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February 2010 (Trail) - Intro Video - 4-Horse Video - 2-Horse Video
Trail
Trail is a class designed to test a horse's ability to quickly, cautiously, and carefully pick his way through a course that simulates what could be encountered on a trail ride. The class is judged on the performance of the horse over obstacles, but manners, quality of movement and willingness must be considered.
Example Obstacles
- Maneuvering a gate
- Ride over at least 4 logs or poles
- Backing obstacles
- Water hazard
- Serpentine at a walk or jog
- Carry object from one place to another
- Bridge
- Put on and remove slider
- Remove and replace material in mailbox
- Side pass
- Turn around in a square
**Combination of obstacles is acceptable.**
Judge Categories
- Functional correctness - follows prescribed pattern
- Quality of Movement - cadence and speed of gaits
- Attitude - general mannerisms and response to rider's cues
Scoring
Scores range from 0 to infinity, with scores of 70 denoting an "average" performance. Each maneuver is scored: 1 1/2 = excellent, 1 = very good, 1/2 = good, 0 = average, -1/2 = poor, -1 = very poor, -1 1/2 = extremely poor. Maneuver scores are added to or subtracted from 70 to get a composite score, and penalty points are recorded.
Final score = composite score - penalties
Reference: Youth & Collegiate Horse Judging Leader Guide
Links:
Note: These videos require Windows Media 9 (for Windows XP, you will need Media Player 11). Please download these versions.
