Equagility (Ridden Agility)
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This scary corridor was closed at one end so we had to walk in and back out
Equagility courses have 5 obstacles. The course is done once on the ground, and once riding. At the basic level (walking only) the ground portion is done on lead, and the riding portion with two reins. A point is lost each time the lead or a rein goes tight. At the most advanced level (which might include cantering) the horse is at liberty for the first part, and in the second part the rider loses points if she touches the reins at all. There are 7 color coded levels: Red (most basic), Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet (most advanced). Bronzz and I competed at either Blue or Indigo level, depending on how our practice sessions went. We were the only team to compete in Equagility every month for the first 2 years it was an official league. Although we never did a course at Violet level, our perseverance earned us the Reserve World Championship in Equagility for 2017 and the World Championship in 2018. Following are a few of our courses, along with examples of Red and Violet levels done by other people. Saddles are allowed, but I found that Bronzz and I communicated better bareback.
February 2018 – Score 94 This is a Blue level course. A leadline is used for the ground part, a single lead attached to halter for the riding part. Bronzz would have preferred to boycott this course because he dislikes both poles and hula hoops. He humored me but he went for maximum touches on pole and hoop. Play Video
June 2018 – Score 99 This is one of my favorite course videos. The noise is wind and thunder. We barely finished before the storm hit, and I was very proud that Bronzz’s focus did not waver. The only obstacle that is not self-evident is that between the U-bend and the double poles we needed to walk slowly, then quickly, showing a clear difference. We lost 1 point when Bronzz touched the last pole with a hind leg. Since he typically drags his feet over poles, I was delighted that we lost only 1 point! Play Video
Blooper Bronzz was supposed to stand IN the hoop for this course, but he decided to ad lib. Play Video
Red (beginning) Level Equagility My grandson rides only on his summer visits here, but he likes the challenge of doing Equagility courses with Bronzz. Bronzz likes Colin very much, so he is motivated to help him out when signals are unclear. No saddle, no bit. Play Video
Violet (most advanced) Level Equagility Beth Smith (Horse Agility Accredited Trainer) and her horse Desi show an elegant example of a Violet Level course. Watch Beth's body language, subtle but precise. Play Video
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