Trish Hyatt & Working Equitation Simplified Present:
Struggling with the Reverse Gate Obstacle?
Smooth, confident, reverse gate success—without frustration or overwhelm.
Too many riders try to ride the full gate pattern before they’ve built the essential pieces.
This challenge flips that. You’ll learn how to ride the pieces—so when you’re ready to do the whole pattern, it just works.
Even if you don’t have a gate at home, you can start building the skills today that will transform your obstacle work tomorrow.
Whether you’re brand new to obstacles or already competing,
this challenge will help you:
- Improve timing and communication
- Build your horse’s confidence around the gate
- Develop softness and control that carries into other obstacles
What You’ll Learn in the Reverse Gate Confidence Challenge
Each day focuses on a specific skill that supports smooth gate work.
And the Q&A replays add to that with what to do when it isn't working.
- 1: Calm Approach & Positioning
Learn to ride a balanced approach and settle beside the gate before doing anything else. - 2: Backup with Purpose
Teach your horse to take one thoughtful step at a time—no rushing, no guessing. - 3: Turn It Around
Use turn on the forehand and haunches to maneuver through the gate calmly and confidently. - 4: Final Positioning & Steady Halt
Ride forward into the latching position and teach your horse to wait quietly at the finish. - 5: Ride the Flow — Reverse Gate, Your Way
Put the pieces together in a smooth, confidence-building flow that suits your horse’s needs.
Who This Is For?
- Riders who want more confidence and clarity with obstacles
- Working Equitation riders of any level
- Anyone who wants better balance, softness, and flow in the saddle
- Riders who don’t have a gate at home but want to start learning the skills anyway
What You Need
- A small place to ride (arena, paddock, field), or you can work from the ground
- A couple of cones, rails, or posts as markers for your gate opening (although a gate is fine too)
- Your horse and a willingness to take it one step at a time
That’s it. No fancy setup required!
It’s easy to overlook the value of improving your horse’s responsiveness, positioning, and confidence — especially at the gate. But let’s shift that perspective.
Imagine...
Your horse calmly approaching the gate, staying straight, soft, and with you every step — whether you're riding forward or in reverse. This isn’t just a challenge. It’s a foundation for your horse’s longevity, performance, and overall well-being — through one of the most revealing obstacles in Working Equitation.
I’ve spent years refining this process — breaking down what makes the gate work (or fall apart), and turning it into simple, clear lessons you can apply right away.
Hiring someone to train your horse at the gate might get results — but if you don’t understand how they got there, it’s easy to undo that progress.
That’s why I created this challenge — so you can become the kind of rider who understands how to build the gate obstacle step-by-step… and fix it when things go off-track.
This isn't just a challenge—it's a turning point for you and your horse.
By learning how to ride the gate obstacle with calmness, clarity, and connection, you're not just solving a frustrating problem—you’re building trust, improving communication, and setting the foundation for smoother rides in every arena.
Don’t spend another ride feeling stuck at the gate.
Your horse is ready to understand what you’re asking—and this is your chance to learn how to ask with feel, timing, and confidence.
Ready to Make the Reverse Gate Your Strongest Obstacle?
Join the Challenge and let’s get started—one calm, confident step at a time.
Ready to Transform Your Horses Reverse Gate into your favorite obstacle?
- Lifetime access to all trainings + bonus session. Watch and rewatch at your own pace.
- Focused Lessons: Work on one skill at at Time. Easy to fit into your schedule and simple enough to try right away with your horse.
- Includes Q&A replays with questions from others that you may also have.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I'm not riding right now. Can I do this from the ground?
Absolutely! The Gate Challenge is flexible and designed to meet you where you are. Whether you're in the saddle or working on the ground, you’ll learn practical, transferable skills that improve your communication with your horse. Not riding right now? No problem — groundwork is a great way to build the pieces you’ll need when you are.
I don't show horses. Will this still be useful for me?
100%! This challenge isn’t just for competitors — it’s for any rider who wants a more responsive, connected horse. Whether you're riding on trails, in a pasture, or just around the yard, the gate obstacle teaches patience, softness, and better steering — skills that matter no matter where you ride.
I don't have an arena, and there's still mud everywhere. Will this work for me?
Yes — you don’t need an arena! All you need is a small, reasonably flat space. You can adapt the lessons to whatever setup you have, whether that’s a driveway, a patch of grass, or a cleared space in your paddock. Rain, snow, or spring mud — we’ve got you.
I’m worried I won’t be able to keep up.
With lifetime access, you can watch or practice on your own schedule. There’s no pressure to “finish” — even one or two days in, you’ll start seeing the difference in how your horse listens and responds.
What if I don’t have a gate? Can I still do the challenge?
Yes! You don’t need a real gate to get real results. We’ll show you how to simulate the gate obstacle using simple items like rails, cones, poles, or even fence lines. The focus is on building the skills your horse needs — things like stopping, turning, and backing calmly — and all of that can be practiced without a physical gate.
Is this challenge suitable for young or green horses?
Definitely. The Gate Challenge is ideal for introducing young or inexperienced horses to new concepts in a slow, thoughtful way. You’ll work on foundational skills like approach, halt, repositioning, and patience — all of which help build confidence and trust in your horse, no matter their age or experience level.
Join us for the 'Reverse Gate Confidence Challenge'
Trish Hyatt
International Coach and Clinician
National and International Top 10 Competitor
Retired Technical Delegate and WEDU Judge of Working Equitation
Trish Hyatt puts her many skills to use introducing the international discipline of Working Equitation to riders eager to improve their partnership with their horse, with a focus on fun, classical horsemanship and use of the horse for practical work or as cross-training for other disciplines.
Trish's superpower is the ability to give you and your horse what you need in a way that you understand so each horse and rider makes progress and knows what they need to work on.
Prior Challenge participants said:
"From anxious to confident: How I improved my horse's performance!"
I knew the basics of the pen obstacle - to enter and circle both directions. What I was missing was how to achieve a smooth transition at the pen entrance, maintain bend and tempo, exit in order to smoothly re-enter the opposite direction while maintaining correct bend.
Trish broke down the pen obstacle in separate pieces to practice then put together. The teaching process led me to successfully achieve my goals to fine-tune the pen.
Monica Falk
Your courses and these challenges are a great partnership for me. I so love my horses and want to help them be their best.
Becky Seigel
I already did it & it works!
My Jake did not want to ride near the rail while I was filming a walk/trot on the rail video for an online show so it was the perfect opportunity to try your recommendation & it worked.
Elaine Lange
Thank you, Trish~it makes perfect sense now that you have explained how to work with the horse's drift, keep their trust, and get them to realize you are working together as a team.
Vicki Webberley
Final Thought:
If you’re serious about improving your riding, building your horse’s confidence, and getting expert guidance without the cost of private lessons, then this is the best money you’ll ever invest in your horsemanship.
Ready to join us? Let’s get started!
Ready to Transform Your Horses Reverse Gate into your favorite obstacle?
- Lifetime access to all trainings + bonus session. Watch and rewatch at your own pace.
- Focused Lessons: Work on one skill at at Time. Easy to fit into your schedule and simple enough to try right away with your horse.
- Includes Q&A replays with questions from others that you may also have.
