# Riding in Field Trials



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

That looks quite interesting. I wouldn't mind going on something like that although we have nothing close to that where I am (that I know of).

I've got a bunch of questions, if you don't mind:

How long is the typical day? How is lunch handled? What sort of distances are covered in a day? What's the most popular style of saddle used?


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

The men doing field trials are some kind of tough! They typically ride 9 hours a day. They usually bring two or more horses. They ride out at 8 in the morning and come in for lunch about 12:30. Lunch is provided to anyone (including me, if I stayed for lunch, which I rarely do) by the host farm. Then they ride out again at 1:30 and get finished about 6:00 p.m. And this goes on for 6 days! I don't know how far we ride, but we are gaiting most of the time, I am guessing about 6 miles an hour, so we ride a pretty far bunch of distances. It depends on how fast and far the dogs run, whether they get "picked up" (for different reasons, the judge decides the dog is done), and if the dog circles back. All the men ride in a saddle called a Trooper saddle. They have dog leads and water bottles and tracking devices attached to their saddles. The saddles are super comfortable (they'd have to be, wouldn't they, when you spend 9 hours a day for 6 days in them). The horses are extremely well behaved and quiet. They can be madly galloping in a large group one minute, and then standing quietly ground tied a minute later. Then men are focused on the dogs and cannot fool with a fractious horse. By the way, I don't ride 9 hours with the men. The gallery can pick and choose which times they want to ride out. I often just wait outside my gate and go along with them when they pass my house. The group goes on the same trails at the same time every day.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I would love to participate in that. 

Having Foshunted all my life and always had English Pointers, sounds a combination of the two - what more could one ask for?


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

Foxhunter, jump on a plane and get here. We'll be field trialing again in the second week of January. We'll find you a nice gaited horse to ride.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Oh how I would love to visit! 

What an offer, never ridden a gained horse, never been to a field trial for pointers, (few held here and they are all way up country) Florida in the winter would suit me better than in the summer as I don't like humid heat. 

Unfortunately three dogs to care for, haven't ridden in two years so I doubt I would be walking the next day! 

Finances too! 

I would really love to see it.


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## Obstacle Girl (Nov 10, 2015)

That looks like fun!!


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## Irish Cob (Nov 8, 2015)

Agree with above.
We have pheasant shoots around here but no horses. If only they could be tempted to let us to be the gallery.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

This is where you should look for your next safe horse!
When we did Civil War Reenacting (1986-2011), we began at small events. This is where we trained our horses to accept gunfire and crowds.
I saw, over the years, horses that were overfaced and reactive, mostly at the smaller events. You mostly had to be invited to the largest events, and often because you were part of a large Reenactor group that had clout. Not ALL of the horses behaved correctly there, but most of them were seasoned veterans, and that is why I bought my mare at one of them.
I remember one incident at an event close to Spring Hill, TN. We were riding back to camp and somebody was trying to pick a flag up on a horse that was unfamiliar with it, and bucking and rearing ensued. I'm pretty sure that the rider was okay, but the flags were on posts with a metal tip on the end, and, as you know, a pointy knife edge is ALWAYS loaded. It could have ended really badly, and so it is with any kind of activity with gunfire.
The horses in your group are well seasoned, as were my herd that we spent years with, going to events and training, so that standing next to a cannon was no big deal, and a good excuse to drop the head and graze.
You should be mightily impressed with the horses above, to ground tie quietly and NEVER interfere with the trials.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Years ago the Queen was visiting the Isle of Wight and we decided to line the rural road on the ponies. 

We groomed and plaited them, wore out best show clothes to pay our respects. One girl brought a flag, not a little flag but a big one, on a 6' pole. She also has an attachment that fitted onto the stirrup for he pile to rest in. 

We set out, a little bit windy. The flag bearing pony saw the flag flapping and took off. 

I think they went past the Royal entourage at about 30 m.p.h in the opposite direction whilst the rest of us were doubled over with laughter. 

She returned a while later with the pony breathing rather heavy but accepting the flag.


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## Obstacle Girl (Nov 10, 2015)

Wow glad it turned out ok in the end.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

About buying a field trial horse, you never know how it will go. Some field trialers really care about their horses and are very careful with them and treat them great. Other men only care about their dogs and the hunting and run their horses into the ground. I've known several men who regularly ride their 2 year old colts for 7 hours gaiting practically the whole time. The men buy and sell their horses regularly, both to each other and to outsiders.

You could get a lovely well trained horse, or you could get one that has been ridden so hard and used so badly, it is not likely to stay sound. I don't normally buy and sell horses, but when I do rarely have one to sell, I haven't ever wanted to sell one for field trials. Even if it gets a good home, it might not stay that way.


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