In every issue of Horse & Rider you'll find articles on training by the country's leading experts, the latest on equine health care from top veterinarians, trail riding tips from savvy back country riders, and much more!
If you’re itching to enter up in the ranch trail class, If you’re itching to enter up in the ranch trail class, be prepared for the obstacles you’ll face in the class. We turned to the AQHA rulebook to bring you some information about commonly found maneuvers and obstacles. Knowing what might await you in the ring, can help you prepare ahead of time to ready your horse for what might be novel challenges. These challenges are set up to mimic what one might find if they were out riding on a ranch. Crossing obstacles, riding over bridges, and opening gates are all usually daily tasks of a ranch horse. Logs, Bridges, and Gates—Oh My! The following obstacles are noted as “mandatory” to each pattern, in the AQHA rulebook. According…
Here, I’ll explain how your horse balances in your moving trailer. Then I’ll give you eight ways to help keep him safe, secure, and on his feet. Finally, I’ll provide pros and cons of four common trailer designs, in terms of how they affect equine balance. Balancing Act Since your horse’s body weight is so high above his feet, he has to work hard to keep his weight stable when your trailer is randomly swaying, bumping, and moving down the road. He knows what to do to stay upright; his every instinct drives him to stand up and protect himself from falling over or down. How does your horse balance? My colleague, Chris Riley, PhD — a professor of equine clinical studies at Massey University at the University of New…
You probably won’t see a horse execute a square corner when doing ranch work in a pasture, but it is an element that judges can call for in a ranch riding pattern. A defined, 90-degree angle completed by a willing, soft horse is a showy maneuver that can earn credit. I see a lot of rounded corners that are functional and correct, but lack that crisp angle required to boost your score. Here, I’ll go over steps to practice a square corner at home. You’ll see a cone in these images—this is only for practice and to reference where the 90-degree angle is made in the photos. Ranch riding patterns don’t use cones; instead, you must lay out the pattern to best show your horse. 1 The rider’s position for…
The lopeover, a standard component of ranch riding and ranchmanship classes, is typically less complex than traditional trail-class lopeovers. Still, it’s a challenge that puts many riders in the penalty box. The key to mastering the ranch riding lopeover is a cadenced stride on the approach to the pole. With a multi-pole lopeover, you might struggle with trying to correct your horse rather than letting him find his own stride. Your horse must be able to collect and round up, allowing you to pick the ideal path for a straight line that sets him up for success for the maneuver that comes next. An uncoordinated hop, gait break, or tick of the pole looks disjointed and costs points on your scorecard. I’m going to share the secrets to acing the…
