Tackle Obstacles with Tact and Finesse in Versatility Ranch Trail Classes

By Cynthia McFarland
January 25, 2017
Versatility Ranch Horse (VRH) has become one of the fastest-growing Western riding competitions in the world. The various classes are all about promoting the horse's athletic ability and versatility by performing skills routinely used by working ranch cowboys. 
 
Versatility Ranch Trail in particular features obstacles a cowboy might be required to do during a normal day’s ranch work. 

For expert advice on this particular class, we turned to Kevin Oliver, AQHA Professional Horseman and sponsored rider and advisor to Farnam Companies, Inc. In addition to being a top trainer, Oliver is a successful competitor in Versatility Ranch Horse (VRH), and also an AQHA specialty judge in VRH.

What Judges are Looking For

The horse's attitude is extremely important, because the judge is looking for a horse he/she would like to ride. Judges want to see a relaxed, accepting attitude, willingness and a smooth cadence throughout each obstacle.

It's all about the three Cs: cool, calm and collected. 

A word about collection. In Versatility Trail, this doesn't mean "heavy" collection, but rather being "with" your horse. Judges don't want to see you pulling back on your horse or "over riding" him--being overly forceful, which can result in resistance on his part. The horse should show that he trusts you completely through each obstacle.

How can you tell if you're making either of these mistakes? Oliver recommends having a friend video you riding. 
 
"This will show you if you're relaxed or looking like you're 'show riding.' It will also show your horse's overall attitude and how he's moving," he says. "After all, the horse is the one being judged in this class. You're not being judged, but you have to ride right for your horse to ride right! It's usually rider error causing problems in the horse. Whenever the horse is doing something wrong, it's either because he's scared, immature in his training, or it's something the rider is doing."
 
For example, if you're nervous or stiff in the saddle, this will throw off your horse and make him uncomfortable. This can translate into his being "on the muscle" and fractious.
Practicing at Home 
 
Oliver encourages riders to set up a versatility trail course at home and practice. 
 
"Look in the AQHA handbook and read about all the possible obstacles that show management can use. Then create a course you and your horse can handle and perfect. Once you get good at it, increase the degree of difficulty by varying your gaits and transitions."
 
One of the mandatory obstacles in versatility trail is picking up a rope, taking a dally around your saddle horn and dragging a log around a barrel or in a figure-eight. This shows your horse knows how to pull from the horn, but a lot of riders don't know how to do this. 
 
To properly pull from the horn, the horse needs to use his hindquarters for leverage and also round off his back. This allows him to be more efficient when pulling. You definitely don't want him to hollow his back or pull from the front end, because he won't be able to pull effectively this way. 
 
"You don't want the rope too long or you'll lose control, but if it's too short, the log will hit the horse's feet," Oliver explains. "The happy medium is all about control, so the rider needs to learn the right distance when handling the rope. This basically comes with experience."
 

HOW can you tell if you're making mistakes? Oliver recommends having a friend video you riding.

Fine-tune it!
You can improve your score by not leaning up over your horse's neck when negotiating an obstacle.

"This is a big issue with a lot of riders. They lean up and forward over their horse's neck and look down at the obstacle," says Oliver. "A cowboy will never do that; we're taught to keep our butts in the saddle! Whenever you lean up over the horse's neck, you force his front end down and he can't step over the obstacle with ease."

 

Keep in mind, this class is designed on what a working cowboy deals with every day, so one of the best things you can do is spend a lot of time riding in rough country. Ride up and down hills, through creeks, over down trees and through thick brush. Practicing real obstacles in a natural setting will give you an edge in competition, because the trust your horse develops in riding outside will carry over into the show pen. That trust can only be built over time.
 

And remember...eyes forward and don't lean!

Eliminate Show Jitters

Show as often as you can. If you only show a couple times a year, it's going to be harder for both you and your horse when you do compete. The more you show, the more comfortable and less nervous you'll be.
 
Oliver finds another way to avoid anxiety about showing is to enter multiple classes.
 
"Don't just ride in one class. Enter other similar classes before the class you really want to focus on. This helps you become more relaxed just being in the show pen," he suggests. "For example, enter Ranch Riding before you go into Versatility Ranch Trail or Versatility Reining. This variety schools your horse, helps you get comfortable, get 'with' your horse and build your 'game face.' Winning is nice, but the goal should also be handling whatever happens in the show pen and accepting what your horse is willing to give you this day."
 
Kevin Oliver is a featured presenter at Equine Affaire, November 10-13, 2016, held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts. For schedule details, visit http://www.equineaffaire.com/massachusetts/

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