Trot Rails, just a dressage exercise??

Trot and Walk Rails

How many of you use these in your exercise sessions with your horses??  I was first introduced to the idea of "rail work", not following the rail, but riding over them, shortly after I watched my first horse trial.

I immediately fell in love with the sport of eventing, but I had a green, OTTB, at home who was out of shape.  As for me, I was just an information hungry teenager, who didn't like most other sports, and needed something "horsey" to keep my own butt in shape.

As I learned then, and continue to share with everyone, walk and trot rails are not just for jump preparation.  Rather, the more important benefit, muscle building, and flexibility.

All horses, no matter the discipline, can and will benefit from working with rails on the ground, or even slightly raised, but please don't start there.  Instead of just shuffling along at a pleasure pace, or trotting without watching where their feet land, your horse takes on more responsibility, and has to actually work his/her muscles to LIFT, themselves and you, over the rails.




Ginger and Bert walking over the fan.

If you have a horse with a poor topline, this may be one part of the resolution.  Make sure to set your distances correct though.  About 1 large step, or 1 meter apart between the rails.  You may need to adjust the distance to fit your horses stride a bit.

Start with just one rail, then add the second.  You don't need to add a third until your horse is a little fitter, lifting over the rails, and rarely hitting them. 

Even with my western pleasure horses, I work over these rails at an extended jog, or nice forward long trot.  Rising in my stirrups to give my horse clearance, and the most benefit possible.  I also like all of my horses, irregardless of their job, to graduate to a minimum of a cross rail, low cross rail of course.  If they should ever do anything higher, it will be to their choosing.  My horses must be confident, willing, and ready physically to do anything more than a small cross rail. 

Look for other exercises online that you can do with two or more rails, and use your imagination to help your horse build muscle and elasticity throughout their entire body.

My favorites are fans with 2-3 rails, set at 1 meter on the inside (walk, trot length), and 3 meters at the furthest end (canter stride).  I also love boxes, you can trot corners, trot and lope through, trot into the box and stop, and turn a circle like in the trail classes.



Ginger and I working trail at AQHA Region 4, 2011

 Have fun, and happy riding!

The Healthy Equestrian