Extreme Trail Horse OBSTACLE CHALLENGE -- Cash PRIZES

[Icecapade]

[QUOTE=MuleLady1;3790872]
In a competition where you have to get off on one side and remount from the other, it is best to dismount on the downhill side so you don’t have to get up on the downhill side.

We aren’t talking a drop off but more of a slant like in a ditch.[/QUOTE]

Ok that makes sense for a competition… thanks for clarifying =) my arab will do almost anything on the trail just because its this way or no way… and he trusts me, he just looks at me like I’m an assclown if I ask him to do it… just because its there- so I haven’t gotten into much competition trail stuff… we’d flop!

reality is dismount up side… remount upside for safety purposes though.

Shadow you seem to have enough knowledge running around the country side to know that many times there is no turning involved… you get on and off from roughly the same spot… and its always on the upside of the mountain. For those of you also who have ridden the PCT you know of what I speak!

[Shadow14]

[QUOTE=Icecapade;3790960]

Shadow you seem to have enough knowledge running around the country side to know that many times there is no turning involved… you get on and off from roughly the same spot… and its always on the upside of the mountain. For those of you also who have ridden the PCT you know of what I speak! ;)[/QUOTE]

Of coarse I know this but in competition you do what they want or you score Zero. I nearly always mount and dismount from the near side but occassionally just to mix it up I will mount from the off side. It is good for practice and also to know how a novice feels mounting a horse.

[Icecapade]

[QUOTE=Shadow14;3791306]
Of coarse I know this but in competition you do what they want or you score Zero. I nearly always mount and dismount from the near side but occassionally just to mix it up I will mount from the off side. It is good for practice and also to know how a novice feels mounting a horse.[/QUOTE]

“Ok that makes sense for a competition… thanks for clarifying” (see previous post)

got it… It didn’t make sense to me that you were recommending that knowing as you know otherwise… but for competitions sake… a. it still makes no sense why the hell they would have you do that… and b… well I guess they just want to you to prove you can get on the off side. Which is cool for a competition.

I am tracking now…

[ I could care less about novice riders and what it feels like mounting… i’m heartless… learn and deal, we all did at one point… and hopefully not liek me… I got tossed completely over more than once as my parents wanted me to learn how to do it myself… “If you can’t get on the horse by yourself you can’t ride by yourself.” Needless to say I learned as a small child even if I couldn’t properly mount how to climb all the way up! … That being said I’m more concerned with making sure said novice horse can handle it! Thats more important ]

Ok thats was it… didn’t mean to derail just wanted to clear the air on a safety issue but I see’s the point !!

[Auventera_Two]

There’s nothing “extreme” about these trail play days. Just looks like a fun obstacle course to fool around with and win a blue ribbon. I guess I don’t understand all the drama My QH is mounted search and rescue certified and we’re active members of the group. I’ve worked mounted patrol at rock concerts with her. She has to stand absolutely stoic for air horns, fireworks, screaming steel guitars, the life flight chopper landing right next to us, and all manner of cars, bikes, motorcycles, you name it. For workshop days we swim our horses in the deep water in the pond (yeah, SWIM, not just wade up to our bellies.) That was the hardest for me because I’m scared of water, but I overcame it.

We also do all the trotting and cantering through tarps and jangling/dangling things, over bridges, throwing footballs from rider to rider, we have to circle around a guy with a gun while he shoots it up into the air. We have the police come in their jeep and drive among us. We have to rope a fake steer and drag it, carry a “body” on the back of our horse, and work a field full of evidence without destroying the evidence, accidentally stepping on any bodies, and 20 horses have to be able to work nose to butt and shoulder to shoulder without crabbing and kicking or having an attitude about it. Our horses have to be able to gallop flat out in a field, and walk at the speed of a snail through teenie tight obstacles without stepping on certain things. The horse has to back, side pass, leg yield, pony another horse, be ponyed, tie up to a tree and be left, drag a log, a bag of cans, a tire, etc.

But even at that, I don’t consider it to be all that “extreme.” Some of the stuff people encounter on real trail rides is pretty extreme. Cantering along the side of a mountain in the dark with a 500 foot drop off 18" away - that’s extreme.

As for the woman in the video - she needs a training program and her horse needs a diet. By the end of the video, that poor beast was just panting, after a few minutes of easy loping. Yikes.

[jeano]

Yeah, I was talking about this with my riding buddy yesterday. We were having a good yock coming up with our version of “extreme” challenges–all things we have faced, including getting a horse unstuck from a swamp without tractor, back up, or enough rope to see if the other horse could haul her out.

Rotting deer carcasses UNDER a bridge horses needed to cross, plus all the stuff I mentioned in my first post on this thread.

Yesterday’s “extreme” challenge didnt turn out to be the hunters plus dog, the dismount to retrieve a nice little maglite the neighbor must’ve dropped at the back of his place, or even slinging a bag of feed onto my gelding’s saddle so he could tote it a couple tenths of a mile to the barn for me (first time I’d tried that with him, and he did fine despite some initial confusion about how to lead with me back at his girth keeping the bag steady with one hand)…NO, it was the flapping camo cloth the other neighbor has draped around a tree, that the same gelding has seen fifty times and got a good look at as we were heading out on a 4+ hour ride–when we got back the wind had picked up a little and he boogered sideways into my buddy’s horse.

She kept her horse between mine and the road, mine kept trying to get his head and neck UNDER her horse in order to escape, one of my ankles was getting a beating and I was sure I was gonna come off, but didnt. I felt like I earned a blue ribbon for comeback of the year or something.

[MuleLady1]

Extreme or not?

Well, my challenge isn’t a play day. It will test the calmness of animals and ability of riders to navigate within the time frame. It can’t be a play day with $750 for first place (based on 91-100 participants).

[Icecapade]

[QUOTE=MuleLady1;3797822]
Well, my challenge isn’t a play day. It will test the calmness of animals and ability of riders to navigate within the time frame. It can’t be a play day with $750 for first place (based on 91-100 participants).[/QUOTE]

I think its a great idea and more professional than a play day. good for you for organizing things, I wish more people organized stuff, and I wish I had the ability to do so!!!

[ayrabz]

Good point, Mulelady1.

Y’know, I am not sure at all about what any of the hullaballo is, in re: how these competitions are ‘named’. Couldn’t we pick apart any named competition? (The ‘extreme’ the ‘ultimate’ the ‘prestigious’, etc, etc)
Point being: If you ARE competing in trail challenges, which put each entered rider against another, and can share information about your experiences, and opinions, then great.
But while I DO very much admire those horses that, while not competing, are still exposed to and are well trained otherwise, the fact remains, these encounters are not a competition. It leaves the window wide open for evaluation.
The OP posted about an organized competition that will evaluate, rate and score the entries.
Yes, I thought the Lusitano/Andalusian videos on the Equestrian stuff were wonderful (!) to watch and be thrilled / encouraged by! I found it to be much more ‘dressage’ than trail, but none the less, I knew it was a skill I would never achieve (!) and found it amazing.
I still think, the comments in re: to ‘extreme trail’ judged challenges, are best coming from those who COMPETE in them, or who compete in what they feel is a similar situation above them.
Most important term being those who COMPETE.

A

[jeano]

Gosh. I KNOW I am not a competitor in any discipline, and probably have No Business Posting On COTH.

I acknowledge my horses would probably freak over a PA, an arena, hot dog vendors, anything else they would encounter at any judged event.

I was, like A2, a bit bemused by the condition of horses and riders in some of the videos offered as examples of this kind of competition. I am an old fat lady who rides a sometimes fat horse, so I’m not pickin’, just sayin. And I still think the real world offers tests of horse and rider that dont happen in competition. And in the real world my health and safety and that of my horse are ultimately at stake. I mean, my horse crashing into the road yesterday couldve killed us both. My buddy did the right thing and we all ended up a trifle more shopworn, but nothing worse.

I have sore ribs today from the dance I did to prevent falling off under my horse. So should I feel proud of myself for not falling, ashamed of myself for not bombproofing for a couple of years in an arena, or motivated to compete so I’ll better myself?

Oh, well, better call the neighbor and the dogs and see if any or all has low enough self esteem to go ride with me!

[mp]

A lot of stuff looks easy … until you actually try to do it.

[War_Admiral]

I’m ignoring whatever the snarkiness is all about on this thread… which I can’t work out anyway…

The bottom line for me is as follows:

1. I didn’t know this type of obstacle challenge existed, so I thank the OP for bringing it to my attention.

2. It looks COOL as all getout and a BLAST to do. Therefore

3. My new horse is going to start training for this kind of thing the second he backs off the trailer - i.e., before he is even broke to ride! :yes:

[jeano]

It sure doesnt look easy to me, not easy at all. And it does look like fun.
The rigors of competing are not for me. Some days the rigors of trail riding in the most non competetive sense of the world aint easy!

My buddy and I have horses with what I suspect are great competetive minds and attitudes, but their potential isnt likely to be realized with the owners they have. Since I dont compete, I have no way of knowing how good my horse is compared to others. He’s better than he was when I got him, probably through no fault of my own. He makes me happy.

My only bragging rights, if you can call them that, have to do with improvement over time for both of us, and its pretty subjective.

War Admiral, my hat’s off to you, Quattro, and any and (every)body else who is going for it. Keep us posted!

[Auventera_Two]

Yeah I’d probably flunk out too in this judged competition. :lol: I was just confused at why its called an “extreme trail challenge” with a 750 dollar purse. It looks like an “arena obstacle course” to do at a play day fun outing. I didn’t mean to be snarky, I was just honestly confused why it’s called an “extreme trail challenge.” Apparently its just a semantics issue, so I apologize if I came across as a jerk. I just didn’t understand how the video was showing this was “extreme trail riding.” It looks a lot like those mounted gaming competitions where you do the egg and spoon race, and pole bending, etc. These look like excellent practice for young horses! I’d definitely do one if there were a competition locally available to me. I’m looking for fun stuff to do.

To show EXTREME trail riding, I’d want to see swimming in a swift river, climbing a sheer rock facing, negotiating a ledge with a hefty drop off, full out galloping, jumping a deep ravine, negotiating a bog with knee deep mud, etc.

The activities shown look like a heck of a lot of fun, but not at all what I’d associate with extreme trail riding.

[ayrabz]

AT…I don’t think you came off as a jerk at all!:sadsmile:
I understand the question in re: to the titles…but my point was only that these competitions do judge HOW WELL these teams do all these things, and have point ratings they follow.
It seems to me, like any other competitive discipline—something we may all say “Hey, we’ve done THAT ONE better, on our own”…but saying it, and getting that rating/point standing on that obstacle, combined with all the others is more of a reflection on the discipline/competition.
Its just a competitive discipline, named in a way that shows that the objective is what is outlined as obstacle ratings, and the overall winner will be the one with the most points gained over the course.
I don’t think each competitions’ objective is to be the ‘Tevis’ of them all, but rather to have a focus on communication, obstacles, teamwork, and a ‘course’ of sorts, that is different from personal trail riding, etc.
Just another cool competitive objective for horse and rider, if thats your interest—

A

[katarine]

Craig Cameron has a show called Extreme Cowboy Race. The courses are outdoors, and often include cowboy type activities, like roping. They also include silly hard things to do- whoa and stand in the saddle, touch a tennis ball hanging from a string that’s tied to a tree limb overhead. I would imagine that’s the likely reason that word is used so often. The one I’m doing in 3 weeks, and MuleLady is, too, is just called the Trail Horse Challenge. It’s a part of this state’s Horse Fair. It is indoors (January in Alabama IS cold, honest!), and I don’t think it’ll have roping cows or heavy dragging…as it is open to english riders, too, and lacking a place to dally would eliminate them on such an obstacle. That would not be fair. It is a very popular competition, last yrs was the first, with 140+ applications for 70 slots. Prize money this year is 2500 dollars. Like MuleLady’s, that money is not playday type money, at least not to my mind :winkgrin:

My SO rode his horse in the last one and was surprised at all the things his horse wouldn’t do :yes:. That horse is a good babysitter, is he perfect first horse, been all over the SE and has a million actual, real life trail miles under his hooves… and that horse was a terrible competitor. He thought some of the obstacles were better handled by going around them :lol:That’s what some good babysitter type horses do, find the best route b/c their rider is still mostly a passenger. Competing in these things takes a horse that is willing to listen to his rider tell him to do something his own brain says not to, and do it smoothly and well. A man made water crossing in an arena, one that is square and doesn’t belong there and funny looking- well, the horse has to listen to the aids and just do it, trusting their rider.

I find these competitions, extremely fun, extremely entertaining to watch, and an extremely good way to meet others who like to test their horse’s willingness to listen, to test their horse’s training (there’s that pesky extreme again!). Again, many a very savvy trail mount will not have any part of these made-up obstacles. My TWH will back a country mile without hesitation…asking him to back a pattern involving poles- he’s worried about stepping on those poles, so that takes training and planning ahead. But he’s the horse you want to ride cross country to the next county, he’s surefooted and brave and has tons of go. Working him toward being confident and competent and honest for these competitions, has been good for him. I find that extremely rewarding.

I do love real trail riding. We spend a week every summer with friends in the back country of SW Montana. In those environs, I have done things with horses I didn’t know could be done, and some I’d rather not repeat. We stepped over a trail connection, descended some stuff we could not come back up… and bush-wacked in what the locals call ‘some rough country’ for several hours, making our way back to camp. Yeah, I know extreme. I’ve got that. But nothing about that diminishes the appeal of these ________competitions. These are popular activities and lots of fun to participate in, period.

[gabz]

a couple of the posts triggered a memory … a friend’s daughter, who is somewhat timid, leased my QH for her senior year on her school’s Equestrian Team. She has ridden most of her life and is not unfamiliar with horses.

When I told her that my horse could do the trail classes and was very good at it, she agreed to add that to her list of classes to compete in.

However, she didn’t realize that she had to guide the horse through the obstacles. This became painfully obvious at her first competition. She simply pointed the horse at the gate and expected him to know what to do… :eek: he pushed on the gate with his nose! LOL… :lol: She never turned him sideways and never attempted to guide him. The same with the tarp, the mailbox, etc. I was very embarrassed as I knew that all she had to do was guide him on a contact rein, with her legs and seat, and he could have done each obstacle in the class with little trouble.

OTOH - he’s a QH and he placed 9th in a saddleseat class of more than 21 riders for that teen! OH MY GOSH. Can we say “animated trot” ??? LOL…

[MuleLady1]

One has to take into consideration that for the vast majority of riders, any of these obstacle challenges, from simple to advanced, are extreme for them. The fact we do it in an arena is because it is doable, where doing it out on trails isn’t, for the most part.

I do obstacle clinics. It is amazing how many people say, “Oh, my horse does yada yada yada.” Then at the clinic the horse acts like a knucklehead and won’t do any of it calmly. After the day is over, the horse is handling the obstacles like an old pro.

Since most people don’t have the room to store obstacles, the money to buy the materials, the know how to tackle the obstacles with an animal that doesn’t want to do it, I find the clinics helpful.

I give clinics and I attend obstacle clinics. I have an outstanding mule because I take her outside her realm of comfort to someone else’s property with their obstacles, noises, stuff, and she has to adapt to “different.” That is what makes a good animal.

As for the obstacle competitions, I think that it is fabulous for those who are not the best riders on horses that aren’t the best horses to attempt something they know they aren’t going to look professional at. BRAVO for them. Whether they ride like potatoes in the saddle, flopping around and being less than smooth, well, BRAVO for them that they are at least trying and not just walking the animal around or, worse, doing all the fancy moves on the ground but never riding the animal outside of a pasture or ring without being terrified "it’ might come unglued.

[Auventera_Two]

Good points Mule Lady. My QH of course has to go to all the training days for the mounted patrol but I ocassionally take the Arab instead, just for fun. The QH doesn’t especially need any more practice with any of it, but Sweets still gives a few things the hairy eyeball. She did excellent last year at the workdays she attended, and I really hope I can get her certified this year. There’s a lady that took a lot of pics at the events last year but I’ve asked her for copies numerous times and never got them.

[hctjudge]

Try it in the dark!

Well, everyone is at the challenge in Alabama right now.
Good luck to all.

What Mulelady didn’t mention in regards to “extreme” was
the challenge we rode in where they turned out the lights.
One dim street light was on one side. There were flares, strobes, and smoke, over, under, and around some of the
obstacles. Not to mention a sheriff’s truck with lights and
sirens that came on when the animal was at the hood.
They changed the obstacles from the daytime competiton, added a bunch of mattresses to walk over and a 10-12" wide
bridge to walk over.

Whatever you were riding HAD to trust you a bunch! If you don’t think that is a bit extreme, we’ll meet you at the next one!

[hctjudge]

Breaking news

Today was the trail obstacle competition in Montgomery,Al

I just received word that Mulelady won first with her mule, Rooster, and second with returning champion, Grace.

Congratulations Bess, Rooster, and Grace.