obstacle Classes

[Southern_Heart]

[SIZE=12pt]We have a new member to our club and she is wanting to train her horse for obstacle Classes.[/SIZE]

Which got me to thinking.

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I know there are so many different obstacles out there.

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I thought it might be nice for everyone to start listing any type of obstacles that they have seen at shows.

I know sometimes I have been really in awe as to some of the obstacles I never knew of and I have put my horse threw and scared the dickens out of him/her!

:

But it would be good to know what types of obstacles are out there that some of us never heard of.

It would be great to try to train the horses for as much as possible.

I'll start off by adding:

Titter totter bridge My horse thought I was nuts to make him do that as he never saw that one before and the bridge was very narrow! :new_shocked: Needless to say he didn't make it. :lol:

Cans in a sack that you have to shake and lay on the horses back and walk from one place to the other and back.

OK folks now you list some

:

Joyce

 

[backwoodsnanny]

We so far have not shown but last year at a local show a bright colored hula hoop was laid flat on the ground with a wind up mouse inside. Mouse would go round and round inside the hoop it seemed to freak out alot of horses. It also made winding noises as it went round and round sort of the noise a friction car would make.

 

[bitsy]

We set up a little obstacle course for our horses it includes a blue tarp for them to walk over, some ground poles to trot over as well as back through and a box made of poles to do a 360 degree turn in. I just use pvc pipes for my poles most of the time, it's easy. They also need to learn to turn on their forehand, their haunches and back easily. Hope that helps a little. I'm sure others can give you more obstacles to play with.

 

[countryrose]

Some of the obstacles we have had at our shows:

plywood or tarps with small trees or flowers, etc on the side to walk across.

Actual tarp built up with logs on sides and water in it to walk thru.

Hula Hoops used to put over horses head and step entire horse thru it or use it on ground for pivots.

PVC pipes in a large square set up on buckets so as to jump in and ground tie.

Ground tie in large circle with big stuffed animals.

Go inside a mock up of outhouse with horse ground tied outside and count to 10 and have horse stay.

Walk thru dry kiddie pools with rubber pads inside for safety. One had a croaking frog

Put a saddle on horse at one point--walk to next point and remove it.

Pick up a stuffed animal, hold it on the horse, walk around a tent and take it off.

Pick up a squeaky toy, or jug of rocks and shake

side pass and back in z figure, L's or horseshoe---they use PVC pipes.

walk in thru a barrier of hanging fake flowers or plastic strips

Anything you can think of new helps accustom your horse to the unknown.

They have to trust you not to hurt you and should follow you thru these.

Watch out for blow up palm trees and pink flamingos!!! just never know!

 

[countryrose]

Some of the obstacles we have had at our shows:

plywood or tarps with small trees or flowers, etc on the side to walk across.

Actual tarp built up with logs on sides and water in it to walk thru.

Hula Hoops used to put over horses head and step entire horse thru it or use it on ground for pivots.

PVC pipes in a large square set up on buckets so as to jump in and ground tie.

Ground tie in large circle with big stuffed animals.

Go inside a mock up of outhouse with horse ground tied outside and count to 10 and have horse stay.

Walk thru dry kiddie pools with rubber pads inside for safety. One had a croaking frog

Put a saddle on horse at one point--walk to next point and remove it.

Pick up a stuffed animal, hold it on the horse, walk around a tent and take it off.

Pick up a squeaky toy, or jug of rocks and shake

side pass and back in z figure, L's or horseshoe---they use PVC pipes.

walk in thru a barrier of hanging fake flowers or plastic strips

Anything you can think of new helps accustom your horse to the unknown.

They have to trust you not to hurt you and should follow you thru these.

Watch out for blow up palm trees and pink flamingos!!! just never know!

 

[dreamlandnh]

I have cones spaced out to be trotted through or backed...also put tennis balls on top so if they fall off you can tell. We have a new one that is like a water fall...using PVC we made a tall door like frame that sets in flowerpots and then we got the streamers to walk through.

I like all the ideas, I'm always trying to find something new to show to our mare that is not afraid of anything.

Karen

 

[Southern_Heart]

:aktion033: Thanks for adding more to my list! I will pass them on!

Joyce :saludando:

 

[Whitewave]

we have had to pull a "little red wagon" from one point to another , back through and L with tennis balls in it so you really had to watch and not hit the tennis balls...carry a jug with a tennis ball on it , walk over a bridge with one of those "hide N Seek dolls" on it . walk through a pile of stuff animals , back through barrels , shake a can of rocks, put a rian coat on the horse and trot through cones , pass by a frog that said ribbit , trot over poles spaced at different lentghs , trot around a buch of kids hollering ( yahoo that was fun) , open a mailbox to have a mouse jump out at you (yikes) not a real one) . Oh yeah and we had to step over a log that had a fake snake on the other side.