Our trail obstacle plans will show you how to build the trail obstacles shown on this page. These obstacles are effective training tools that are fun to use, portable, can be set up in five minutes AND weigh less than your saddle!
Portable Vine Simulator / Cowboy Curtain: Our Most Popular Obstacle!!!
This obstacle is known by different names – the ACTHA (American Competitive Trail Horse Association) refers to it as a vine simulator, although it is also known as a cowboy curtain or simply as a hanging rope obstacle. It was used as the first obstacle in an ACTHA competitive trail challenge hosted by Saddle Up Cowboy Church in Decatur, Texas and by Grace Lake Ministries in their ACTHA CTC.
The obstacle is approximately 8.33 feet tall and approximately 5 feet wide. It stakes into the ground, and it easily withstood our wintry weather during testing—with winds out of the NW at 23 miles an hour and gusting to 36 miles an hour.
We love the versatility of the vine simulator. We had a great time trying different materials to hang from it including pool noodles, real green vines, a shower curtain, and a camouflage tarp. The list of what you can hang from it to challenge yourself and your horse is almost endless, making this an obstacle that can be “different” every time you use it!
Vine Simulator/Cowboy Curtain Portable Trail Obstacle Plans: $12.00: To purchase go to our Shop
Portable Mail Box
Mail Call! We are proud to introduce our next trail obstacle, one that has been around for years but never with such portability! Our mailbox obstacle is easy to set up and take down, and provides a great way to practice one of the most widely used obstacles that is found in many different competitions. The fully functional full-sized mailbox sits on a 40″ combined length of our beautifully colored 1 1/4″ PVC pipe. The base is staked to the ground to ensure that it stays in place. As you can see from the picture—Dylan figured it out pretty quick. I think he was wanting to check out the mares in my latest Horse Illustrated magazine!
The Mail Box Obstacle was used at the ACTHA trail competition hosted by Grace Lake Ministries in Lucas, Texas.
Mailbox Portable Trail Obstacle Plans $10.00: To purchase go to our Shop
Portable Gate
Our portable gate design is finalized! Our redesign has resolved the issues we were having with enthusiastic riders refusing to let go of it and pulling it apart. It has successfully stood at the barn for several months now for riders to practice with. Learning to open and close a gate is a great skill for every horse and rider to know and shows true partnership as horse and rider work together to accomplish the task.
Many people want to practice opening and closing gates from horseback but if there is a herd of horses or cattle on the other side for an audience then that can be rather difficult! Our portable gate allows you to set up and practice anywhere. Great for both training and desensitizing work and just plain fun! Visit our Facebook page to see how it operates.
Portable Gate Trail Obstacle Plans $14.00: To purchase go to our Shop
Our Most Challenging Obstacle – The Cavern!!!!
I believe our tent obstacle, affectionately known as “The Cavern,” is our most challenging obstacle yet! It is 7 feet long and 8 feet adjustable up to 9 feet high. It will take a brave horse to calmly walk through this scary looking beast. Long enough to be challenging, yet short enough to not be overwhelming, we believe that our unique approach of using flexible PVC provides an extra safety factor while making this an obstacle to be reckoned with. You can secure the tarp with clamps. You can make it even more scary by leaving a few off so that it has some flap to the tarp, or for less seasoned horses you can secure the tarp tightly so that it is not seen as a horse eating monster. Either way—this obstacle will provide your horses with a challenge that will show off their trust in you!
Tent Obstacle Trail Obstacle Plans $15.00: To purchase go to our Shop
**Please Note: The tent obstacle may weigh in more than your saddle at around 50 lbs. and is a bit more complex to set up so would take longer than our “5 minutes” slogan, but it still maintains the same portability that is characteristic of all of our trail obstacles.
Special Package Price!!!!
All four sets of trail obstacle plans would cost $51.00 if purchased individually but if you would like to purchase all four sets of plans at one time you can do so for the special package price of $28.00.
Package Price: Mailbox, Vine Simulator, Gate and Tent Obstacle Trail Obstacle Plans $28.00: To purchase go to our Shop