you need to dismount and then remount on the opposite side get off the off side and remount of the near side. If a dismount is part of the exercise to SURE TO CHECK GIRTH before remounting. Even if you don’t tighten it, look at it, check it , make sure they see you are checking it.
If dismounting involves a slope be sure to dismount on the DOWN side so you can remount of the UP side. And again check girth.

I know what they look for. Forgot carry a hoof pick in case they ask.
Good luck

[Juneberry]

[QUOTE=Shadow14;3781022]
Katarina you totally blew the garbage bag and dropped it to the ground. You blew the backup and pushed the pole totally away, again I feel you blew the backup. Then we come to the gate. You lost the gate totally, you gave it a big push and lost control of it… I know you say they don’t judge how you do the gate but your effort was poor and I would score you next to nothing.
So in your coarse you blew 3 obsticles totally. I would fail you for sure. The other lady did everything so so but nothing you could fail her on.
A tip for everyone on the gates. If the hinge is on your right when approaching the gate BACK through the gate. If the hinge is on the left when you approach then ride FORWARD through the gate.
NEVER ever loose the gate, keep your hand firmly on the gate and let the horse pivot around your hand. To do them perfect you need to sidepass, back, pivot, sidepass. The horse must at all times control the openning with his body and you must only open it enough to squeeze your horse through. NO wide open, just enough for the horse to pass through and you must keep the hand firmly on the gate.
Katarina I know you think I am full of it but I could do them to perfection, as I could for the back and the sidepass. It is all a matter of doing things to perfection with absolute control over the horse, both hind and forehand. Each seperately controlled to keep the horse square.
Again this is something anyone can practice at home.[/QUOTE]

I doubt Kat was here for a critique of what she did or didn’t do wrong (I’m sure she knows) She linked the video for people to see what it was about. good or bad. heck you have to start somewhere. I’m sure she’s practicing and I look forward to seeing more of her videos when her horse is more experienced with the trail elements.

[katarine]

Aw, someone got their feelings tweaked I never once asked for or desired your help, Shadow. And politely told you no, more than once. But you can’t take no for an answer. So you keep at it, you need to be needed so much it’s sad. But I don’t need you! Or want you! this is like breaking up with a crazy ex-boyfriend LOL Even now you are telling me what to do LOL! you seemingly can’t help yourself. I don’t read your posts for content Shadow, so you may be reaching someone, but it’s not me. And I’m really ok with that, sleep like a baby. Now go bother someone you board with, ok?

now THIS is not my brand of extreme cowboy challenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpoPvfqI-M4

[Juneberry]

OK now that we have completely derailed this thread. I’d like to hear from the others who do extreme trail. It looks like complete fun. but I want to know. Is the link I put up before an example of a good round? are trail competitions judged on the trail elements only? what else is taken into consideration? horses quietness between elements? riders ability? or can a half lame and bucking horse win these sort of things because they make it through all the elements cleanly?

[MuleLady1]

Why do clinic?

Not everybody has the money to buy materials, know-how to put them together; storage place to keep them so they don’t blow down or rot or fill up a pasture that needs mowing, haying and such. Animals eat items they shouldn’t, if left in the field; and they may not have the expertise to train an animal to sidepass, understand how to approach an obstacle, etc etc etc.

Some people have the understanding and some don’t. If I was to start jumping again, I would need some teaching on position for approach and position in the saddle.

[Shadow14]

Mulelady1 anyone could afford a few 2 x 4’s, they are cheap, a few old tires, again free at any garage, a rope, a bag of tin cans, a skid with a piece of plywood nailed on it for a bridge, gates are found anywhere, a few empty garbage cans. It is all cheap, easy to find but like you said not everyone knows how to train and what to look for.
All of this stuff if you want to go to a competion should be practiced at home, not once you get there. Picking up a garbage bag with tin cans is not hard and you should have your horse already use to it.

I was not only talking Katarina I was talking to everyone who wants to do this. I have trained for this in the past, I have trained others and if people don’t want help/advice why are they here???

I am older with lots of experience and I give it freely so if someone doesn’t want to read my advice just move on and ignore me after all I am just a troll???

Mulelady1 I am certainly not trying to give you advice, I am just talking to you so others can know where I am coming from.
If anyone wants to do these competitions and are having problems with anything I and others here could certianly offer suggestions on how to do it properly, or at least so you don’t loose points.
It is all about how you handle each and every obsticle. A judge with a score card in front of him is sitting there watching how to handle that obsticle and once you pass it win or loose you move on to the next obsticle with a clean slat for that obsticle.
If there are 10 obsticles and you score say 8 out of 10 on all 10 then your score is 80 and if someone has a higher score they win, if yours is higher you win. Yes they can score lopeing but in our competitions you are loping figure 8’s with lead changes and it is scored again out of 10 and you are only marked while in the arena under that judges eye, not on the rest of the coarse between obsticles.
Katarina you are not the only one here and I will talk/preach if you want to them if they choose to read it. Does bad advice/example from you beat good advice from me???

[katarine]

For the last time I was happy with that horse for who he was at that time. Today I’d expect a better back through the pattern, and a better gate. Never did I say he aced it, you can hunt for that all day but I never said it. I only posted it as an example of a run. I only ever said I was happy with him. Never did I say he was perfect, or I was. I am posting here to talk about the competitions, not how great I am, or my horse is, or how much better I am at everything. That’s why you’re here.

The judging on these things varies- the last one I did it was simple: cleanest run in the fastest time. Doing the keyhole, for example, stepping out of the pattern was 30 seconds added. But if your horse was fighting the bit or bucking between obstacles, there wasn’t a penalty for that. But the winning time was naturally, the smoothest, fastest horse. I wish I had a video from the last outdoor one we did…the overall winner was a nice big dun horse and a quiet rider. They just flowed through everything so smoothly, really a graceful run. The quietest, cleanest run will beat the crowhopping fat horse LOL.

The one Bess won in AL last January that I posted before…you had a per obstacle 10 points for a total of 100, plus a bonus - the tire deal if you watched it. You could earn a 105. If there was a tie, then time was the tie breaker. There wasn’t any penalty for bad stuff happening between obstacles, I don’t think…but again you’d likely fudge up on something and/or your time would knock you out of the competition. Bess’ time was lightning quick, and the run, squeaky clean. 2nd and 2rd were clean fast runs on SSH/TWHs, 4th was a young, slow, but clean run on a SSH, fifth I’m not sure about…and Jake and I (my QH) took 6th. We were slow, probably twice as long as Bess’ run, but we were clean. Had it been a big outdoor course, she’d have still won it, I bet, even though Jake’s legs are longer, LOL I bet that little molly mule can scoot There were 70 horses in the competition, and they were all over the map- ponies, bridleless horses, AQHA show-trail horses, dressage horses, barrel horses, all sorts. Just a ton of fun, I can’t say that enough.

It’s really a load of fun to do. I’ll be competing against MuleLady1 again in three weeks, can’t wait, and on the black horse I posted earlier. She’ll win it again, I bet, that mule is broke to pieces and fast, she’s done a lot of Mtd Police type training with her too, I think, that helps. Chip’s not there yet so far as being competitive… but no one can stop us from having fun, and trying our best just because that’s what we like to do, warts and all

[MuleLady1]

Well, I guess it is time to bow out of this discussion. Enjoy life, for that is what it is about. For those who love obstacle challenges and competitions, hurrah. It is great for most all animals. It allows us to see what needs to be worked on.

Happy Trails

[horselips]

I doubt very much it’s so great for a 2 year old.

[gabz]

I’m not sure what’s so extreme about the trail challenges shown, but regardless.

I’ve participated in some judged trail rides and Shadow makes some very good points regarding the correct way to do things and the “get by” way to do things. Finesse gets the points and means the difference between winning and not placing. There are really 4 ways to get through a gate for “true” trail classes - it depends if the requirement is for push the gate or pull the gate, and then which side it is hinged on.

so far as practicing at home, I have written this before, but I’ll say it again, the tubes from carpeting stores are EXCELLENT as “ground” poles. THey are 12’ long. If you cannot transport them that long, then ask the carpet store employees to cut them in half and then duct tape them when you get them home. Cover them with 2 coats of shellac-based primer and keep them out of the pouring rain. They are lightweight and easy to move around. ON the downside, they won’t help your horse learn that “ticking” the rails hurts.

A trail club that I belonged to still has its annual obstacle clinic. They are able to hold it in an outdoor arena so that horses are confined. I am always amazed at the variety of stuff the organizers come up with. People can hand walk their horses all through the obstacles and go back for seconds and thirds depending on the size of the group. Cages of live chickens, deer & bear skins draped over bales of straw. The big fat mamma plywood garden decorations. Pennants hanging all over, helium balloons tied to rakes and shovels in trash cans. Strings of soda cans tied together to drag every which way. Grain sacks with cans that have pebbles in them to carry from one barrel to another. Swinging a rope; throwing frisbees; broom ball; dismounting and mounting from the off-side.

and side passing, backing, turn on haunches, turn on forehand, etc. Build a box of poles about 6’ square and teach your horse to walk into it and turn around staying within the box. to practice bridges, lay a full sheet of 3/4" plywood on the ground and walk across it.

Here’s one that gets the speed horses - spread lines of lime or flour on the ground about 4" wide and get your horse to walk over them! Surprize.

One of my first judged rides my horse had to drag a 3’ tall blue stuffed bunny that was attached to a trash can lid. We dragged that over rocks and dirt about 25’ … that was scary - ugly and noisy. LOL… Now, how many 3’ tall blue bunnies do you suppose you will encounter on trails? Not many - but I have encountered appliances dumped in the woods, mylar balloons stuck in bushes along the trail; and birds popping up next to us.

[gabz]

@beeblebrox;3780890

" I was afraid they would all be inept riders like this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJOSc9syJrk I’m hoping this lady has learned how to stay with her horse and put that chunk of a beast on a diet since the video was "

Poor horse is not 100 % sound, looks like it is not ready for this and if the guy yanks on it’s mouth one more time… To me the horse should be relaxed about the obstacles and that horse is all over the place, I am hoping this is not a GOOD EXAMPLE. Trying to buck through most of it but then again I might also with all the yanking

There are some rides that have various divisions. Some are for green / young horses; novice; open; while other events break the divisions into rider age brackets. So - this could have been a novice rider and/or green horse. I agree that her / his seat was not the best.

[ayrabz]

not often one of the Endurance/trail riding forum threads enters into a train wreck!:eek:
anyway…I’m NOT a veteran of these competitions, I just admire them. I’ve ridden some fun competitive trail rides, where you can opt to ride the obstacles and be judged, or just ride the ride…I’ve enjoyed being judged, and working the obstacles each time, vs. riding non judged, and we’ve even done pretty well and have achieved various category placings.
While I’ve never ridden a rated trail class, our local area is VERY active in trail class competitions, and I’ve watched, appreciated, learned and even scribed for a judge at an A show.
These competitions, are to me, like any other in re: there will always be uneducated, brash and less than stellar representatives.
That doesn’t make the discipline unworthy.

[Guilherme]

I agree that the course was hardly “extreme.” It was no more than what a good trail ought to be able to do as a matter of course.

If you want somthing more of a challenge that approachs “extreme” try Working Equitation. http://www.workingequitationuk.com/

G.

[ayrabz]

G: that is REALLY interesting! I will enjoy the site and checking it out! (I know just in the past year or two, the arabian rated shows have introduced English trail…I think its great!) Anyway…outside of boppin’ around that site and clicking on separate persons show photos, are there any video links you can provide? I’d love to watch one!!

That said, one thing I love about the extreme/trail stuff…vs. the English trail…jumps are one thing, but scarey obstacles are another. (Again, havent seen any of these competitions you mention, but am interested!)

A