[Launa]

Anyone know of any books about how to build trail Class Obstacles? Or any ideas.... any pictures you can post. I plan to build some for my back 40 and start training Radar.

[Luvs Phin]

I don't have any books, but I must say we have an pretty decent trail course set up here. Although most of it is moved inside (it's kept in the out door arena) for the winter, I could probably get some pics.

Just an idea of what we have off the top of my head.
Cavaletti
Poles
Cones
Tarps on the ground
Cut up tarp hanging (we made the structer big enough to ride through, and made it out of pvc pipe.
A little bridge (we so need a puddle to put water under it though!)
We have a "car wash" Which we made out of those noodle things, and some 2x4s It's REALLY cool. lol
We have an "L" on the ground to walk through, and back through.
a hoola hoop to pratice turns on the fore and backhand.
A barrel
Mailbox
Plenty of plastic all over.
We have a bit white thing covering the side, practicing for a show, a lot of horses spooked at this one white wall, so we did that to prep him!
We go to the dollar store and buy all kinds of noise makers, streamers etc, and hang on stuff, and carry with them.
bags with cans, stuff to drag. tires, ... one little jump thing.
I think that's it, but I'm not home right now lol.
I might be able to get some pics if your interested!

All of our yearlings go a lot of work in the trail course. I took a yearling to his first show this year and he took first in the trail class.

[PinkHorse]

There are directions for a water box on www.timkimura.com.

Blaine Nicholls has some sample patterns on http://www.blainenicholls.ca/courses.asp. The lope over layouts on the bottom are an excellent reference.

Anybody with moderate carpentry skills should be able to build you a decent bridge. Gates can be as simple as two jump standards with a rope between them.

[Launa]

Thanks guys. I would love pictures Luvs Phin! Thank You!

[Luvs Phin]

I will go out and get some pictures tomorrow. It won't all be set up outside, but I can show ya what we have!

[Luvs Phin]

OK I finally got pictures of some of the things in our trail course. They aren't prefect, but I was by myself lol.
Bags, bags with cans, and a noodle... We beat the horses senseless with the noodle


Cones, with the flowers in them of course.


Little jump, or just to walk over it..


This is complicated, but this is the tarp the horses walk through. It's 10 feet tall and ten feet wide when it's all set up.


Cavaletti, and on the fence is the shiny streamers blowing in the wind lol.


The bridge, a little jump, and the hula hoop.


Poles, plastic and other things...


mail box with noisemakers and plastic in side.


The "L" shape to walk and back through!


This is the "car wash". The 'noodles are supposed to be out more, but the sagged a lot over the summer!


So that's some of the mains stuff... hope that helps..

[Luvs Phin]

Whatcha think?

[meljean]

You ought to be in the obstacle business.

Can also take battery CD player, and get some kids CDs with pigs/ducks etc, and some with goofy sounds, like at Halloween. Also yodeling, my daughters mare thought someone was being tortured. Or train whistles, steam whistles etc. Can buy those at tractor shows, from the big threshing machines.

And wear strange things, like the Cat in the Hat hat, or something that bobbles, and wiggles on head, when working with horse. My view is everything you can show horse will only help.

And the whirly gig things that they stick in ground, like the bumblebees with the wings that twirl, or the things you hang from porch that move in wind, or wind socks. Or the croaking frog things by the steps.

[Luvs Phin]

We have a lot of things flying all around, lots of noise makers. But I think the noisey CDs would be good too. We always have the radio on in the barn, and just got another one in the riding arena.
We actually just got one of those blow up Halloween costumes, that look like a horse and rider. I'm sure we'll be dragging that out soon too.

We really try to drag out everything we can, all the 'scary' things we can come up with. It has been totally normal for me to do this kind of stuff with all horses I work with, so when I finally went to a show, it was honestly weird for me. People were *so* impressed, that this yearling, who's never been off the farm, went into that trail class and beat even the aged mounted posse horses and stuff. It was a neat feeling. And trail course stuff is so important. When those other horses went in and had a cow, and I walked the baby through the whole course without the slightest hesitation, I was so thrilled, and it really emphasized the importance of desensitizing your horse. Some of the horses got plain dangerous. And the course was NOT a difficult one, compared to others.

A lot of the stuff we have is made from **** laying around. We did have to get extra pvc pipe, but I do think it was worth it. The cavalettis are much bigger than ones you'd actually find in shows, so it teaches them to really pay attention and not be so lazy.
I did hear of though, at one show, they covered the bridge in tin foil. Not a single horse would set foot on it. So I've been very tempted to try that! LOL.

[Circle C]

I dont want to hijack your thread, but I have always wanted to put up an "extreme cowboy race" course through my property.... I think it would be awesome!!!

Also, Clinton Anderson has those noise CD's for training... they come in parade, trail, show, and other sorts of "sound categories"