# Questions on classes?



## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

I've picked out four
English pleasure
Open english (walk trot)
Hunter hack- cross rails (18")
and MAYBE
Open trail
^maybe because I have no idea what that is

Can anyone give me details as to what a trail class is?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Is your trail class English? If it is, then I am sorry, I have never seen one before. If it's western, then it's a series of obstacles done at different gaits. Usually a trail course consists of a gate that has to be opened & closed, a bridge to cross, rails to sidepass over, a back through, poles to lope or jog over and many other inventive things. A pattern is posted before the class and you have to know it before you enter the trail course, doing an obstacle out of sequence can result in disqualification.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

Ohgoodness.
We'd be good with everything but the bridge.
Oh well
It's an open Jr/Sr English/Western trail class
(schooling show)
Thank you for the explanation


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

An open trail can be english or western as far as I know. Although, they could be using the word "open" to indicate no diferentiation between child, junior or adult.

In any case,t eh english version isn't much different then the Western version but it really depends on who puts the "course" together. In the english trail classes I have seen, gaits aren't set and the placings are based on time to complete the course rather than "skill" so riders can set their gaits based on their horse's ability. Other classes will judge on skill and levelheadedness (is that a word?  ) of the horse.

In other words , it can be anything but as wares indicated, trotting poles, maybe a small crossrail, walking over "things" like tarps or some such, weaving around cones, being required to pick something up in one location, carry it to another and place it again, making the horse stand for a certain period of time inside a box, possibly dismounting and remounting (though I notice this particular obstacle isn't done as often anymore) etc.

If your horse has a good head ( as in proverbial common sense  ) and isn't the spooky type, a trail class is a lot of fun.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

Maybe I'll do it just for fun.
I'm not aiming for 1st
I just want to have this experience with my horse


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

The very first horse I ever owned (32 years ago now) was nearly unbeatable in a trail class..he was very level headed and took anything new well in stride. I remember our very first trail class...one of the obstacles was a piece of plywood painted white with a black circle in the middle. We were the last in the class to go and the only english pair (open class both western and english allowed). Every horse in front of us refused to go over that board. My horse, the little devil, put one foot on the board, dropped his head, sniffed at the circle, picked up his head again and calmly walked over it. 

That particular horse was a Morgan/Welsh cross.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

I'd say give it a whirl....you just might have fun.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

It'll be my "fun class"
Since I won't be doing gyhmkanna


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