Preparing Your Horse for an Obstacle Challenge

On Saturday 8 April 2017, if you are in the area please join me at Livery Arena, 898 Horizon Blvd, Socorro, Texas, where I've been invited by the Lower Valley Horsemen's Association (LVHA) to give a demonstration of Preparing Your Horse for an Obstacle Challenge. I'll pretty much be following what I've written below.

If you don't like the word "desensitization" then you can substitute it for "just getting the horse used to something", because that's all it is, but like most anything it can be overdone.

Obstacle challenges can be conducted in an arena or field - hence the name Arena Obstacle Challenge (AOC), or on trail courses like the Competitive Trail Challenges (CTC's) ran by Equine Trail Sports (ETS) or the now defunct American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA).

The Extreme Cowboy Association (EXCA) also has a form of obstacle challenges however these are time based, as well as a score on horsemanship and performance, evaluated by judges, and are not really a forum for novice riders.

Not all the things you have to do on horseback at an Obstacle Challenge is associated with a physical obstacle like a tarp on the ground, or bridge or any other horse eating apparatus. Some of the tasks may be a maneuver such as demonstrating a turn on the fore hand, or side pass a certain distance, or even demonstrating a walk to trot transition.

The process of getting your horse sacked on obstacles is, in my mind, pretty much the same as preparing them for a safe trail ride. However, I think the purpose for working a horse to accept an obstacle is lost on some people. If I set up a big blue tarp on the ground and work my horses on crossing it willingly, I am not, at least primarily, preparing them to cross blue tarps anywhere I ride - I am instead working on getting them to think instead of just reacting to their survival instinct, which is pretty much fine tuned to a razor's edge. It's how you go about doing it that makes the difference.

One process is basically to wait on the horse, building on small levels of acceptance or tries. If I'm riding a horse towards something that is giving them anxiety or making them nervous, it will be evident because of the horse's slowed gait and head set (head goes up) and ear position (ears are forward), the stiffness in his body from the head/neck and throughout his body. The horse will almost always cease forward movement at some point. Sometimes the horse will lower his head and maybe snort, may be looking left and right nervously or even turn left or right to get away from the scary object.  The rider first has to remain relaxed,....ready but relaxed,... because of the horse will pick up on your physical tension if you become scared that he may spook or bolt. The rider at this point needs to keep the horse faced to the offending object. Don't let the horse turn around and put his butt towards the object - this is defensive behavior.  I'm not too concerned about him backing up.  If he backs up and I can keep him straight, pointing towards the object, then we'll just start from there.       I know, easier said than done, but move the horse's front and back ends independently to keep him as straight as you can.  

The horse will, at some point - maybe 10 or 30 seconds or maybe 2 or 3 minutes which should make no difference to you - will get more comfortable with where he's at. You'll feel his body tension reduce, his ears will rotate around, he will look around - this time not looking for an escape route. The mistake riders will make is to misjudge the horse's comfort level at this point and urge him forward before he's ready. If you are sure of the horse beginning to accept the object then you can ask him to move a step or two forward, but don't insist.  The horse will usually move forward when his curiosity is bigger than his fear, just open the door for him.

As the horse moves forward, if he stops again it is because he needs to, let him do so. Rider's will get frustrated at this point then push him forward when the horse is not ready. I've done this many times, much to my regret, as bullying the horse across an obstacle does nothing for him. If you fore him across the horse will not think "Oh, I was worried about nothing!", instead he will think "Whew, that was a close one - I almost got killed!"

The point about letting the horse stop on his own, and proceeding when he is ready, is getting the horse to think rather than to react. Give him the time to think and to absorb that lesson - this is one meaning of waiting on your horse. Another example of waiting on your horse is in the picture at left, letting the horse descend on a short hill at his own pace. I asked him to walk down.  He hesitated, then moved sideways with short steps trying to figure it out.  I let him do so.  My reins are slack and he doesn't have to contend with any pressure created from me, only the task in front of him.

Another way to get a horse comfortable with an obstacle is at the early outset of the horse showing some anxiety, ride around the obstacle in a circle, or riding back and forth in a line parallel from the obstacle.

 When you turn or change directions, turn the horse into the obstacle. Do this back and forth with some energy stopping the horse at the closet point to the obstacle after you have turned him to face it. Then do circles or back and forth again this time a little closer, repeat the stopping and facing at the closet point. He'll discover that his rest point is closet to the obstacle and start getting used to it.

A common obstacle for challenges is dragging a bag of noise making tin cans, see pictures above. It is the rare horse who has never done something of the sort to accept a rider pulling a noisy bag towards them or dragging it behind them.

From the beginnings of getting a horse halter broke, I begin spinning lead ropes around a horse as I am leading them on a halter. Even the spookiest horses will soon get comfortable at this. Start as far away as you can then get gradually closer based on the horse's acceptance. A mistake people make is to stop spinning the rope if the horse spooks. Or they stop whatever they are doing.  You are then teaching the horse that moving away or avoiding it makes that pressure go away. Instead, once the horse stops his feet moving then reward him by stopping the pressure of the spinning rope. Give him a minute to absorb what just happened then begin again. As you go along, ask for more. More maybe asking him to show signs of relaxation - head drops, ears relaxed, body tension gone, cocked back foot, etc., before you remove the pressure.   

Then you can proceed to flip the rope over his body, around his front legs, around his butt and back end all desensitizing the horse to this feel. This is really necessary in case your horse turns as you are dragging or pulling a object and the rope pulls taunt across his butt or hocks. I've seen a rider start to drag a bag towards them only to have the horse turn into the rope placing it across his butt causing him to bolt forward and rider get un-seated. This type of desensitizing is also necessary to prepare your horse for getting caught in wire - you sure don't him blowing if that happens.

One method for helping a nervous horse overcome fear or anxiety on a drag bag or similar object is to have someone pull the object walking away from you so you can follow along on horseback. This helps to build the horse's confidence. Just like you would do when exposing a horse to cattle for the first time, as cows will move away from you just like horses in a herd will move away from a dominant horse. As you follow the dragging object you can get closer and closer, have your helper stop so you can let him approach and drop his nose onto the object. It may take several stop and go's, but you'll be able to tell when your horse becomes relaxes, even becomes disinterested, understanding that the bag is no threat. I would do this first before I would attempt dragging something towards him.   

Much has been written about building a partnership with your horse. I have no doubt it is a partnership, where you develop a level of comfort between each other, and contrary to what some people believe, actually mutual trust.   It is a fragile thing. You have to protect it. But it is not an equal partnership. You have to be the leader. In the absence of a leader, the horse will step up and assume that role. And if you ask the horse, he will always reserve that right! As this pertains to doing obstacles, one description of leadership is to get someone to think your idea is theirs then get them to execute like it was their idea. I think this is kind of leadership most, if not all, horse to human relationships need.