How to Plan a Horse Driving Obstacle Course
Pleasure driving is gaining in popularity with horse owners. Quiet country drives are always enjoyable, while cross country and obstacle course driving are enticing to those with a more competitive spirit. Driving competitions can be exhilarating and challenging and the horses need to be prepared for a number of alarming obstacles and situations. An obstacle training course can be constructed in your home paddock to accustom the horse to some of the obstacles he will encounter in the show ring and on the trail.
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Things You'll Need
- Large roadwork cones
- Balls
- Plywood
- Mail box
- Rails or moveable fence panels
Instructions
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Measure the width of your driving cart and determine the minimum turning radius of the cart and horse. You need to ensure that any path you lay out will be safe for the horse to follow. Turns that are too tight or paths that are too narrow can create a dangerous situation particularly with a horse that is just learning to overcome obstacles and is still nervous around strange objects.
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Position a pair of cones in slightly wider than your cart. Begin with one or two sets and drive the horse between them. Once he has mastered the narrow opening, add more pairs of cones to make a course that includes turns, circles and figure eights. A small ball added to the top of each cone will add to the delicate touch needed to drive the course.
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Lay a sheet of plywood on the ground with a pair of cones at each corner. This make-shift bridge sounds very hollow under the horse's hooves and is a test of his willingness and confidence in your driving.
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Attach a mail box to a post or fence. The horse should be able to stand quietly while you reach over, open the mail box, take out a letter and close the box back up.
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Place small flags on poles in a few of the cones on your course. Drive the course with flags; then, drive the reverse course to accustom the horse to movement on either side.
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Make a small pen of rails placed on the ground or movable upright fence panels. The pen should be open at each end so that you can drive through. A series of pens can be made into a more difficult course. A pen with only one opening can be used for backing up or turning the cart in a tight circumference.
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Tips & Warnings
Start with a simple course and slowly add obstacles as the horse becomes used to each segment. Moving lawn ornaments, baskets of foliage and even stuffed animals can be added to the course.
A fun addition is a hula hoop placed on the ground. Drive up until one wheel in is the hoop and then try to turn the horse and cart without letting that wheel leave the interior of the hula hoop.
References
Resources
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