Why Obstacles?
Working horses over obstacles builds trust and confidence and will strengthen even the strongest of partnerships. The horse learns he can face new, and potentially unsettling situations and live if he follows your lead. We learn to trust our horse as his bravery grows. As confidence abounds, so does the partnership we share with our horses. Plus, it’s just fun!
How do obstacles challenge us?
To successfully navigate obstacles with our horses, we must improve our horsemanship in all four key areas. That means we must master our ability to influence our horses, as well as control our own Speed, Direction, Body, and Emotions. By improving our horsemanship in these areas we become laser focused and more tuned into our horses than ever before; as a result, our timing and feel improve and we are able to navigate our horses ON, OVER, UNDER, and THROUGH any obstacle in their path.
Our Obstacle Course
The obstacle course at Flying P Ranch spans 1.25 acres and contains a combination of IMTCA, Trail Trial, and Extreme Cowboy style obstacles. Permanent obstacles are located outside of our arenas in a dedicated but versatile course, while many adjustable obstacles have the flexibility to be set up inside or outside of an arena, obstacle descriptions below have the specifics. Our obstacle course is nestled safely within our fully fenced and secure property. All obstacles have been designed and built to be “Thunder Proof;” in other words, these obstacles hold their own against our 2,000 lbs Clydesdale.
How do you determine an obstacle's difficulty?
Obstacles increase in difficulty over five levels, L1-5. Ratings are determined by how many parts of Horsemanship (Speed, Direction, Body, and Emotional Influence) are required to complete the challenge, as well as by the way a horse must navigate the challenge (On, Over, Under, and Through). Please keep in mind that ratings are subjective as each horse and rider combination is unique; what may be a L1 obstacle for one, could be a L5 for another. Consider our ratings as recommendations and approach each obstacle as if it were an L5.
Working horses over obstacles builds trust and confidence and will strengthen even the strongest of partnerships. The horse learns he can face new, and potentially unsettling situations and live if he follows your lead. We learn to trust our horse as his bravery grows. As confidence abounds, so does the partnership we share with our horses. Plus, it’s just fun!
How do obstacles challenge us?
To successfully navigate obstacles with our horses, we must improve our horsemanship in all four key areas. That means we must master our ability to influence our horses, as well as control our own Speed, Direction, Body, and Emotions. By improving our horsemanship in these areas we become laser focused and more tuned into our horses than ever before; as a result, our timing and feel improve and we are able to navigate our horses ON, OVER, UNDER, and THROUGH any obstacle in their path.
Our Obstacle Course
The obstacle course at Flying P Ranch spans 1.25 acres and contains a combination of IMTCA, Trail Trial, and Extreme Cowboy style obstacles. Permanent obstacles are located outside of our arenas in a dedicated but versatile course, while many adjustable obstacles have the flexibility to be set up inside or outside of an arena, obstacle descriptions below have the specifics. Our obstacle course is nestled safely within our fully fenced and secure property. All obstacles have been designed and built to be “Thunder Proof;” in other words, these obstacles hold their own against our 2,000 lbs Clydesdale.
How do you determine an obstacle's difficulty?
Obstacles increase in difficulty over five levels, L1-5. Ratings are determined by how many parts of Horsemanship (Speed, Direction, Body, and Emotional Influence) are required to complete the challenge, as well as by the way a horse must navigate the challenge (On, Over, Under, and Through). Please keep in mind that ratings are subjective as each horse and rider combination is unique; what may be a L1 obstacle for one, could be a L5 for another. Consider our ratings as recommendations and approach each obstacle as if it were an L5.
Our Rating Scale
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Level 1 (L1) Suitable for all levels. Tests Horse &/or Rider in 1 area.
Level 2 (L2) Challenging for novices. Tests Horse & Rider in 1 area each. Level 3 (L3) Challenging for most. Tests Horse & Rider in 1-2 areas each. Level 4 (L4) Challenging for advanced levels. Tests Horse & Rider in 3+ areas. Level 5 (L5) The most advanced obstacles that Include a ‘spook’ factor. |
