Trail Class Training

[denielle johns]

Can anyone give me some pointers on training our minis to side pass for trail class?

 

[BSharpRanch]

if your mini is easy to handle, lead them to a fence, this will give then a refrence point. Let's say you are going to teach them to step over to their right. (To teach going left, change directions.) Stand facing your mini. You will be on your mini's left side. Have treats to start with and also a whip. Give them a one word command to step over to the right. This can be any short word like "over." Lightly tap your horse's barrel with tge whip, making sure to keep it's head straight. The first step will get the horse a reward. Stop tapping, say "good" and give them a treat. Repeat the request just a couple times. Rewarding for each good attempt. It won't be too long and your little horse will be going sideways!

Change sides and change directions AFTER the horse is good at going right. You can move away from the fenceline as the horse does better then add things to sidepass over.

Good luck!! And remember to keep it fun and DO NOT DRILL! This will cause a sour horse.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I need to add that you cannot use the whip in the class, so you will need to dispense with it as soon as possible.

 

[denielle johns]

Thanks we will give it a try in the morning

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

Depending on the horse I would start facing a fence or perpendicular to a pole (as if you were going to do a side pass in a real class). I use my knee and gently apply pressure to the elbow/shoulder area while I move my hand holding the lead away from me (direction I want the horse to go). I also say "Side" to teach them that it means move to the side. Sometimes the horse won't move their hind end--then I just put pressure on the hindquarters and say "Side." I've trained my mini gelding this way, but he was already very responsive to pressure and obedient.

 

[wingnut]

This is a key area we need to work on as well. Because we were working on so many things, our trail classes were difficult for this one obstacle alone. I just didn't get the training in we needed to perform well. Thanks for asking the question because the advice given thus far has been very helpful!

 

[BSharpRanch]

Teaching the side pass is usually very simple. You can work on it two minutes at feeding time. Two minutes during cooling out after driving or two minutes warm up before driving. I usually do not add any poles yntil the horse has the idea of what is being asked. Then I will step them over the pole near an end then ask for them to step over sideways. I try to make it just a two or three step movement. Reward and walk on around to the other end to sidepass the other direction. I was told that it looks better if you are in front of the horse for sidepassing.

 

[Sandee]

If it "looks better" to be in front, I'd like to know who really thinks that. The only advantage I can see is that you do not block the judges view of your horse (at least at Nationals as they never move around).

I have trained 2 (the old man came trained). If they are not sensitive to your body movements (in other words a bit stubborn), face them toward a fence and use the hand or knee and voice as suggested above. I've also seen it work to spin or flip the end of the lead rope out to get them to step away. My mare is so voice trained that I have called her name out from across the room and said "side" and she stepped sideways for a picture. Most horses will pick up on whatever cue you decide to use as long as you use it consistently.

If you use a rail or pole to train them to sidepass, be sure to work them without it after they know what you want. I had a riding horse that would sidepass without being asked over everything laying near her but when asked to sidepass in the middle of the arena without a pole present she was lost!

The name of the game is practice!!!

 

[BSharpRanch]

I believe that I had read that standing in front here on the forum. I always stood to the side till I read that and it helped my placing our last show. But it is also I guess how your horse shows the best.

 

[denielle johns]

Zoey loves to work and is very sweet she would put her own halter on if she could. Should I teach her from the side then slowly move to the front of her? Does anyone have a video of them doing trail correctly? I have watched some videos on youtube but not sure who is doing it right.

 

[denielle johns]

What kind of halter do you use? We show halter in an Arabian style halter should it be the same for trail?

 

[Sandee]

I use a western halter for performance classes. Just a matter of taste really but IMO it gives you more contact with the horse.

Side or front doesn't matter as long as you don't touch them and don't even LOOK like you are touching them. The more willing the horse is to perform for you (the quicker, better they respond to your cue) the better points you SHOULD get (if all else is done right).

 

[paintponylvr]

Besides coming from a western working horse background, I've had long association with hunters/jumpers AND the 3 day event/sport horse industries.

I appreciated (was really "tickled") seeing the hunter (& jumper) minis/ponies at both Congress and Nationals (and the handful of other rated shows that I've been able to go to) that were shown in an English style headstall with a lead and with their manes and tails properly braided (I like it in the lead line classes, too). WOW - that was over and above the rest and I just LOVED it!!! While not necessary, especially braiding in Jumpers, it's just really cool to me and creates a lot of appreciation for that particular horse/farm/handler - no matter how/where they placed.

I know that when I do show in those events (my goal someday - Looks to be TOO MUCH FUN), mine will be shown just like Hunters in miniature (I also LOVE the presentation/picture from TargetsMom - Mary) for the hunter/jumper classes (western style in halter obstacle)... Then I'd also have to find clothing that represented the hunter disciplines as well ... hmmm... That may be harder to do (my size) and also harder to compete a jumping horse in while running on foot! Sport horses used to be presented in hand with tan or white pants, a belt, a polo shirt (could be in farm colors but not with the farm emblem), with hair contained but not necessarily with a hat on and some type of running shoes (usually paddock boots, but I have seen actual running shoes & some of those folks have to RUN to present their big, long strided, trotting horses). I'm not sure if that is still the norm for Sport Horse presentation...

 

[targetsmom]

Here are some photos from recent shows - our retired broodmare Sox (B/W) with a 4-Her in hunter (not braided) and me with a yearling (Bunny) in trail. The yearling is actually doing a sidepass over an obstacle. She is pretty straight but does not show the crossing over of the feet you want to see but I think because of the timing of the photo. If she could have sidepassed in the other direction (you had to do it over all 3 logs) she likely would have won the class because her other obstacles were great. By the next day she had figured out how to go in the reverse direction, with me standing in front.

Not sure which photos paintponylvr was referring to but I am pretty sure it wasn't this trail one because that is very new.