Friendly Trails
Center for Equine Assisted Leadership
 Holistic Training for Horses and Humans

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Level I – Balance

Safety

  • Know and follow the rules of Friendly Trails and of the ranch

1.      Keep yourself safe

2.      Keep the horse safe

  • Wear proper attire

  • Understand basic horse safety: approaching a horse, moving around horse, personal space of horses, how to catch a horse in a small enclosure.

Herd Care

  • Beginning grooming with assistance

  • Know the names of the various grooming tools

  • Know five reasons for grooming

  • Has basic knowledge of parts of the horse (poll, withers, back, loin, croup, dock, tail; hoof, hock, tail, mane, knee)

Groundwork & Speaking Horse

  • Puts on flat halter correctly

  • Leads horse correctly

  • Stops horse on the ground

  • Backs horse on the ground

  • Can recognize gaits

  • Full-belly breath

  • Pitcher breath

  • Still tree pose

  • Windy tree pose

  • Ear T-Touch

  • Eye T-Touch

Riding

  • Mount horse with assistance

  • Ride bareback at the walk

  • Ride in saddle the walk

  • Ride bareback at the trot

  • Ride in a saddle at the trot

  • Beginning two-point position at walk and trot

  • Sleeping rider at the halt and walk

  • Around the world

  • Ride with flying arms at walk and trot

  • Ride with eyes closed at the walk on lunge line

  • Emergency dismount at halt

  • Flying dismount at halt

Level II – Confidence

General guideline: Six years old or older (at least for riding independently)

Safety

  • Understands basic horse body language – speaks horse

  • Understands horse safety

    • Two horse lengths maintained between horses in group settings

Herd Care

  • Mastered use of grooming tools and cleans feet (with assistance)

  • Has slightly less basic knowledge of parts of the horse (barrel, cannon bone, fetlock, pastern, forelock, muzzle, feathers)

  • Puts on rope halter correctly

  • Tacking up with minimal assistance

  • Knows how to attach water bottle holder

  • Quick-release knot with supervision

  • Set up the maze

  • Know location of different horses/ areas in the tack room

  • Clear arena, knowing home of each kind of tool

  • Understand and execute proper pasture cleaning

Groundwork & Speaking Horse

  • Play and beginning understanding of the friendly game

  • Play and beginning understanding of the yoyo game

  • Lead with a tail

  • Work the maze obstacle on the ground

  • Work the box obstacle on the ground

  • Work the cloverleaf obstacle on the ground

  • Chair pose

  • Side plank

  • Eagle pose

  • Dancer’s pose

  • Warrior 3

  • Half-moon

  • Boat pose

  • Mouth T-Touch

  • Body T-Touch

Riding

  • Mount horse from mounting block

  • Mount horse from the fence

  • Around the world at the walk

  • Emergency dismount at walk

  • Flying dismount at walk

  • Ride with eyes closed at the trot on lunge line

  • Ride independently at walk (with instructor close by)

  • Beginning to ride independently at trot (with instructor close by)

  • Halt horse from the walk and trot

  • Perform the one-rein stop

  • Shorten and lengthen reins

  • Move reins from two hands to one hand (and vice versa)

  • Ride the maze obstacle

  • Ride the box obstacle 

  • Ride the cloverleaf

  • Stand in stirrups over the pommel

  • Master two-point position at walk and trot

  • Beginning to post the trot

Level III – Independence

General guideline: 9 years or older, sponsor-in-training, and early sponsorship

Safety

  • Know where to find 1st aid kits for horses and humans

  • Able to safely work a gate on ground with horse in hand.

Herd Care

  • Hose off horse and wash feet

  • Know how to do basic horse 1st aid:  ice wounds, apply Dy’s Liquid Bandage, Crossapol, and Hoof Magic

  • Understand horse-moving chore

  • Find cats in tack rooms

  • Complete all assigned chores correctly

  • Clean stalls

  • Clean poop in pastures

  • Understand what a flake of hay is

  • Know where and how to dump poop

  • Make grains

  • Blanket and fly mask horses (remove and store blankets and fly masks)

  • Hang blankets correctly

  • Recognize each horse’s halter and understands its proper location at any given time of day

  • Put away tack properly

  • Use of time management – Wear a watch

  • Clear arena without supervision

  • Keep cubby organized/tack area organized and clean

  • Present a talk on the five reasons for grooming to other students

  • Graze horse

Groundwork & Speaking Horse

  • Practice mindfulness

  • Understand the gaits, describe them to others

  • Friendly Game

  • Yoyo Game

  • Basic sacking out

  • Independently catch, halter and lead

  • Mastery of quick release knot

  • Face T-Touch

  • Pelvic Clock

  • Adjust stirrup length

  • Run up irons

  • Adjust girth

  • Independently tack up including: Bareback pad, sidepull, saddle, and pads

  • Leg T-Touch

  • Can recognize when a horse is hot/cooled down.

Riding

  • Balance pose

  • Warrior pose

  • Mastery of posting

  • Pick up stirrups without looking

  • Two-point with flying arms

  • Post with flying arms

  • Maintain the trot

  • Know and understand riding aids

  • Mastery of the one-rein stop

  • Mastery of walk/trot transitions

  • Ride at walk/trot/canter

  • Know and understand cloverleaf barrels

  • Know and understand poles I and poles II

  • Serpentine

  • Walk and trot (with guides) a volte

  • Walk and trot (with guides) a 10 m circle

  • Walk and trot (with guides) a 20 m circle

  • Canter in round pen and on lunge line

Level IV – Teamwork (in the co-op and with your horse)

Iyuptala: becoming one with the herd – human and equine. General guidelines: Sponsorship; in the co-op; can apply for Advanced Riders’ Programs

Safety

  • Wear proper attire (including a watch)

  • Can describe symptoms of colic

  • Know how to tie safely to all tie spots (tree, hitching rail, fence, stall – high and fast)

  • Aware of distance from other horses

  • Keep horse from biting and kicking others

Herd Care

  • Mastery of working as a member of the group

  • Team leadership

  • Mastery of time management

  • Mentor and coach Levels I, II, and III.

  • Complete all chores correctly

  • Own grooming bucket

  • Keep a binder on your horse:

  • Weight tape monthly

  • Monitor farrier/vet/dental/body work

  • Know basic characteristics of own horse

  • Know what horses should not eat

  • Measure and feed hay correctly

  • Recognize moldy hay

  • Make and feed grains

  • Refill grain cans

  • Keep grain room clean

  • Know different hay types and describe them to others

  • Keep tack area and cubby organized

  • Clean tack

  • Bathe horse

  • Monitor and carry out grazing of horse

  • Present a demonstration at a TSO class

Groundwork & Speaking Horse

  • Practice mindfulness

  • Understand herd hierarchy and their own horse’s place in it

  • Understand horse body language

  • Understand and describe the gaits and leads

  • Understand pressure and release

  • Use breastcollar

  • Know when saddle position is wrong and fix it

  • Handstand (spotted)

  • Partner yoga

  • Yoga inversions

  • Know and execute yoga warm-up routine before riding

  • Know all the parts of the horse, teach them to other students

  • Turnout in arena with supervision

  • Understand four levels of friendly firmness

  • Control horse in a group lesson

  • Sack out to the ball

  • Sack horse out to one other really scary object

  • Circling game at walk and trot

  • Clock game at walk and trot

  • Driving game at walk and trot

  • Improved yoyo game

  • Drive with two reins/long-lining

  • Tail T-Touch and advancing body T-Touch

  • Beginning round pen (walk and trot)

  • Create a unique obstacle

  • Can set up T-Team obstacles

  • Hike trail with horse

  • Rope work from a distance

  • Lowering horse’s head

  • Give a leg up to someone else (Western and English)

  • Know three different ways to tie up a lead rope

Riding

  • Adjust stirrup length while mounted

  • Understand when to bail

  • Squirrel

  • Flying dismount at walk and trot; no hands at walk

  • Proper dismount

  • Know:  walk 5 minutes before trotting, trot 20 minutes before cantering

  • Understand use of riding aids including proper use of crop

  • Know when saddle position is wrong and fix it

  • Ride a spook

  • Mount on the trail

  • One-rein stop on trail

  • Baby-gives at walk and trot

  • 45-minute trot

  • Serpentine at the trot

  • Halt from a trot

  • Trot to halt

  • Can do small jump

  • Walk/trot/canter transitions

  • Canter with flying arms

  • Canter in the correct lead

  • Sustain a canter

  • Half-halt/check horse

  • Simple lead changes

  • Volte, 10, and 20 m circles without guides at walk and trot

  • Beginning collection

  • Dressage training level tests 1 and 2

  • Back horse up straight

  • Participate in drill team

  • Participate in a playday or gymkhana

  • Barnacle

  • Quadrangle

  • Big T

  • Rings

  • PBJ

Level V – Leadership

Itancan. Becoming horse trainers. Understand how the principles of yoga, herd, community, mindfulness/awareness, and horses all intertwine.

Safety

  • Wear proper attire (including a watch)

  • Recognize colic and lameness and form a plan of action

Herd Care

  • Mentor and coach Levels 1, 2, 3, and 3

  • Mastery of team leadership

  • Problem-solving/delegating

  • Able to direct parent supervisors in horse care and chores

  • Mentoring lower levels regarding time management

  • Keep a binder on your horse – set and attain horse’s conditioning goals

  • Turnout in the arena

  • Unload and stack hay

  • Understand supplements

  • Restock and organize grain room

  • Beginning saddle fitting

  • Able to fit tack to own horse

  • Purchase and care of new tack

  • Own rope halter

  • Own bareback pad

  • Attend hoof-trimming clinic

  • Begin trimming own horse

  • Clipping

  • Plan and execute a day trip with horse

Groundwork & Speaking Horse

  • Practice mindfulness

  • Understand own horse’s limitations

  • Vinyasa + flow yoga

  • Understand four different quick-release knots

  • Assist with TSO class, Kinderhorse and Trailblazer lessons

  • CIT at camp

  • Squeeze game

  • Sideways game

  • Star

  • Trailer loading

  • Round pen work

  • Use lasso, flag, stick, beginning lunge whip

  • Lateral work from the ground

  • Understanding frame and working towards it

  • Can sack out to everything

  • Long-line walk-trot, master the circle

Riding

  • Focus on a specific discipline

  • Tie up rope for reins

  • Tighten girth while mounted

  • Master use of riding aids

  • Ride on the beach

  • Squirrel

  • Flying dismount at walk and trot no hands

  • Mount bareback from ground

  • Ride with two whips

  • Work gate mounted

  • Simple and flying lead changes

  • Halt from canter

  • Trot-back

  • Volte at walk/trot

  • 10 and 20 m circle at all gaits

  • Driving and long-lining at walk/trot

  • Canter/walk transitions

  • Ride with one rein

  • Ride with bit

  • Bridle horse

  • Turn on forehand

  • Turn on haunches

  • Jump a 2-jump course

  • Continues 45-minute trot

  • PBJ game, Hurry Scurry game, Step-on-an-Egg game, Flags game, Speed Ball game

Level VI – Apprenticeship

General guidelines: 16 years old and up; horse trainers. Apprenticeship is the level reached during a student’s teen or adult years. Those who have studied Holistic Training for Horses and Humans for many years are ready for Apprenticeship.

Safety

  • Wear proper attire (including a watch)

  • More advanced first-aid

  • Know when to call vet and what to do until vet arrives

  • Supervise first-aid care including T-Touch during health crises

Herd Care

  • Barn management

  • Counselor at camp

  • 2nd project horse (and training program)—start a rehab or young horse from the beginning

  • Assemble tack/fit tack

  • Pull horse trailer

  • Trim own horse

  • Understand conditioning

  • Set training/rehabilitation goals

  • Identify supplemental/nutritional needs of individual horses

  • Take on co-op responsibility—does each job at least once, including:

    • Schedule/coordinate treatment team for whole herd

    •  Monitor and manage feed according to supplemental needs of horses and consumption (includes buying/acquiring feed)

    • Assist treasurer in budget management

    •  Go to feed store and buy supplies

  • Attend one advanced horse training clinic

  • Attend an EAL conference or training

  • Coach two different kinds of horse shows

  • Work as assistant director to a summer program, designing curriculum, schedule, etc.

  • Supervise staff at a summer program, particularly younger mentors and CITs

  • Plan and execute a horse camping trip for at least two people, or for a big group.

Groundwork & Speaking Horse

  • Understand herd dynamics in pasture + herd management

  • Make decisions about herd membership to help each horse reach their potential

  • Responsiveness at level 1

  • Mastery of stick/lasso/flag/lunge whip

  • Bits/and bitting

  • Long-line at canter

  • Work with/school variety of horses

  • Develop/teach lesson plan

  • Liberty work

  • Set up, execute and teach a wide array of T-Teamwork exercises and T-Touch

  • Design a T-Teamwork style ground obstacle/exercise; use it for instruction of Friendly Trails students

Riding

  • Responsiveness at Level 1

  • Horse benefits from riding

  • Ride a variety of horses

  • Counter canter

  • Bridle-less riding

  • Ride on the bit and in frame

  • Mastery of flying lead changes

  • Shoulder-in

  • Haunches in

  • Liberty work

  • Lead trail rides

  • Master a discipline