Curly Horse Resource: Hypoallergenic Curly Horses, Bashkir Curly Horses, American Curly Horses & Curly Sport horses.

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Calmer, Smarter & Braver Horse Obstacle Course

The following Obstacles list was sent to me by Celenia in CA. I thought it was such a great activity that I asked her to send me information to post so more folks could benefit. In most situations this is a group activity, with many people volunteering props to offer a wide range of obstacles for the CSB course. However, if you are doing this at home, you can pick a few to try and build from there. I suggest to have an assistant to help you.

 

Be safe, careful and know your horse. Always wear a helmet, proper riding attire and be smart.

Proceed at your own risk.

OBSTACLE
PHOTO
COMMENTS

Cell Phone

Desenitize your horse to the sound of a cell phone.

Ground first, with volume on low. Proceed under saddle with caution and only if your horse is ready. Start on lowest volume as with ground training..and increase only as horse accepts.

(Golden Curls Ranch)

Water Crossing: Puddles or wet boggy areas.

Wetlands and water on the trail.

Tread carefully over terrain..be careful of muddy holes, icy bottoms. Be safe, know your horse, know your terrain.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

 

Puddle crossing on the ground.

(Golden Curls Ranch)

Tarp Alley

Blue Tarp Alley. Cool setup....may even try stapling a tarp along the sides of your barn walkway. Lead or ride through. Proceed at own risk...go slowly. Make sure horse is used to trap alley on ground 100% before attempting under saddle.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

Arched Bridge

Arched Bridge. Start by leading, advance to riding.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

 

Small bouncing ball

Small bouncing ball. Bounce ball over head, under belly and all around horse.

GROUND ONLY.

(Amber & Dolly)

Equipment

Introduce to heavy equipment. Tractors, bulldozers etc. Be safe. Start on the ground.

(Susan & AHD)

Polo Stick

Pogo Stick. Jump around around your horse. Be sure to have assistant hold your horse.

(Amber & Dolly)

Steamer doorway

Streamer doorway. Celebration streams tied overhead of a stall doorway or set up like this. Walk your horse through. For advanced riders/horses ride your horses through. Be safe, smart and only do what your horse is safe doing. Proceed at own risk.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

Tickle Alley

Tickle Alley. Pool sponges mounted on a post.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

Snake Alley

Snake Alley. Run a hose on the ground between two pipes and walk your horse through it.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

Raincoat

Wear a raincoat and introduce your horse to the noise and texture. GROUND ONLY.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

Raincoat over horse

Raincoat or tarp. Drap over your horse. If a windy day, proceed carefully and slowly. Wait for a no windy day if your horse is hyper sensitive.

(Susan & AHD)

Teeter Totter, mounted

Teeter Totter. Ground lead. ONLY advanced horses ride. Proceed at own risk.

(Top O' The Hill Farm)

Hoola Hoop

Hoola hoop, wave over your horse or wear as a necklace. I bought the ones that have noise inside.

Be careful, this is a non breakable item and can cause injury. Never wrap around your head or body while working with your horse. This is to be done in a safe area such as an arena. Proceed at own risk.

(Denise & Reese)

Plastic Alley

Walk your curly between two pipes on plastic. Some horses are hyper sensitve about plastic. If your horses is, please do Ground leading only.

*** Featured Curly owned by Gentle Curlies in Germany.

Umbrella

Get your horse acquainted with Umbrellas....over above and behind. Ground only.

Featured Curly: *Levi AP Jubilee with owner, Anna

Above photos sent in by Gentle Curlies in Germany.

Car Wash

Create a mist over your streamers in the hot weather!

***Featured Curly, Coyote Knight, owned by Jo Ann Huston

Ground only.

Decoys

Available at Cabellas or ebay etc. Ducks etc.

***Featured Curly, Coyote Knight, owned by Jo Ann Huston

Ground only.

Blowing tarp

A BIG tarp that blows in the wind. Use fans or leaf blower if there is no wind.See http://www.kbrhorse.net/tra/course01.html

Be safe...know your horse. Start out with out wind first and increase IF horse is accepting and safe.

***Featured Curly, Coyote Knight, owned by Jo Ann Huston

Fan

Use streamers, pin wheel, crepe paper, etc. that move in the wind.

Ground only.

***Featured Curly, Coyote Knight, owned by Jo Ann Huston

Flag alley

 

Ground only.

***Featured Curly, Coyote Knight, owned by Jo Ann Huston

Trampoline

Person jumps up and down while horse stands by or circles. Props to add to this exercise would be pom poms, helium balloons, etc.

***Featured Curly, FIFI owned by Mendy & Mike.

 

Pole Kites

 

Person holds pole that is attached to a kite, held over a horse. Avail at places like Cabellas

**Featured Curly: Lakota owned by Michelle Ives

Pipe

This pipe is very scary, because its long, corrugated, you can't control its movement, it zips and flings, its hollow and echos, and its corrugated, so it makes this awful zzzzippp echoey noise when it moves.  All the horses are freaked out by it at first.

 

**Featured Curly: Lakota owned by Michelle Ives

"playing the pipe" lol

Here I'm cracking up, because she discovered its really cool to "zip" her lips along the grooves.... She was playing it like a harmonica!

**Featured Curly: Lakota owned by Michelle Ives

Apple Bobbing

Garbage can w/ water & apples. Teach horse to bob.

CAUTION! Maybe try cutting your apples up to prevent choke.

**Featured Curlies: *Cheyene AP Jubilee and *Prairie Espresso Dream (owned by Conroys)

 

Back Pack

Get person to walk around wearing it. Encourage horse to be curious about it's contents ie cell phone, treats etc.

***Featured Curly: *Mead's Buckskin Billy (owned by Laura Kibler)

Ball, BIG

Introduce horse to balls. 4 feet size and 6 feet size. rolling, moving and bouncing.

Featured Curly: *Red Running Star
BONUS PICTURE! TRY this! click to enlarge

(owned by Green Mt. Curlies)

Wind spinners

the kind that poke in the ground, they can be found at most dollar stores.

**Featured Curly: *Mead's Buckskin Billy. BONUS PICTURE! TRY THIS! click to enlarge

(owned by Laura Kibler)

Silly String

Get your horse used to being spray with silly string. Horses have been injured at parades when surprised by children with silly string.

**Featured Curly: *Mead's Buckskin Billy. BONUS PICTURE! click to enlarge

 

Magic Tarp

helper pulls a tarp ahead of the horse that is walking behind. When horse steps on tarp, helper stops.

Featured Curly: *Mead's Buckskin Billy & Laura

Another photo of Laura and Bill here

Boxes

Scatter empty boxes around of all sizes and shapes. Have your horse walk around, under and through them.

Photo sent in by Ann Washington

 

OBSTACLE
PHOTO
COMMENTS

Star Cavaletti
Featured Curly: *Katrina's Fire Walker (owned by Green Mt. Curlies)

Bubble Wrap

Horse steps on bubble wrap that is placed on a board.

This is a NON riding obstacle. Done on Ground ONLY.

**Featured Curly: *Praire Espresso Dream (owned by Denise Conroy)

Gate

Rope Gate.

Photo sent in by Ann Washington.

Mailbox w/ flag

Put fun items in mail box (carrots, apples, cookies)

Ground first!

Photo sent in by Ann Washington

Barrel Back

Backing between Barrels

Photo sent in by Ann Washington

Step overs

Step over obstacles. Can be a log, pole etc., Must be at least 6 inches high.

Photo sent in by Ann Washington

Tire Obstacle

Tractor Tire Obstacle

Photo sent in by Ann Washington

Concrete step

Concrete bridge

Photo sent in by Ann Washington

Hanging things

hang items from trees such as sheets, bat image etc.

Ground only.

Hula Hoop Squeeze

See the demo: http://www.kbrhorse.net/tra/course01.html

GROUND only obstacle. Do not do under saddle.

Tarp Sprinkler

Trap is set up over fence and sprinkler is set up outside fence to hit tarp with water spray.

GROUND only obstacle. Do not do under saddle.

For Inspiration, I thought you would enjoy viewing the photos below. Thank you Nancy!

Harmony Acres Parade Horses - Michigan
Nancy demonstrates despooking during clinics at the Michigan Horse Expo

 

 

 

 

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