With the introduction of our new “DIY Obstacle” series, our team will endeavour to share some of the custom obstacles which have proven to be successful in our training regime and can easily be recreated at your own facility.
When training and working with horses it is important to introduce them to new sights, sounds and challenges. This approach will not only aid in their desensitization training (check out our previous article – Desensitization Training And Its Positive Benefits) but can also provide variety in their arena work which in turn can help reduce the risk of your horse becoming sour due to boredom.
It is important to remember that safety is of the utmost priority when training your horse and introducing them to new obstacles. We always advise starting your horses’ exposure to new obstacles on the ground before attempting them under saddle. Set yourself up for success, take your time and remember to have fun.
Rope Gate
The rope gate is great practice for teaching your horse patience while going through the motions of opening, entering and closing a gate. This skill can not only be a great foundation for good horsemanship when out for a hack, but is often featured in Western Trail courses and gymkhanas.
Materials you will need:
Thick rope (12-15ft)
Two jump standards (You can use existing standards or learn to build your own here)
Putting it together:
To start you will want to place your jump standards the desired distance apart (typically 10-12ft). You will want to place a jump cup or peg at the desired height for your rope to rest. The jump cup/peg should be on the outer side of the standard, and will act as a resting place for the rope to ensure that it does not slide down the standard to the floor. Next it is time to tie a loop at each end of the rope. You will want the loop to be large enough to easily go over the standard, but not so large that it will slip past the jump cup/peg. Install your rope on either standard and you are ready to begin introducing your horse to the rope gate.
Looking for more DIY obstacle ideas? Check out our article DIY Obstacles: Make Your Own Arena Ready Water Hazard