Training Tip: Must-Have Obstacles: Curtain

Having obstacles to work your horse over keeps training sessions fun and interesting for you and him. Plus, it allows you to work on practical skills you’ll need when you’re out exploring trails.

If you’ve got a set budget to work with or only a limited area in which to build a course, there are six obstacles that’ll get you the most bang for your training. The first obstacle I recommend is a log circle, the second is a small gully, both of which I’ve covered in previous articles, and the third is a curtain or sometimes called a cowboy curtain.

Exposes: How your horse handles objects moving above his eye level and touching his body. Asking your horse to walk through an object that moves and makes a noise the way the curtain does will take a great deal of confidence on his part.

As prey animals, horses are naturally wary of anything that moves and makes a noise. On top of that, depending on the style of the curtain, he may not be able to see where you’re sending him. For all he knows, a lion could be waiting for him on the other side of the curtain.

While the curtain will most certainly cause the horse to want to revert to the reactive side of his brain and hone in on his prey animal “flight or fight” mentality, you’ll need to help him use the thinking side of his brain to calmly and confidently go through the obstacle.

Dimensions: I wanted my curtain to be big enough for two people to work their horses through at the same time. So it stands 20 feet high by 24 feet wide. The curtains are heavy-duty PVC vinyl strips used to separate doorways in warehouses. You can make your own cowboy curtain as big and as fancy as you wish. Just keep in mind that the smaller the curtain frame is and the narrower it is, the scarier it is for your horse because it makes him feel more trapped and claustrophobic. You can use just about any safe object for your curtains, including tarps, pool noodles, carpet strips, etc.

Practical Application: If your horse is confident about walking through the curtain, he won’t have an issue with low-hanging branches and vines on the trail.

Looking for more training tips? Check out the No Worries Club. Have a training question? Send it to us at [email protected].