More than halter

Arabians frequently get a bad rap from people who think they're "just for pretty," that they're halter horses not for real using. The same is sometimes said of bred-for-halter Quarter Horses. I'm not going to get into that debate here. I will say, I think that showing young stock and even older horses in halter on a local level is a great way to get them out and show them the world without spending an insane amount of money. ( Local level, close to home -- no gaudy silver show halters & custom-fitted halter blazer necessary!) It's also a great way for those less comfortable in the saddle to participate in something with their horses.

That said, halter/showmanship classes have never been my favorite, either to watch or to participate in, but they aren't the only game in town anymore. According to an old article I ran across recently, in-hand trail classes have apparently been popping up all over, with obstacles gaged to suit various age levels. (I guess maybe I'm just late to discover this whole phenomenon -- it isn't the first time!) But really, what a cool way to introduce a young horse to the idea that they can do more in the show ring than pose and strut!

My first exposure to in-hand trail came last year in Iowa at an Arabian club-sponsored open fun show. The class was open to all ages of handlers and horses, although I don't think any of the four-legged competitors were younger than three. They used the same obstacles as the under-saddle class, but adjusted for speed (no lope/lead changes). It was a lot of fun to watch.* Has in-hand trail made it to your area? If so, what do you think?

On the subject of trail classes in general: one of Pony Girl's recent posts was refreshing. Maybe it's just me, it sure seems like trail classes are getting to be more about showing pretty gait changes and negotiating ground poles, gates - okay, those are a valid trail obstacle - etc. than really showing how horse & rider deal with interesting challenges. Whether it's due to insurance premiums, lack of imagination or lack of materials, these days most of the "obstacles" seem to be technically difficult rather than potentially scary: sidepass along a rail, stand for dismount, pick up feet, remount, negotiate a bridge, retrieve a letter from a mailbox....

Any of those are potentially challenging for a young horse, but not really frightening for a more seasoned mount. My trail class memories from childhood 4-H involve things like moving a crated live chicken or a rattling bag of pop-cans from barrel to barrel, slickers, ground tying, dragging a tarp, and other horrors, most of which seem to have vanished, at least from the sanctioned shows that I've been to lately. Winning today's classes often comes down to bare tenths of a point, as the experienced competitors jog through predictable patterns without breaking a sweat -- what happened to seeing how the horse/rider combo might really react to something strange on the trail?

What's your experience: are you still seeing creative trail challenges where you show? Are there obstacles you'd like to see more of, or that you still see a lot of people having problems with? Would you participate in an in-hand trail class if one was offered?

[*Complete aside: my absolute favorite memory from that Iowa fun show was a pint-sized young lady on the 17+ hand Standardbred in double bridle and saddleseat rigging negotiating obviously unfamiliar pole and then barrel patterns. Apparently neither horse nor rider had ever run either barrels or poles before, but with lots of encouragement from the crowd ("Just think of it as another pattern!" "Around to the left - your other left!!" and, "Run for home!") they turned in a time fast enough to earn them a ribbon in each event. And if you've never seen a racking horse do a barrel pattern, it's a hoot!]