Trail can be an overwhelming event to practice for. It is a lot of work to go out and set poles, and most people wonder- where do I even start? Very rarely do I ever set up a whole trail pattern in my arena, usually it isn’t more than a few poles. So, I decided to film this video so you could have some inspiration of a few different ways to set your poles at home. This will help you work on the basics of maneuvering your horse through a straight set of poles, while working on finding your spot, number of strides, and rhythm. Even if this is something that is fairly elementary for you and your horse, work on how your horse gets to the poles and where you want them to place their feet. You can always elevate any of these poles to add an extra level of difficulty if you would like.
Finding creative ways to set up your trail poles at home can be difficult. I sometimes find myself getting stuck in a rut of what obstacles to set up, so I like to set up something a little bit different that you might not necessarily see at a horse show. This obstacle is a great example of something that can be practiced multiple different ways, at different gates, and doesn’t require that many poles. This obstacle is set using 12 ft poles and each space is set at either 6 ft or 12 ft so that everything can be practiced at either the trot or the lope. You could even practice these poles at a walk if you wanted - but take into consideration that 6 ft might be a somewhat awkward distance for your horse, so I aim for either 3 small steps or 2 larger steps in each space. I elevated some of my poles for a bit of added difficulty, but you can also just practice with ground poles.
Try this obstacle the next time you need a little bit of creativity in your trail routine!
This is the second part of the trail pattern we are practicing for the AQHA World Show. In this video we will be covering more of the slow obstacles that you will encounter in a trail pattern. Each piece requires its own technique, so this video will show you how I approach & navigate those obstacles.
In this video I have set up the first part of a trail pattern from the AQHA World Show. We have set up this pattern at home to get in some extra practice before heading to the show. If your patterns are released ahead of time & you have the ability to set up the pattern at home, this is a great way to practice the pattern free from extra distractions and traffic. It can be very difficult to practice at the show with other people also trying to practice the same obstacles.
When I am practicing my trail pattern, I like to do things a little out of order to keep my horse listening and honest. If you always practice the pattern as it is written, your horse may start to anticipate the next maneuver in the show pen.
If you are looking for resources on trail pole spacing, check out the AQHA Rule book to find the exact guidelines. This will help you space your poles correct & to know how they will be set up at the show.