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In 2012 we joined the

International Horse Agility Club

so that we can take part in horse agility competitions.
It's similar to dog agility but with horse obstacles you can make yourself and, best of all,
we can compete from home using video recordings that we send via Youtube.

Click here for the Horse Agility Club website

You can see the Donkeys in action in the real films we have entered for the competition. 
Go to our eeore blog at www.clovellydonkeys.blogspot.co.uk and click the links to the films.

The International Horse Agility Club runs a competition every month by videos uploaded to YouTube. You download a course from the club and set up the obstacles at home, practice as much as you can then find a kind person to film you going round the course.

Then you upload your film to YouTube and your effort is marked by the Club. There are 10 marks for each obstacle - five for completing the obstacle correctly and 5 for good horsemanship. As you get more skilled you move up the league and compete at higher levels.

The Club also runs live events where people bring their horses for a day of competition on obstacles set up by the club.
It can be great fun to play on obstacles you don't have at home !

The Club's aim is to help people have *~*FUN*~* with their horses and improve their horsemanship along the way.

The Obstacles

All the obstacles are designed to be made at home for very little cost.
We started with just a few fence poles but it's amazing how many things we have managed to make, find, recyle  and invent !

POLES

Poles have a hundred uses ! 

Backing over a pole - Sammy should go back smoothly without touching the pole.

Peter knocks the pole but goes back better and Sue is'nt moving HER feet, or waving the rope around !

Sammy should go back willingly and smoothly without touching either pole.

<<< Not bad for Pierre!

>>> Charlie is not so keen today.

Pierre does very well at the L bend.

The Bends.

Go through the poles without touching them. The handler should always keep a loose rope with a smile in it !

Charlie does it with no rope at all !

<<<
The U bend

>>>
The S bend

We have a lot of trouble with the S bend because the donkeys can't see the point of going back the way they have just come !

Sammy did this very well without knocking the poles and keeping the smile in the rope.

Charlie and Noah

Jumping !

The donkeys are not fast people so we always loose marks because they like to walk over the jump.

ah well.....one day ?

Charlie and Noah are not on the lead though.

Well done Kiwi - this is 'coon - jumping'.Some donkeys like doing this. For full marks we should have gone over the jump together.

Pierre

<<< Very good Sammy and Sue - now we just need a bit more speed.

Sammy likes knocking the pole off with his nose !

The Narrow Gap

The gap is a 'through' obstacle and can be made from anything but barrels are very useful.The donkeys should wait before the gap and then follow through when asked so that the handler doesn't get squashed going through. Horses are often wary of narrow spaces so it's a test of their obedience and trust in the handler. Donkeys don't usually have trouble here.

Pierre - Sue looses a mark for 'tight rope' here.

Charlie and Noah following off the lead again - we were very pleased with them !

The Scary Corner and Strip Curtain

More 'through' obstacles showing trust in the handler. The horse should pass through calmly on a loose rope and side by side with the handler

The Big Hoop

The bottom of the hoop can be raised and lowered.
It's made of plastic plumbing bits and soil-drain pipe.

Noah shows Charlie how to walk through- good horses jump through.

The Tarpaulin

This is an 'over' obstacle and is very versatile as you can put other obstacles on top of it to make it more challenging.
It is also a good start to teaching horses to cross water.

This is what the donkeys think of tarpaulins.

Naughty things !

Giffy, Sarah, Peter and Charlie

Do you think they are scared of it ?

Flags are supposed to be scary too but Charlie and Sammy are not too bothered.

Planks Bridges and See-Saws

Noah is a star at the see-saw even though it was the first time he had seen one

This starts off as a plank on the ground and when they are happy to walk over and then on it you put the log in the middle so that it will tip.

Safety First !! The plank must be long enough for the horse or he will catch his back feet on it when it tips. This is about right for Noah but too short for a horse.

You can put the plank on two stands to make a bridge or use two to make ramps up to a platform.

To see the complete films click here to go to OUR BLOG blog and follow the links to the videos.

Hula-Hoops

This looks a very simple obstacle - if you think so just go and try it with your horse !

First the horse should step cleanly into the hoop and then stand while the handler does various tasks.

Sometimes we manage it, sometimes we don't !

Noah gets one foot in........

Charlie stands on the edge........

Pedestals

Baby Kiwi and Pierre LOVE standing on things so pedestals are their favourite toys. It can be quite difficult to get them off to do other things!

Gffy and Kiwi sunbathing

Peter and Kiwi

Pierre's favourite log

The Cones

Cones are great fun for everyone - if you can get some ! We were lucky and got some on ebay.
They can be used for weaving, marking things out and holding down the tarpaulin.

Horse and handler should weave through the cones smoothly together keeping the smile in the rope.

That's Charlie at the back and Noah at the front.

See the real film  follow the links on our eeore-blog at www.clovellydonkeys.blogspot.co.uk

Of course donkeys love to play with cones too.....

and big balls.....

Charlie

Peter

>>>>>> SAFETY FIRST !  <<<<<<

If you want to have a go with your horse or donkey make sure you keep yourself safe !

Try little things first, use approach and retreat, take lots of advice, join the International Horse Agility Club and remember that horses are very strong, very heavy and likely to take fright at anything new.

Be careful and make it FUN for your horse or donkey.

Click here to go to the International Horse Agility Club website

The Donkeys