Bonnie; A few years back when I was active in ETI corral 35, (president!), I designed the trail courses for the shows. I tried to get all the different elements, (optical illusion, coordination, natural fears, mechanical skills , and manners) We decided to include a mount. Do you know that people had a fit, because they had to do a mount, to see if the horse would stand quiet. One woman was so upset, the judge finally said, "Well, if you can't get on, I will help you get on". I was shakin my head. Then we decided to have them ride between two poles, passing an umbrella, and at one point to ride up to some poles, get off, move one aside and lead the horse past it. I just about got run out on a rail for my terrible, dangerous course! It didn't even include the "Wheel of Death" , nor backing up on that little incline next to the arena! (But a few people did do all those obstacles, I must say. ) It was a very funny memory. Beth
>From: MtnRondi@aol.com
>To: ridecamp@endurance.net
>Subject: RC: Fwd: Another way of looking at it from Lisa
>Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 21:48:25 EDT
>
>Talking about trail horses versus show horses made me remember a story the
>late Fran Farrell told me many years ago. She was judging at a horse show and
>was judging the trail class. After the horses did their little trail
>"tricks", she told them to go out the gate and down the embankment of a
>nearby creek and up the other side. I don't remember if any of the horses
>could do that, but she did say that people were screaming bloody murder about
>the impossible obstacle.
>
>Bonnie
>So. Calif.