Agility at Liberty

Brandy trots through our Halloween-themed scary corridor

I did Horse Agility with Brandy on lead first, then began liberty after we had clear communication cues. Since horses at liberty always have a choice to leave, a trusting emotional connection between horse and handler is critical. Handlers who have a good connection with their horses through body language sometimes start agility at liberty. Liberty levels are: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum Bronzz Liberty (Horse may wear halter, but not lead) This course shows a narrow gap closed at one end. The horse needs to walk in and wait for the cue to back out, relevant for trailer loading. Play Video
Silver Liberty (Horse may wear neck rope) At the second obstacle, I turned my focus to the flag, and Brandy wandered off. She returned promptly when I called her, so we lost only 1 point for the interruption in the course. Play Video
Gold Liberty (Horse may not wear any equipment) This course has only 5 obstacles. Each is done two times, but a different action is called for each time to show that the horse is following handler’s directions. Brandy was intensely focused for this course, and the stress of maintaining this focus shows in the number of times she yawns! Play Video