I just try to maneuver them onto the offending branch as we go down the trail. Once they succeed lots of praise. Pretty soon they figure it out and it only takes a few steps. Other horse has to keep moving or it doesn’t work.
Here’s some new ones. Convince husband to take the extra loop. Find the hoof boot or bell boot.
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I bet a Real Life Trail Course would be fun and popular!
- back your trailer between a tree stump and couple of bicycles.
- tack up your horse all alone with no other horses visible (advanced: riders trotting away down the trail without you). Includes putting on hoof boots.
- lock your trailer tack room door while on your horse.
- take off your pullover sweater while keeping your helmet on and controlling your horse.
- step over blowing garbage
- cross a deep creek without getting your boots wet
- walk past a row of people standing like statues right in the middle of the trail (they must not move a muscle)
- drag open a ten foot long steel pipe drive gate with one broken hinge
- limbo under a tree branch 12" taller than your saddle.
- (stealing this) find a missing hoof boot which could be anywhere on a mile long stretch of trail.
There will be no ground wasps in this course.
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This one cracked me up because it would be my mare’s nightmare scenario. She will happily do just about any of the things in your list, and ride anywhere for any length of time solo. But standing tied while other horses are leaving would not be fun.
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Teach your horse to pick up dropped gloves and hand them to you.
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Advanced: your smart phone. Cannot crack the case.
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Walk by a tent in a campground and a man steps out and opens an umbrella.
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Or a porta-potty with kids and dogs inside
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I had my horses lose grazing in the trail head parking lot by the trailer and went into the outhouse. When I came out they were both standing right there staring at me. Maybe they thought it was a feed room.
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Providing merriment to others is an often-unmentioned benefit of trail ride ‘events’. My two friends almost died laughing when my OTTB decided to have a nice roll in a deep mud puddle, right at the start of our ride on a hot day. So that I could enjoy being covered with mud for the entire remaining two hours. They still laugh about it to this day, whenever it comes up. “You should have seen yourself”.
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I have a somewhat embarassing/funny story about this skill. I had a show at Huntington in VT. I was about to make the small hike to the dressage ring for my dressage test when I realized I had to pee. Those familiar with Huntington probably know it’s a bit of a walk from trailer to warm up/dressage ring. I dismounted and went into the portapotty holding the reins. My guy must have nipped at a fly because he pulled the whole door open – luckily I was already up and zipping my pants by the time that happened but there was a small audience around and they all laughed when they saw my surprise to see the door just flung open! Luckily my guy was a good boy and stood politely for it.
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Every time I read this thread I end up audibly laughing.
Thanks, y’all.
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Will there be yellow jackets in the pipe gate? I’ve done that one!
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My extensive experience with yellow jackets (aka ground bees or ground wasps) have led me to conclude that trail courses are not really enhanced by them and I’m not including them any more. Sorry. Make your own real life trail course and put yellow jacket in the pipe gate. Knock yourself out (possibly literally).
Yellow Jacket tales probably need their own thread …
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Agree
I had another rider in my group hold my horse’s reins while I peed in the bushes and my horse started screaming for me when I went out of sight. Guess she thought I was going to run out on her and leave her with that ugly gelding.
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I was riding my good boy Woodrow out on a local tree farm and was thinking I sure would like a snack right about now and why didn’t I pack any food. Just then, Woodrow comes to a stop and there on the trail in front of me was a whole bag of chili Fritos! I swear he read my mind. Of course I had to share them with him but he politely declined. Later on that same ride, after polishing off the Fritos, I was quite thirsty. Sure enough, I found a full, unopened bottle of water someone dropped. I love Karma.
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Reattach husband’s stirrup to his western saddle while both of you are still mounted. Extra points if fender is correct length when done. Replace concho on husbands horse’s bridle by chewing through phone lanyard and threading it through where the choncho was (it held the bit) making sure the bit is in the correct direction then bridle husband’s horse for him all while still mounted. Next windrow maze. Public trail crosses a field that is in the middle of being harvested. Select the best place to start so you don’t cross any of the windrows to get through the the field quickly. Jumping horses may chose to hurdle the windrows but must not cause it to spread and make it hard for the baler that is entering the field.
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When I was in 4-H, our Fair Show started Friday evening. Friday evening was also the biggest night for the demo derby, the track for which was just about 20-ish yards from our show arena.
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