Western Woahs
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Spotless Showmanship
Blog: 12/4/2020 For my last blog I get to talk about my favorite class to compete in the show pen, showmanship. For this class the competitor remains on the ground and you lead your horse through a pattern using distinct maneuvers selected by a judge on a pattern sheet. Some of those maneuvers may include an inspection, pivots, trotting and walking segments, and backing. When getting into higher level classes there may be more maneuvers or they will become more complex. This is a class where you must be precise while showing off your horse to the best of your abilities through trust and a flowing way of travel. Today…
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Trail-Just the Beginning.
Trail can arguably be the hardest class among a show-bill. There are numerous obstacles that a horse and rider must overcome at distinct gates and balance. There needs to be a very strong sense of discipline and cadence throughout each pattern to make it seem as smooth as possible. In order to do so Liz Arnold wrote in her 2017 article “Out of the Box: Tips for Entering the Trail Arena” about what every competitor should know when trying their turn in the trail class. Liz spoke with other trail veterans and pointed out the fact that when beginning it can be beneficial to start off with a good trainer…