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California Riding Magazine • February, 2011 Get Over It! |
It's a good thing Liza Rogers' Open Practice Obstacle Course is located in Norco, aka "Horsetown, USA." Anywhere else, neighbors might think the "Holly Copter," water-noodle curtain or wall of trash bags were pretty odd front yard decorations. But in Norco, most neighbors and passersby are horsey enough to recognize that these obstacles, just three of 60 and counting, are part of Liza's rotating inventory of challenges waiting to be tackled by visiting horses and riders. Based at Liza and Wade Roger's private Rancho Santiago and run as part of Liza's First Time Events enterprise, the course features 25-30 obstacles at a time, which are rotated frequently to present new challenges for returnees. Christmas, Halloween and July 4th arena items are all appropriately themed for each holiday to give horses a chance to get comfortable with things they might encounter while out and about during those seasons. "Whether you need sensory training to ride busy streets, spooky trails, mounted unit continued education, improve your personal horsemanship skills or need to practice for your next competition, Rancho Santiago is the place to come," says Liza. The Open Practice Obstacle Course has been featured on Eyewitness News KABC 7 and the Press Enterprise.
Not surprisingly, the bulk of Rancho Santiago's visitors so far are recreational trail riders and those who compete in Trail Trials. She welcomes more english riders and anyone who wants to use the desensitizing process as a way to building a better bond with their horse. The unique horse training opportunity has already drawn regulars from Ventura and San Diego counties. It's great fun for horsey families to do together and it's an inexpensive alternative to competing, Liza notes. People often first come to see how their horse reacts, and they return to work toward getting him to willingly accept whatever the rider asks him to take on. Having the horse run warily across her pseudo suspension bridge is one way of getting to the other side, but the aim is to cross it calmly and in control, Liza explains.
As she neared her 50s, the idea for the obstacle course arose along with Liza's own desire to stay safe while enjoying her horses. She describes her husband Wade as "the best horse husband in the world," and he proves that regularly by building new things for the course. The obstacles are suited for a range of horse and rider experience levels. Barrels and raincoats are good for beginners, while the crowd control obstacle that involves an eight-foot scarecrow and a chest-height plastic pole are good challenges for more experienced trail pairs. Trail and obstacle competitions are a national phenomenon with rides all across the USA. Liza has been asked to be a guest speaker on Horses In The Morning, a Lexington, KY morning talk radio show. Liza will be talking about Horsetown USA and what horse owners need to learn about desensitizing their equine partners to ride safely on city streets. Rancho Santiago is currently running its winter schedule: first and third Saturdays and second and fourth Sundays of every month. The hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the all-day admission price is just $10. Trainers are welcome to come with their students and riders may also come on their own.
For more information about Rancho Santiago please visit www.firsttimeevents.com for updates and weather related closures or makeup rain dates. Also, visit Facebook Rancho Santiago Norco. |
