# Horse obstacle course



## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

I spent hours on pinterest the other day browsing just such a thing!


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## dkb811 (Oct 15, 2013)

We've made a few ACTHA inspired obstacles. Check out their website for some ideas.


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## Blue (Sep 4, 2011)

Throw out an old tarp or colored sheet and walk over it. 

Pick up a bucket of rocks and carry it to the other end.

Carry a flag

Drag a log

Put on a rain slicker


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## NatalieSchimp578 (Jan 3, 2015)

texasgal said:


> I spent hours on pinterest the other day browsing just such a thing!


I know!! Pintrest is addictive :lol:


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## NatalieSchimp578 (Jan 3, 2015)

dkb811 said:


> We've made a few ACTHA inspired obstacles. Check out their website for some ideas.



This website is awesome! I have never heard of it before!!


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

Obstacle courses are a blast! Just got home from a clinic for them. The obstacles we had today were 1) tarp 2) black hole (plywood with a big black dot painted on it) 3) back through an L 4) teeter totter 5) kick a ball 6) cowboy curtain 7) cone with ball (move ball from one cone to the other) 8) pinwheel 9) rope gate 10) spin box 11) pole on barrels (have to pick up pole on one end and swing it around to another barrel 12) load into trailer 13) pool noodle trees. 

There are tons of obstacles you can make and plenty of variations on how to do them. I personally like the American Horseman Challenge Association because it focuses less on your time and more on you're horsemanship. It's all about completing the obstacles safely.


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## mrwithers (Jun 25, 2014)

+1 ACTHA

https://www.actha.us/obstacles

The place I board at has some people who do competitive trail riding and they leave the obstacles for other people to use near the arena. One obstacle I really like that they don't list on the ACTHA website is the "cowboy curtain". It's like the "vine simulator" obstacle but made with a tarp. The horse can't see through it.

Cowboy carwash
http://www.goldencrossranch.com/vscamo.jpg

pool noodle thing
http://petdiys.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Pool-Noodle-Horse-Obstacle.jpg

Some of the other ones we have to use are a fake wooden bridge, wood step up box, mailbox on a pole, and a flag on a pole that you can pick up.


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## NatalieSchimp578 (Jan 3, 2015)

These are all great ideas!! I need to get to work!!!


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## CASugar (Oct 17, 2014)

I was in a trail class in which we had to step thru water which had dry ice in it. None of the horses liked that. Hellium balloons tied to anything, like the post of a rope gate. Actually a realistic obstacle as the real estate folks in town love to tie balloons on their Open House signs next to the trails.


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## NatalieSchimp578 (Jan 3, 2015)

I have messed with dry ice(my dad gets it from work)...wouldn't that hurt the horses hooves since it get so cold? I wouldn't want to step in it! :lol:


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## ThunderingHooves (Aug 10, 2013)

I have spent hours on pinterest looking for things to desensitise Jinxx with. Some things I have found includes dragging a bag filled with cans, opening and closing umbrellas, balloons, and bags. 

Here are a couple of pictures I found of some other things. 

This one is my favorite. it moves, makes flapping sounds, is unpredictable, and we already have a couple. The bubbles would also be an interesting touch and maybe a fog machine?


















And flying deer. Sorry had to add this one in :lol:


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## NatalieSchimp578 (Jan 3, 2015)

I like the first one!! My horse is TERRIFIED of plastic bags or anything along those lines like she thinks that they are death! I'm hoping to gain her trust and help her with the bag delimma!


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## CASugar (Oct 17, 2014)

I don't know about the hazards of dry ice Natalie, it was in the water and was freaky, they were cubes and I don't think anyone stepped on them, they just kinda swirled around as each horse stepped through.
That air thing would terrify my horse! They have one in front of the local Jiffy Lube-yikes! And the flying deer-I think spooking is appropriate for that one!


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## NatalieSchimp578 (Jan 3, 2015)

Oh I am am sorry CASsugar, I thought they were stepping on plain dry ice! That would scare my horse too! Wonder where I can get a fog machine :lol: not!


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## CASugar (Oct 17, 2014)

Actually Natalie you got me curious and I investigated! Dry Ice has been banned from water obstacles! There must be a good reason right? So AQHA trail course rules also ban ground tying ( wonder why ) and moving bridges too, all things that were common in the old days of trail classes. . Glad I never saw someone get hurt.


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## TrailPixie (Dec 31, 2014)

The farm where I used to work held desensitizing/playday clinics. We had different "stations" set up. Some of them were...

Tarps- on the ground, to step on...on the fence rail blowing in the breeze
A kid riding a bicycle
Someone walking their dog spinning an open rainbow colored umbrella 
Tree stump to step front feet up on
Wooden bridge (low to the ground)
Trailers to load in (ramp & step-up)
Water crossing
Rope gate
Barrels to step over or walk around (some standing, some on their sides) 
A port-a-john (dismount & enter while horse stands outside)
Poles set in an "L" shape to back through or side pass over
Obstacles to rope & drag
Moving cones from the top of one fence post to another
Training sticks with plastic bags on the end of them
And there was always someone with a camera & flash walking around


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Be careful of riding your horse over a tarp if he is shod ... something like this could happen: 



 (see at 2:42).


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## mrwithers (Jun 25, 2014)

surprised that horse freaked out so much with as much desensitizing he did to it. I guess the anxiety of all the crowd and everything in addition to it didn't help.


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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

I'm gonna pop in here and say that when you hold dry ice, it hurts like the dickens. Even if it's just for a second. That would probably be the reasoning behind it being banned. I wouldn't even want to think what would happen if a horse grazed a cube with it's leg. It really really hurts, I've learned that the hard way.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Exotic (Dec 29, 2014)




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## Exotic (Dec 29, 2014)




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