Walking On Volume 5, Issue 5, May 2018 | Page 17

pretty much ride the same way today, sans the horn on
my saddle and added a GPS. My husband still com-
petes with his western saddle with a horn and a rear
cinch and a cowboy hat. You will see English saddles,
endurance saddles and treeless saddles. It doesn’t
matter as long as it fits you and fits your horse. You will
also find riders trading gear all the time! I don’t think I
have bought a new piece of tack in a long time but have
traded and bought and sold online.
8. I can’t ride for 2 days.
Easy. Pick a ride that has a B-Ride which is a 1-day
competition. It will give you the feel for the competi-
tion and expectations, and I bet before long, you will
pull a 2 day-er!
©MIKE COLLINS
You don’t even have to ride a horse!
As long as your mount is an equine, you’re good.
9. I don’t ride an Arabian!
Neither do I! I ride a Quarter Horse. We have suc-
cessfully ribboned out of the Novice Division and have
competed in the Open Division at a couple of rides.
We may land in Competitive Pleasure this coming
year, but I am pleased that with the right conditioning,
my horse can compete in all divisions of this sport.
You will see Arabians on the trail. You will also see
Missouri Fox Trotters and Mustangs and Appaloosas.
Just this last weekend, the first place novice horse was a
draft. It’s a sport for any horse or mule; they can all be
athletes.
10. I will never
have the fastest
horse in the com-
petition. I am not
even competitive!
Competitive
trail riding is
NOT a race. It is
NOT an endur-
ance ride. It IS
a timed event.
Riding at pace,
you have a 30
minute window
to complete the
ride. It does not
matter if you are
first in that win-
dow or last in the
window – your
scorecard will not
©MIKE COLLINS
reflect your order
Draft horses are certainly not known for their
across the finish
speed. Properly conditioned, any healthy, sound,
good-minded horse can compete.
line – only that
you completed it
in the time given. And if you are late, it will cost you
some points, but you will still be in the game. And
while getting from Point A to Point B, you will see
some beautiful trail along the way.
By the same token, competitive trail riding is not
just a trail ride. It is a competition – a sport – that
established rules and guidelines 57 years ago. Like any
sport, tweaks are made along the way, but the foun-
dation of this sport has passed the test of time. The
expectations of a good trail horse exist today the same
as they did in 1960.
You may not think you are a competitive person but
in our sport, you will start competing against previous
scorecards just to see yourself improve. If you bring in
a placing as a result, that is gravy!
If you want to go on a trail ride - great. Grab some
friends and hit the trail. If you want to bump it up a
notch, consider our competitive trail riding. It is exhil-
arating and the lessons you will learn are priceless.
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