seahorse
Well-Known Member
I was at a AMHR show on Saturday and there was a hands-free obstacle course. I'm just curious, have any of y'all have attempted this before? (better yet, actually completed it)
Hands-free Obstacle Course
- Thread starter seahorse
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MiniHunterHorseFan
Well-Known Member
You're talking about the Corsicana Show aren't you? Actually they just started doing the class last month there. So far no one has won it and all the money is still in the jackpot for the next show. I heard no one won it yesterday either. Which horse do you show? I probably saw you there. Mine are Festervan's Bodaous, he's a palomino, and K& K's Capt Long John Silver, a silver dapple. My mom has Festervans Whisky River, black and white paint and Stellars Major Hi Way Roadrage, silver dapple paint.
seahorse
Well-Known Member
Yes, I was at the Corsicana show. I want to try that class with Country one day! (he can already walk, turn, whoa, and back without a halter or me touching him!!!
) I was not showing, just watching and learning. I recognized your horses by the photos that were on their stalls!
L
Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis
Guest
I just heard of that from someone in TX while we were at Convention it sounds SO FUN I think I have a horse that could get pretty close as long as there were no bushes or anything in the course he could go snack on usually the more I try and tell him what to do with anything other then my voice the more he messes up (sad when your horse knows more then you)
I am thinking of bringing it up with our club to add it to our show
I am thinking of bringing it up with our club to add it to our show
L
Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis
Guest
Yes it is Mr Casper you trained him well - ok guess after we try this class we will see how well LOLThat does sound like fun!
And I'm pretty sure I know who you're talking about, Lisa...
L
Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis
Guest
Ya I was afraid you would point that out
Actually he has the best work ethic of any horse I know. He hates practice and gets somewhat offended that we think he doesnt know his job I keep trying to tell him it is us we need the practice with but that horse knows what is expected and for the cheap price of jelly beans, doughnuts, pizza, hamburgers whatever you happen to have handy he will do whatever is asked of him
DID I MENTION I LOVE THAT HORSE
dreamlandnh
Well-Known Member
Could you explain this class more? I have never heard of this.
targetsmom
Well-Known Member
Oh, oh - Karen- does that mean I should start practicing??? Sounds like quite a challenge to me!
Cedar Ridge Farm
Well-Known Member
This class is a jackpot class and it is funny to watch. (I haven't tried it yet except at home) You can have a halter and lead rope on the horse, but once you start, you can not touch your horse and must complete the course to win. There were several that tried on Saturday, and I actually saw someone complete the course. It may have taken a little time, but they did go through everything. This included stopping to pet the reindeer, a side pass to the right over a christmas tree, a walk thru L shape between tinsel and packages, trotting thru trees, walking onto a lake (tarp), stopping to pick up a snowball, walking to the candy canes, checking the mail and excitting. If you do try this, make sure the lead rope can not fall down for the horse to get their feet hung up! Maybe in March I will be adventuress and try!
The Simple Life Farm
Well-Known Member
I have considered doing this, but I am afraid that it might undo or confuse my horse with the training she already has now. To do the hands free obstacle, it would mean training a new way. I am not sure I want to do this since this is the only club that has this class right now. I am afraid it may effect her performance in the regular obstacle class. What do some of you think?
Let me see if I understand this? The horse is completely free in the ring and you have to send it across and thru obstacles without touching it? By voice or hand commands? Like the dog agility/obstacle classes? WOW!
Now that would be a challenge....
MiniHunterHorseFan
Well-Known Member
I heard even though someone completed the course, they did not win anything because they were disqualified for touching their horse. Eventually on the course the horse will not wear a halter and leadrope at all. This is not a class where you can win points, it is just for fun and you win some money. You may use either voice or hand comands as long as you never touch the horse at all.
dreamlandnh
Well-Known Member
Oh this sounds like fun. Do you get to walk along with the horse just can't touch him at all...not even on the lead?
angel_cowgirl
Well-Known Member
Sounds interesting but I too would be afraid I'd have to train my horse(s) in a different way and really confuse them from what they have learned.
But it definitely would be interesting to watch!
But it definitely would be interesting to watch!
Hi to all,
The hands off obstacle is a challenge to see if you and your horse are a team. This really shows how much a person works with their horses. Sandy C. does performance and used mainly voice commands on her horses. They do as she ask with or without a halter and lead. Any animal can perfect what they do if you work with them. Case in point....my daughter who loves showmanship...her showmanship gelding can do the pattern without a halter and lead. Why? because she has worked endless hours with him perfecting her patterns and he knows what she is going to do.
I urge any club or show to put this class in. It's a lot of fun to watch. Those Mini's and Shetlands that participated love their owners and it's nice to see them trying to fulfill the task. I would suggest you work on side passing and backing the most with voice commands, those are the two area's everyone has a bit of trouble with.
Karen
The hands off obstacle is a challenge to see if you and your horse are a team. This really shows how much a person works with their horses. Sandy C. does performance and used mainly voice commands on her horses. They do as she ask with or without a halter and lead. Any animal can perfect what they do if you work with them. Case in point....my daughter who loves showmanship...her showmanship gelding can do the pattern without a halter and lead. Why? because she has worked endless hours with him perfecting her patterns and he knows what she is going to do.
I urge any club or show to put this class in. It's a lot of fun to watch. Those Mini's and Shetlands that participated love their owners and it's nice to see them trying to fulfill the task. I would suggest you work on side passing and backing the most with voice commands, those are the two area's everyone has a bit of trouble with.
Karen
hobbyhorse23
Well-Known Member
Okay, now I'm confused. How have you all been training your horses if it isn't to body language? I thought touching your horse wasn't allowed in the regular classes either.
Heck, I've got a stubborn gelding right now who got so hung up on resisting the lead that I decided it was easier to simply take it off and train him without one!
OH! We've been clicker training in his pasture for over a year now and he's finally starting to come around and learn to stay with me no matter what. It'd be awhile before we were ready for something like that (I can just see him making off with the snowball clutched in his teeth) but the foundation is there. He's now doing some limited tricks by voice and hand command from partway across the arena and I was working last year on getting him to go over free jumps in a certain order by hand cues without me running with him. It was a challenge but he was getting it!This sort of thing is so much fun. I want my local club to offer this class!
Leia
Edited to add: Karen, do you go with the horse exactly like you would if they were haltered (basically put them on a "heel" like a dog?) or do you actually have to stand back and do it from afar?
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This is an intriguing idea! I'd like to hear SPECIFICS about the class requirements-could we hear from whomever designed the class, its obstacles, and how they were to be done? I see it said that the horse 'can/must?' have a halter and lead on? Does this mean that the lead would have to be 'tied up' in some way so as not to drop and drag/be able to be stepped on? Or, is there a choice of between halter w/lead,halter only, or, completely 'at liberty'?
Yes, it has always been 'against the rules', in AMHA, at least, to physically TOUCH the horse during the actual class, but not to use the lead shank to direct the horse. I have always used subtle hand signals AND my voice to direct my horse, but on lead. This AM, after reading the original post on this thread, when I went in to clean my dear Handy's pen, I took a moment to see if he would respond without me 'having ahold of him'. I used a hand signal(not one he's familiar with!)along w/ my voice, to ask him to back, and he did! Then, I used the hand signal he's trained to, along with my voice, to ask him to side pass--at first, he turned his head to the side, pretending he didn't know what I wanted, but I just put my hand on his cheek, required him to face me, asked again--and he did it! This sounds like FUN, and a great challenge! Please, let us hear from whomever can tell us MORE!
I am old-fashioned--although I do understand the principle behind clicker training, I have never done it---just do it the way it took me a lifetime to learn--and it does work! Of course, my Handy is a VERY special horse, too!
Margo
Yes, it has always been 'against the rules', in AMHA, at least, to physically TOUCH the horse during the actual class, but not to use the lead shank to direct the horse. I have always used subtle hand signals AND my voice to direct my horse, but on lead. This AM, after reading the original post on this thread, when I went in to clean my dear Handy's pen, I took a moment to see if he would respond without me 'having ahold of him'. I used a hand signal(not one he's familiar with!)along w/ my voice, to ask him to back, and he did! Then, I used the hand signal he's trained to, along with my voice, to ask him to side pass--at first, he turned his head to the side, pretending he didn't know what I wanted, but I just put my hand on his cheek, required him to face me, asked again--and he did it! This sounds like FUN, and a great challenge! Please, let us hear from whomever can tell us MORE!
I am old-fashioned--although I do understand the principle behind clicker training, I have never done it---just do it the way it took me a lifetime to learn--and it does work! Of course, my Handy is a VERY special horse, too!
Margo
