Driven obstacle practice

BSharpRanch · May 27, 2020

I just love to challenge myself and my horses at everything I/we do. (As if that wasn't obvious!)

So I'm playing with the pair at driven obstacle, one of my all time favorite classes!

One of the obstacles is a wheel through with the right wheel, halt and back through a second wheel through with the left wheel. That is with a single. With pairs a wheel through can be a bit dangerous so with a pair you do a split, one horse on each side of the pole. Sounds pretty easy. And going forward it isn't too bad. (About like a wheel through in difficulty).

Ah, the fun, and the challenge is to get everything and everyone lined up perfectly to back over the split! With a single you can make minor adjustments as you back to keep the wheel in the slot, buuut with the pair, you must be spot on and they must back perfectly together to pull it off.

So here is the results of our practice today! (They had some pretty nice goes, but the camera kept messing up and shutting down. ) So frustrating when that happens

Here is the page from the rule book to give you an idea about what I'm talking about.

MajorClementine · May 27, 2020

How fun! What a responsive team you've got. I love how they swing around for you.

I would love to set up a course to work with. Maybe once we get the new house built and are living out on the horse acreage. I could maybe just do one obstacle at a time right now...

Marsha Cassada · May 27, 2020

My first driving obstacle class I entered had that wheel obstacle. I had never seen such an obstacle before and was not successful. I was not able to watch other drivers in the class to see if anyone manipulated it properly, but probably some did.
Bsharp you do amazing things with your horses!

BSharpRanch · May 27, 2020

Thank you! It can be a challenge for sure. My very favorite obstacle is the wheel pivot on a board or in a hula hoop!

Marsha Cassada said:
My first driving obstacle class I entered had that wheel obstacle. I had never seen such an obstacle before and was not successful. I was not able to watch other drivers in the class to see if anyone manipulated it properly, but probably some did.
Bsharp you do amazing things with your horses!

Cayuse · May 28, 2020

I've done the wheel obstacle with Peanut, he was getting pretty good at it, and also the hula hoop. He's not perfect, but gettting there. The backing was the more difficult one for me as I forget which rein to use going backwards, I did much better when I'd line him up and just let him think his way through it. He's pretty smart and doesn't want his cart bobbled or his feet touching the wrong thing.
With the hula hoop he falls out of it at the last step or two, not his fault, just a matter of practice and strength.
The one obstacle that made me nervous was going through a walk through (or trot through) with the pole between the wheel and the horses feet. I was always afraid I would pop up the pole with the wheel and hit the horse.

Marsha Cassada · May 28, 2020

Cayuse said:
I've done the wheel obstacle with Peanut, he was getting pretty good at it, and also the hula hoop. He's not perfect, but gettting there. The backing was the more difficult one for me as I forget which rein to use going backwards, I did much better when I'd line him up and just let him think his way through it. He's pretty smart and doesn't want his cart bobbled or his feet touching the wrong thing.
With the hula hoop he falls out of it at the last step or two, not his fault, just a matter of practice and strength.
The one obstacle that made me nervous was going through a walk through (or trot through) with the pole between the wheel and the horses feet. I was always afraid I would pop up the pole with the wheel and hit the horse.

You have done some challenging ones.