Central Oregon Trail Course

By Shari Maguire

If you haven’t read “Making a Pleasure Horse – Part 1 & 2”, than I suggest you do so now; the exercises mentioned in those articles should be applied to all horse training before you begin any schooling program. The bending/flexing, flexing approach of this training program quiets, relaxes and settles the horse’s mind so their body can follow. If you think about it, it settles yours as well.

Take at least fifteen minutes to do the bending/flexing exercises; starting with the walk – once you feel comfortable in the walk, ease into the trot.  Create a rhythm in your mind, hum a favorite song or listen to your iPod; while you quietly maneuver your horse around poles or cones, anything you can find to bend around, moving with the melody of your choice. Hopefully this will help take some of the boredom out of this part of the routine if you think of it as dancing with your horse.

Only after you’ve complete the bending/flexing exercises, is it time to tackle the trail course. Remember this is a test of patience.

Sending your horse
One of the most important things we need to learn is the ability to send your horse; over, through or down any obstacle.  It’s a lot safer and you’ll have more control, if you approach the trail course obstacle on the ground before in the saddle.  You’ll need a knotted rope halter and fourteen foot lead.

Sending your horse is the art of telling your horse which direction to go without having to lead him.  When you point in a certain direction and your horse goes that direction – you are sending your horse.  If you have to step in front of your horse and lead him, you’re not sending.

It is safer, for both you and the horse, if you send a horse thru an obstacle, than it is to lead him thru.

We offer the lessons at Rolling M Ranch; however, if you can’t make it out or you want to learn to send your horse before you come out, I recommend the video of Clinton Anderson’s – Downunder Horsemanship – Gaining respect and control on the ground series

Moving off pressure

Besides the sending techniques, if your horse has learned how to move off pressure, you are a head of the game. Side passing, backing, turning on the forearm and hindquarters is necessary in your training program or you won’t be able to negotiate the obstacles with the finesse you need to complete the course with horsemanship.

After spending time watching my own horses “free use” the trail course, I developed my own style of trail course training by applying what I learned from watching them.  Countless hours of spying on them proved their curious behavior, not only is this fun to watch but educational.  I watched as the filly drank from the water feature then she just eased herself in up to her knees and it didn’t take long before the chase begins and all of them were in the crevice and out the other end, through the tunnel, under the cowboy carwash, across the bridges.  Without riders to hinder their moves, they aren’t really afraid of anything out there; more curious than anything else. 

I let that curiosity work for me in my program. More often then not the rider is the one instilling the fear. We can get in their way, take the fun out of it for them and replacing it with fear.

Approaching an obstacle for the first time

After the bending exercises and the sending exercises, I’m in the saddle as I approach the obstacles just like the horse does, not so much sneaking up on it, but with curiosity. What is this thing?  Not – omg, this is going to scare my horse, he’s gonna bolt or buck, I’m gonna fall.

First we want to foster their curiosity. So, in the beginning don’t let the horse actually use the obstacle, we’ll walk up to, then turn them away from it, take them somewhere and maybe do some bending near a totally different obstacle, then go back to the obstacle and turn away. Do this several times; building their curious minds. We want the idea of using the obstacle to the horse’s idea. Don’t push it; we don’t want to start a war. When the horse feels safe to move closer or even use the obstacle, that’s your clue to let them go and try. It’s building the confidence they need and to trust you.  At this point NO scolding, NO smacking and definitely NO spurs; this over-riding will take whatever confidence and trust you just built up, out of the equation, due to the fact you just instilled pain or discomfort when Fluffy is trying his best.

This is where the moving off leg pressure helps, when the horse is easily move by the leg aids; you don’t have to use the reins so much. This will eliminate a lot of pulling and stress.

One move at a time; closer to the obstacle. Don’t be in a rush while doing this part of your training. Speed can come later when you and your horse have built up the confidence and trust you’ll need just to make it through some of these courses at a walk.

No matter what the obstacle, approach it straight, keep your horse balanced and underneath you.  If you tense up or anticipate trouble ahead so will they; so keep your legs quiet, hands down, moving towards the obstacle slowly, relaxed, reins slacked, your eyes on the obstacle, not looking away from it. If you look away, your horse will look away.

I carry “the StoStic” in my back pocket for when I have to deal with a real stubborn horse.  With a tap, tap, tap, (repetition) I annoy them until they move. It’s prefect because it fits in my pony back too and travels well out on the trail for when I need to make my arm longer and reach out and touch someone. It’s not a whip and can’t ever be abusive. It would break before it caused any damage by putting pain or fear where it doesn’t belong.

But what if my horse just refuses to go?
When a real act of refusal comes up, work it out accordingly. Don’t make an issue out of it until you know the reason for the refusal. Know your horse, so you can tell the difference between fear and stubborn behavior. 

Let’s say your horse is refusing at the water feature. If “stubborn” is the issue than make it easier for him to use the obstacle than not.  But not in front of or near the obstacle your horse is refusing.  Take them away from the obstacle and do some real body moving exercises, not just long trotting or loping, make them really use themselves. Get them breathing hard. Serpentines, circles, bending around your inside leg both directions, several times at the trot. This can take fifteen minutes or more. Be prepared. Then trot them right back up to the H2O and stop; that’s where we can catch our breath and rest.  Don’t let them put a foot in the water, back them away, not turn them away, and go work out again, get them breathing hard then return to the water feature and let them stand there by the water’s edge and relax awhile, catch their breath again so this becomes the reward.

After a few of these workouts it’s going to be Fluffy’s idea to be in that water. You may need to edge them on a little or even remind them of the exercise you just did that got their heart pumping so hard, but they’ll go, don’t rush this, even if they want to run across. Do your best to simply take one step at a time, inching your way deeper or further.  You’ll need to develop a sense of timing or get someone to help. 

Apply this training technique to all the obstacles. When the horse can do all the obstacles on the course without showing hesitation, it will be time to work on the horsemanship part of this activity.

I know this all sounds time consuming. It is. In the end it will be worth your time.  Go slow, take it easy, and think about what you are doing; always a step ahead calculating your next move by looking ahead to the next obstacle midway through the last. Remember this is how the horse would do it without the rider, slow, curious, sneaky, taking precaution, making sure there was no danger.

Rolling M Ranch trail course will be opening as soon as the weather permits. We offer a complete training program in trail, reining and pleasure. Join us this year for an equine experience you will enjoy.

About the author: Shari Maguire, the owner of Rolling M Ranch, has trained and shown pleasure horses for more than forty years. Throughout her career the style of pleasure horses changed a number of times from the Vaquero Style California Headset to the peanut roller, now the level topline traveler. However, her training style did not. Still her techniques stay the same to this day. “It doesn’t matter the style of pleasure horse, the techniques I have learned throughout my apprenticeships with some of the best equestrians have proven to work all these years and I am not about to change my routine”. The exercises or techniques used are the fundamentals you need to begin any training session. Young horse, older finished horse will benefit by this daily regime of suppling and relaxing the mind so the body can follow.