Trail is a class within the western riding discipline. However, you do not need to ride western to benefit from these kinds of obstacles. Training trail can greatly develop your skills as a rider, no matter which discipline you normally identify with. Trail challenges your precision in transitions and lines, improves your awareness of exactly where each hoof is placed, and refines how you influence your horse with minimal aids.

Your horse will develop better balance, body awareness, coordination, courage, and the ability to solve challenges together with you.

A trail course consists of a few mandatory obstacles:

Opening, passing through, and closing a gate while mounted
You can easily build a simple gate using two jump standards and a rope. If you do not want to practise gates, you can simply leave them out of the course.

A pole series of at least four poles
The poles can be placed for walk, trot, or canter, either on the ground or raised as cavaletti, and arranged on a straight or curved line.

Some type of backing obstacle
For example, backing through poles or cones, either straight, at an angle, or in a slalom pattern.

Additional obstacles vary between different courses and may include sidepass, crossing a bridge, slalom around cones, riding over single poles, and more.

In this ebook, you will find 12 different patterns using 10 poles or fewer. The level of difficulty varies somewhat, but always with the average rider in mind. The patterns include all gaits (walk, trot, and canter), but can also be performed in a simpler way using only walk and trot.