Horse Agility is More Than Obstacles
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Bronzz playing with a cone amid some agility obstacles
The goal of Horse Agility is to improve our horses’ trust in us, their confidence in themselves, and our mutual communication. These are the elements of a reliable partnership. All work is done on a loose lead or no lead at all so that horses are never pressured into anything that makes them uncomfortable. The obstacles give purpose to our communication because the horse must watch our cues to negotiate them. Obstacles also help prepare horses for real world situations, and provide interest as they learn basic skills. That is why Horse Agility courses include a variety of obstacles that represent Over, Under, and Through, and include strange sights and sounds. Brandy: SuperPony the Caped Crusader describes Brandy’s training in Horse Agility, and how it helped her cope with an unexpected and potentially dangerous situation. In this video Horse Agility Club member Ellen Cochrane and her mule Inara demonstrate a year of Inara’s progress. One obstacle from each month’s course shows the variety as Inara progresses from simple obstacles to more complex, and from on-lead to liberty, always attuned to Ellen’s directions. Turn on sound to enjoy the musical accompaniment. Play Video I learned about Horse Agility from The Horse Agility Handbook by Vanessa Bee. The International Horse Agility Club posts new courses every month in a variety of categories including, On-lead, Liberty, Equagility (ridden agility), and Walk-only. Levels range from basic to advanced. Members can compete by downloading the current course diagram, building the course at home, and submitting a video. Or just enjoy the sharing of ideas and support via the website. Brandy and I competed in agility both on lead and at liberty. Bronzz and I competed mainly in Equagility because he seemed to find agility quite boring unless I was on his back. Each category (On-lead, Liberty, and Equagility) contains videos that I submitted for competitions. Note: For obstacle training specifically oriented to having a more confident and reliable riding horse, see Vanessa Bee’s book Over, Under, Through: Obstacle Training for Horses: 50 Effective, Step-by-Step Exercises for Every Rider.
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