Instructions
Location and Materials
Find materials that will look natural to your horse or mimic safely those that you will encounter and that the horse has to step in or over, such as logs, planks laid as a "bridge," poles set unevenly or mud. If possible, include a water obstacle in your plan, because streams of any width often give horses fits on the trail.
Include in your course obstacles that require the horse to move off your leg, both in the open and in a spot with tight room to maneuver. For example, opening a gate from the saddle will require your horse to stand while you reach down, to move over away from the gate or to close it, and to not move forward until you tell him to. Likewise, a mailbox mounted to a fencepost at stirrup height will teach him to approach and stand quietly while you bend down and retrieve the mail.
Use poles to create side-pass obstacles. Even a single pole on the ground, or a fence, can serve as a "wall" to teach your horse to stop, back up or move over as you might have to when negotiating tight spots on the trail.
Practice mounting and dismounting near a scary obstacle, such as a blowing branch or sheet.
Set shrubs in pots or arrange cut limbs so that your horse must walk between them while they brush against him. This teaches him to ignore strange tickling against his legs and belly.
Arrange vertical poles or find trees that are set closely together and rein your horse between them.
Use shiny or crackly material such as a vinyl tarp to mimic water on the ground, or hang the tarp on a fence or from a tree to accustom the horse to blowing things that look and sound odd.
Tie a rope to a small log or sandbag and have your horse drag it for 15 or 20 feet, then ask him to back up to put slack in the rope. Still holding the rope, ask the horse to turn into it or away from it, to teach him that ropes touching his hindquarters are nothing to fear.
Lay a squiggly rope on the ground to mimic a snake.
Put rocks in a can that will rattle as the horse comes by.
Use a pole laid on the ground as a guide, and ask your horse to back up the length of it in a straight line. Just backing up in a bad situation is not enough; he must do it quietly and straightly, or risk stepping off the trail and making the situation worse.
Include a place where you can safely mount and dismount that is nowhere near the barn or your usual saddling place. This should be at least one obstacle on your course.
How to Build a Good Trail Horse Course
Whether you are showing your horse or simply enjoy trail riding, building a practice trail course is a good way to introduce your mount to situations you may encounter while riding outside the safe environs of the arena. Obstacles should mimic actual situations you might find on the trail, so that you can teach your horse how to respond and listen to you no matter what happens.