Requirements on the trail course
In the trail course, the horse and rider pair must complete a wide variety of trail obstacles as precisely and elegantly as possible. The individual challenges in the trail course, some of which are very different, are based on the challenges that a cattle herder might encounter on the Campos.
Characteristic obstacles
In their daily work with the horses in the field, they often have to ride through rough terrain, over bridges and through streams. The rider also has to skilfully open and close a pasture gate without letting a cow escape. Almost every trail course features characteristic obstacles such as opening and closing a gate, crossing a bridge or riding through a pen.
Requirements
The way in which the individual obstacles are tackled is defined in the common regulations. The gait and route are defined for each class and for each obstacle. In addition, the level of difficulty at the obstacle itself varies according to the performance class. Here, horse and rider can apply what they have prepared in dressage. Challenging riding with a sense of purpose for an obstacle - an aspect that makes for fun, motivation and enthusiasm for many horse and rider pairs.
The dressage trail is the combination of dressage with the requirements of a trail course. In the dressage trail these obstacles are assessed in terms of the horse's dexterity, riding ability, rideability and presentation according to classic dressage criteria.
The order of the obstacles is specified. The tasks at the individual trail obstacles are specified in the regulations. The exact points for transitions between the route in the course and the start and end of a trail obstacle are also specified by coloured markings. The rider must choose his route wisely so that he can present a flowing line without crossing obstacles that have not yet been mastered.
