Bolender's Guide to Mastering Mountain and Extreme Trail Riding

By Mark Bolender

Good horsemanship is not about domination, but leadership and having the horse volunteer for a partnership with the handler. That summarizes the focus of trainer and author Mark Bolender. In Bolenders Guide to Mastering Mountain and Extreme Trail Riding, he spells out his philosophy and training regimen that works to build mutual trust between a horse and rider.

Bolenders training methoddeveloped to incorporate the horses natural instinctsis appropriate for riders of any skill level, from those who want to ride for pleasure to those who seek more advanced techniques for Mountain and Extreme Trail competition. Bolender, the worlds most winning competitor in Mountain and Extreme Trail, combines old-style philosophies with new insight into the horses world. In this guide, he provides an array of informationselecting an ideal trail horse, acquiring the proper equipment, earning and building trust, and handling obstaclessuch as poles and logs, rocks, trenches, water, gates, bridges, campsites, ?re, other animals, and people.

Instructive and informative, the guide breaks down Bolenders techniques into easy-to-digest pieces. It provides a fascinating journey into the horses mind and how its instincts can be used to develop good horsemanship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781462060740

Mark Bolender

Mark Bolender is an expert in Extreme Trail, Mountain Trail, and Competitive Trail riding and has won three National Grand Championships. Bolender has designed Mountain Trail and Extreme Trail courses across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He lives in Washington State where he owns and operates Bolender Horse Park.

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C ONTENTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE

WARNING

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

The Ideal Trail Horse

CHAPTER 2

The Proper Equipment

CHAPTER 3

Into the Horse's Mind

CHAPTER 4

Earning and Building Trust

CHAPTER 5

Basic Trail Riding Skills

CHAPTER 6

Training for the Trail

CHAPTER 7

General Approach to Trail Obstacles

CHAPTER 8

Trail Obstacles: Poles and Logs

CHAPTER 9

Trail Obstacles: Rocks

CHAPTER 10

Trail Obstacles:

Step-ups, Step-downs, and Washouts

CHAPTER 11

Trail Obstacles: Trenches

CHAPTER 12

Trail Obstacles: Water

CHAPTER 13

Trail Obstacles: Gates

CHAPTER 14

Trail Obstacles:

Bridges and Teeter-Totter

CHAPTER 15

Trail Obstacles: Brush

CHAPTER 16

Trail Obstacles:

Campsites, Fires, and Fog

CHAPTER 17

Trail Obstacles:

Animals, People, and Machinery

CHAPTER 18

Judging Mountain Trail and Extreme Trail

CONCLUSION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ENDNOTES

P HOTO C REDITS

planetka

Cashel

Wikimedia Commons

Jason Budowski

Andrea Baumbach

Madith Pauwels

Chris Sloan

Oregon Horse Center

Cheryl Dickerson

Too Trick Pony.com

F OREWORD

The art and science of horsemanship has been with humanity for thousands of years. The desire to augment farm work, make war, transport people and goods, and enhance sport has motivated man's quest to tame the horse. And the controversy as to which horse training method is best has been going on for the entire history of horsemanship. Yet the goal remains the same: getting the horse to behave the way we want it to.

Training a horse for the world of sport involves the need to develop some of the most complex behaviors in the animal. Most of these behaviors are completely unnatural to the horse. For instance, horses do not naturally approach an unfamiliar object at full gallop. They have a natural fear of being near other large mammalian species. They also innately plan trajectories around vegetation rather than through it. These are strong inborn tendencies, which are difficult to change. But when we do change them to meet the demands of a particular sport, the outcome can be impressive.

Mountain Trail, an exciting and relatively new competitive equestrian sport, began in 2000. It involves negotiating difficult obstacles that might be found on a typical mountain trail, all the while racing against a clock and competing against other competitors. Judges particularly look for the ability to navigate obstacles with technical skill and finesse, and when performed with perfection, it's an exhilarating experience for the rider. And for the spectators watching the competition, it can be just as thrilling, as the growing number of enthusiasts in the sport demonstrate.

Like other equestrian activities, Mountain Trail requires special training. Horses will not naturally or easily descend a hill into a pond, then over a shaky bridge, and then through heavy logs and boulders. When done to perfection, the horse moves through such obstacles with boldness and confidence you just don't see in other sports.

For these reasons, the fundamental aspects of Mountain Trail training must be woven into the fabric of the horse's natural intuition. This is the focus of Mark Bolender's training methods, which have worked exceedingly well in being able to mold the ideal horse for this sport. Bolender's methods combine old style philosophies with new insight into the horse's world. What's impressive about his training techniques is how he methodically breaks down the horse's natural behavior and works with the animal's instincts. The trainer (or handler or rider) becomes less of an instructor and more of a partner with the horse. Getting to that point requires encouraging the horse to volunteer to perform some very unnatural tasks. Yet when executed properly, Bolender's training method results in a mutual trust between horse and rider that can seemingly accomplish anything.

The result is a remarkable transformation of the horse, as well as the rider's relationship to the animal. For participating in the sport of Mountain Trail, the two beings behave as one single thinking unit, like two parts of a whole. Watching the successful partnership is like watching any masterful achievement, and even the most novice observer becomes aware of the effort that went into it.

Mark Bolender's book is a wonderful accomplishment on several levels. It brings together some basic horse psychology and behavior and discusses how we can leverage the horse's mind during our training. It's also written so that even the beginner can learn and understand how to effectively use these techniques that are so essential in Mountain Trail training. Yet there are nuances that the experienced horseman will fully appreciate. The book also breaks down Bolender's techniques into easy-to-digest pieces. And rather than straying from his basic training philosophy, Bolender uses it to reinforce the training for each Mountain Trail obstacle.

Overall, this book is both instructive and informative. It's also a fascinating journey into the horse's mind and how its instincts can be used to develop good horsemanship.

Al Dunning

Author of Reining: The Guide for Training & Showing Winning Reining Horses

P REFACE

This book began at the urging of numerous students and clients of mine who, over the years I've been training horses, have said to me, You must put into writing everything you're teaching us. It was a fine idea, but my busy schedule forced me to postpone the writing for quite a while until I finally decided to just sit down and do it. But it wasn't such a simple process. This book actually took years to write because it required compiling nearly a lifetime's knowledge without reading like a personal history book. That knowledge boils down to deciphering the horse's language in order to understand what it wants to tell us, then applying that language to navigating difficult trail obstacles. My goal in writing this book was to give you the information you need so that you may effectively communicate with your horse for the purpose of mastering mountain and extreme trails. While most of what is contained in this book is far easier to physically demonstrate than to describe in words, I hope that my efforts have been successful.

On my journey to acquire this knowledge, I have many people to thank for their insight into horsemanship and riding upon which my techniques first took form. I appreciate the help and guidance from Richard Shrake, Todd Bergen, John Slack, Kim Witty, Mike Heilson, Sue Schultz, Neal Pye, Barb Apple, David Leichman, Mark Rea, John Camlin, Buck Brannaman, Dennis Reiss, Birget Finsted, Tom St. Hilaire, Lynn Palm, Cyril Pittion-Rossillon, Nancy Cahill, and Will and Beverly Howe. My special thanks go to Debbie Chapin for being such a good friend, being so honest, and motivating me to pursue the beauty and finesse of training for Mountain Trail.

My deep appreciation goes to my daughter, Kendra Rogerson, who is singly responsible for getting me into the world of horses. My journey started with her question, Daddy, can I have a horse? Not knowing how I could refuse my beloved child, I bought her one. Who could have predicted that gift to her would turn my life in this direction? Soon after, my son, Joshua, got a horse named Stryder. So my sincere thanks to him for allowing his horse to teach me so much. For Kim Bolender, I am grateful for her many years of confidence and support in my single-minded pursuit of excellence.

Special thanks to Kathleen McFarren, editor of Honest Horses magazine, for her detailed and meticulous suggestions on the manuscript. Additional special thanks to Lee Sampson for managing everything that's related to my horse training business at Bolender Horse Park and the complicated daily planning required helping others learn my techniques at clinics and shows.

The single-most important influence in my horsemanship career is Steve Cornwell, and I thank him wholeheartedly. He taught me so much about the fundamentals of horsemanship that I built my entire training philosophy upon. He's a master horseman with an uninhibited love of horses, and his hands are truly magical.

My heartfelt thanks go to all my clients, those who have attended my clinics, and those who have taken my lessons. Many of you have become my dear personal friends, and my journey has been all the more rewarding with you in it. To those who have hired me to help design and build courses in North America and Europe, I thank you for your trust. For all those who believe in the gift God has given me to make a difference in training, I give my warm and humble thanks.

Most importantly, I give thanks to the Lord my God, who created me, my family and friends, and all the magnificent creatures great and small that I've been blessed with the opportunity to commune with. I don't deserve these amazing gifts, Lord, but I certainly appreciate them each and every day.

Happy trails and Bolender blessings!

Mark H. Bolender

Silver Creek, Washington

W ARNING

Horses, horseback riding, and horse training can be hazardous to life and property. The advice and guidance given in this book is intended to be used in a safe manner and only under professional supervision. Under no circumstance should someone unfamiliar with horses attempt to train or ride them. The author is not liable for accidents or damage of any kind incurred in connection with the contents of this book.

Horsemanship Truism

Training should not be about domination, authority, and respect but about incorporating the natural ability and instinct of the horse. The outcome is a magical partnership.

R100.jpg

I'm riding bridle-less on my horse, Checkers because he's

well-trained and understands what's required of him. He's the epitome of the perfect trail horse - for me and for the competitive show ring.

I NTRODUCTION

While I can honestly say that I know more about horses now than I ever knew before, getting to this point has not been easy. And I still have a long way to go toward understanding these amazing creatures. Unlike many of my colleagues, who have been around horses practically from birth, I started riding and training relatively late in life, as a young man in the mid-1980s. As a result, I've had to work harder than my contemporaries did just to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Yet after learning so much, I'm still astounded by how much people don't know about these incredible animals. However, each little bit of insight has allowed me to more appreciate the horse's mind and all of its complexities. I maintain that, the more you understand the horse, the more you love it. And the more you love it, the more you understand it.

The technique for horse training I have developed is especially suited to competing in Mountain Trail. Putting my technique into practice, I have won three National Grand Championships in the past three years. Building upon that success, I have been called to design and construct trail courses throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. These trail courses are unique because they are specific to training for the rigors of Mountain Trail and Extreme Trail. Additionally, I continue to write articles about the sport, and I spend a good part of my monthly activities giving trail riding and horse training clinics, all of which keep me quite occupied and focused on this passion of mine.

Looking back, I was fortunate to begin my journey with horses by learning traditional horse training. That experience helped me determine what is or is not effective for getting these wonderful animals to do what you want them to do. I recognized that so many trainers and handlers try to extract from the horse rather than ask the horse to give what it can. Being able to ask effectively, so as to elicit the horse's response, begins by understanding the horse and knowing how to communicate with it. When you ask it to perform a task in a language it recognizes,