The Trusting Partners Trail is an obstacle/stimulus environment that is specifically designed to challenge both riders and horses in a carefully thought out manner. It will accommodate riders of differing levels of expertise and provide challenge in an entirely unique way and setting. While not suitable for absolute beginners, 8th Heaven can provide the training necessary to prepare a rider to begin meeting some of the challenges made available in this course.

While most folks will initially consider this an obstacle course or a trail course, it quite possibly is unlike any other course that you may have seen, ridden or even imagined. Certainly there are things to step on, over and under. Moving things are placed throughout this environment. Tests of athleticism exist at several locations within the course. There are areas in which you can hurry your horse but many places you must slow the horse’s feet down and a few where you and your horse have to be able to move one foot at a time.

A working knowledge of horse psychology, the use of body language and a firm understanding of your role as your horse’s leader are all ingredients utilized in the design of The Trusting Partners trail. Accuracy of movement, confidence, awareness of the total environment and the ability to accept and adapt to pressure are all necessary in order to negotiate this course in its entirety.

Ultimately it all comes down to trust. You have to trust your horse to trust you and vice-versa. Horses are worthy of our trust. Importantly, the human needs to consistently demonstrate just how trustworthy he or she is to their horse. The Trusting Partners trail is a perfect opportunity for exercising trust and developing new levels of trust. This is an absolutely wonderful way to discover the value of having a truly trust based relationship with a horse.

There is a remarkable difference between “I can get my horse through anything’ and “I can ask my horse to take me through anything.” Which mindset describes how you are with your horse?