Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge

Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge The Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge and Clinics the Mullins Family has been putting on since 2009

Here at the Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge, we are committed to supporting and promoting responsible and compassionate interactions between humans and and their equine companions. As part of our mission, we understand the importance of addressing the desensitization process for horses, particularly through the use of obstacles. Desensitization is a training technique used to familiarize horses

with various stimuli, helping them become more calm, confident, and responsive in different situations. Obstacle training is one effective method utilized by us to achieve these goals. By introducing horses to carefully designed obstacles, we aim to help them overcome their natural flight instincts and develop trust in their rider. These obstacles can include things like bridges, tarps, water pools, flags, and other props that simulate challenging environments and scenarios. It's crucial to emphasize that the desensitization process should always be conducted with the utmost care and consideration for the horse's welfare. At the Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge, we advocate for positive reinforcement techniques, such as reward-based training and patience, to ensure the horse's emotional and physical well-being throughout the process. We encourage horse owners, trainers, and enthusiasts to approach desensitization with knowledge, experience, and respect for the individual horse's needs and limitations. This includes using appropriate equipment, and gradually exposing the horse to increasing levels of challenge based on their progress and comfort. Additionally, it is essential to recognize that desensitization is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires consistency and reinforcement. Each horse is unique, and the pace and approach to desensitization should be tailored to their temperament, previous experiences, and overall readiness. At the Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge, we promote the responsible sharing of information and resources related to the desensitization of horses through obstacles. We believe that open dialogue, education, and collaboration are key to ensuring the well-being of these magnificent animals. By fostering a supportive community where enthusiasts can exchange knowledge, discuss best practices, and share success stories, we aim to contribute to the welfare and positive training experiences for horses worldwide. Together, let's continue to promote ethical horsemanship practices and help horses build confidence, trust, and resilience through the appropriate use of obstacles and desensitization techniques.

We spent the day yesterday reorganizing our storage container and sorting all our obstacles as we prepare for the 2026 s...
10/13/2025

We spent the day yesterday reorganizing our storage container and sorting all our obstacles as we prepare for the 2026 season.

We’d love your input! Is there a specific obstacle or setup you’d like us to bring to shows next year to help you and your equine partner train or build confidence?

Huge thank you to Feather River Cinemas for the popcorn for our last event.The horses were tempted to knock over the ta...
10/02/2025

Huge thank you to Feather River Cinemas for the popcorn for our last event.
The horses were tempted to knock over the tasty bucket

We wrapped up our RHTCC 2025 season. What an absolute blast this year. We are working on our 2026 calendar and will be s...
09/30/2025

We wrapped up our RHTCC 2025 season. What an absolute blast this year. We are working on our 2026 calendar and will be sure to post it on both our pages.
For now working on organizing the obstacle shed. Luckily grandma is visiting from Washington and helping to build a new storage rack.

The last of the photos from this weekend. Our final obstacle was Post Game Interview. After a fun time out on the course...
09/22/2025

The last of the photos from this weekend. Our final obstacle was Post Game Interview.
After a fun time out on the course we want to hear what you liked most and something new you learned.

09/22/2025
Made it home after a fantastic weekend. Working on getting all the photos uploaded. Thank you to all our riders who came...
09/22/2025

Made it home after a fantastic weekend. Working on getting all the photos uploaded.
Thank you to all our riders who came out for the last event of the season.
We as always had an absolutely amazing time. Hosting a themed "sports" show was added fun.

Last show of the season and we’re swinging for the fences! Hay batter, batter—our Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge 2025...
09/20/2025

Last show of the season and we’re swinging for the fences! Hay batter, batter—our Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge 2025 is going out of the park.

Ready to ride. Looking forward to a fun cool clinic day. A clinic is an opportunity for you as a rider to come and learn...
09/20/2025

Ready to ride.
Looking forward to a fun cool clinic day.

A clinic is an opportunity for you as a rider to come and learn. You then take what you learn and apply it at home.

Crafting and getting ready for this weekend. We have a themed show on Sunday. Tomorrow our sign-up form online will clos...
09/16/2025

Crafting and getting ready for this weekend. We have a themed show on Sunday.
Tomorrow our sign-up form online will close but fear not you can register the day of.
We are looking forward to celebrating the end of 2025 season with our incredible Fort Bragg Family.

See you Saturday

Sometimes shifting our perspective and looking for the why helps us succeed. This weekend we challenge you to work with ...
09/10/2025

Sometimes shifting our perspective and looking for the why helps us succeed.

This weekend we challenge you to work with your horse and when the struggling begins shift to see it from their eyes. How can we ask differently to see progress.

September snuck up fast. We are excited to come out to Fort Bragg the 20th & 21st. Be sure to get your entries in. This ...
09/07/2025

September snuck up fast. We are excited to come out to Fort Bragg the 20th & 21st. Be sure to get your entries in. This is our final clinic & show for our 2025 season

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Oroville, CA
95965

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+15304139625

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Our Story

We started working with horses and obstacles as a way to help desensitize our horses to the environment. This was working with tarps in an arena to being about to navigate through and over objects safe a calmly. Over the years we have evolved our program into helping others become more confident riders with their horses in a safe and controlled environment.

The low keyed clinics we offer help reduce the stress that some riders feel as they themselves are learning to be a calm rider. These clinics also are great for those wanting to get a feel for what various competitions may require of them and their horse, such as Trail Trials or Obstacle Challenges.

We also offer our riders the opportunity to be able to use the skills they have learned in our Ranch Hand Trail Course Challenge Events. These Challenges allow riders to navigate around 16-20 different obstacles, both inside and outside of an arena. Riders and their horses will be judged with 5 point for the rider and 5 points for the horse, for a high score of 10 for a perfect run.

Our goal is for our riders to have fun and be safe with their horses. We want you to succeed in this by offering low key shows and clinic to remove some of the pressure riders may feel. We also have a walk through prior to our clinics and shows with the clinicians/judges to allow the riders to ask questions about the obstacles they will be dealing with during the day. We also provide a time for the riders to get together and socialize and share ideas by breaking for lunch, which we normally provide as part of their entry fee.