Tennessee, to the Pacific Ocean, to the lights of Las Vegas. We have ridden through sunshine, thunder storms and snow and kept on trekking. When Sherlock sees the trailer hitched up, he willingly jumps in and asks “where are we off to now”? Sherlock is such a good sport and puts up with all the goofy things I ask him to do, although he may sometimes question my judgment.
I ride with an amazing group of women, and although we all love to bring home the blue ribbon, we cheer each other on and congratulate each other on our accomplishments and support each other in our losses. It has been the journey that my horsemanship has been built upon, and it is the people, places and friends we have met along the way that continues to be the icing on the cake!
his sounds like something that would be easy to answer, but it isn’t. Competitive trail riding and horsemanship go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. Horsemanship involves so much more than just “riding your horse”. It’s about the journey, the hours of conditioning, training and caring for your horse, all regardless of the weather! Most of all it's about the partnership, not relationship, that you have with your horse.
I began competitive trail riding in 1999 with NATRC and my now 22 year old Arab. I learned how to camp with my horse, how to properly feed and condition for distance riding. I gained many great friends on the countless trails I was privilege to ride, many of which could only be accessed by foot or on horseback. I later began riding ACTHA and then ETS with Sherlock, my now 12 year old Foxtrotter. I continue to make life long friends and ride amazing trails.
Our journey has taken us from our home state of Arizona to competitions in Tennessee, Nevada, Colorado, and California. We have camped in South Dakota and ridden amongst the bison at Custer State Park. What variety my horse and I have experienced on these trails, from desert mountains, to the hills of
have one without the other. Horsemanship involves so much more than just “riding your horse”. It’s about the journey, the hours of conditioning, training and caring for your horse, all regardless of the weather! Most of all, it's about the partnership, not relationship, that you have with your horse.
I began competitive trail riding in 1999 with NATRC and my now 22 year old Arab. I learned how to camp with my horse, how to properly feed and condition for distance riding. I gained many great friends on the countless trails I was privileged to ride, many of which could only be accessed by foot or on horseback. I later began riding ACTHA and then ETS with Sherlock, my now 12 year old Foxtrotter. I continue to make life long friends and ride amazing trails.
Our journey has taken us from our home state of Arizona to competitions in Tennessee, Nevada, Colorado, and California. We have camped in South Dakota and ridden amongst the bison at Custer State Park. What variety my horse and I have experienced on these trails, from desert mountains, to the hills of
IMPROVING HORSEMANSHIP
ON THE TRAIL
“Has competitive trail riding improved your horsemanship?”
Check out our Host and Judges section of our web site or get out and have some fun with your equine. Check out the calendar on the Equine Trail Sports website (www.equinetrailsports.com/events) for an event in your area, or contact us to host your own event. We are here to support you!
32 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Randy Gassett and her 12 year old Foxtrotter gelding, Sherlock
Randy Gassett
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