while at the canter-lope, the trail becomes very narrow and tight at times while canter-loping yet it is very possible. By putting this challenge into this Mountain Trail course it forces horse and rider to address horsemanship and control. A well designed Mountain Trail Course is a great training tool and a great tool in having riders look at their equitation or lack of it. In order to be successful in riding and navigating obstacle one must have proper equitation.
I know that equitation is often a dirty word and often avoided at all cost however, this new equine discipline now forces each rider to assess their seat. If a rider consistently falls off of the balance beam for example I can almost guarantee that the rider is not using their legs and driving the horse forward or they are off balance in their seat. A rider will soon discover that if they sit correctly and use their legs they will have success in crossing the balance beam. This is just one example of what can be learned while riding at Barbra’s Callihan Mountain Trail Course. I could address the advantages and fun of a mountain trail course but the last thing I will touch on is transitions.
In most of our riding and training we talk about and train for transitions. If we miss a transition at letter C at the canter-lope it is not a big deal. However, if we fail to come from the canter-lope at the crossbuck then we have a major safely issue. The point is, transitions now have real meaning and failure to transition will have real and immediate consequences which means that one will be forced to address riding and horsemanship skills.
The exciting part of this Mountain Trail Course in Southern Nevada is it provides a fun time while learning new horsemanship skills and at the same time builds a partnership with the horse.
Happy Trails and Bolender Blessings.
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Photo by Maja Reilley