Handy Pony - what tasks to expect?

[Dubsie]

Just got a schedule through for a local show, and there's a 'Handy Pony' competition. 'Horses and ponies to complete a
course of obstacles against the clock' Now I am sure the trend of the tasks will have changed since I was a teenager, so aside from popping a few jumps, stopping to pick up a few items, collecting and carrying some water, and opening and shutting a gate (so long ago I can't remember really!), what else can my daughter expect these days?
Thanks!

 

[Natch]

I still do it as an adult! Good bombproofing practice for ponies of all ages!

Bending poles: sometimes with one hand on head
Dismount and remount on wrong side
Duck fishing
Washing line, hanging and gathering of various clothes
Walk over carpet or tarpaulin
Back into a little space (cones or similar)
Pick up and rattle a tambourine or open an umbrella
Throwing balls into a bucket
ad adendum
Usually all against a background of baloons and/or bunting or scary flappy tape.

Have fun!

 

[silverbreeze]

leading through a trailer
mounting on the wrong side
Carrying a cup of water from one point to another

I too think this is a great class and overlooked far too much; it teaches children so much about conditioning their horses and horse behaviour and understanding in general but it is done in a fun way.
Either that or they get thoroughly embarassed and tanked off with!! (my first experience of handy pony didn't go too well!)

 

[Natch]

[ QUOTE ]
(my first experience of handy pony didn't go too well!)

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine - bear in mind I was 22 I think, involved a small jump, and a truly candid camera moment. The small jump was surrounded by a small arena, and since it was the first obstacle, I requested to trot into the arena to give poor F, who hadn't done a single pole since coming back into work, a run up to it to be in with a chance of him hopefully going over, not through it.

The judge called out "watch out, here comes a fast one" and so in we went where he stopped dead and stared at the 6 inch monster, then proceeded to very carefully, slowly and deliberately drag each foot THROUGH the poles, dismantling the jump so completely that the judge (beside himself with laughter, as were my so called "supporters" with the video tape) had to move the poles and wings out of the way for me to be able to reach the next obstacle

This was shortly followed by a spooky pony leg yielding away from the washing line, with me grimly holding on for dear life: to the washing line!

 

[Dubsie]

This is great thanks, please do keep the ideas coming! Need to practise the bending and we've not tried carrying water yet, walking over a tarpaulin would be good we can leave it there and turn it into a water jump, which we also need to practise - she did a working pony class last week and took the jump to the side of the water (was a choice), but got her over the kegs of beer which neither had met before OK !

It is SO up the pony's street - our house is chaos as it is, with chickens and dogs, all manner of random farm equipment dotted about the place and a veritable obstacle course anyway eg to get to the field the short way is under the car port and squeeze down the side of a lorry into our back garden. Plus we keep accidentally testing her out - yesterday OH started the strimmer within feet of her practising jumping 3ft (which she did despite lanky daughter's foot hitting the pole).

 

[YorksG]

I set up the handy pony course at our last show, which was, bending poles, picking up a letter from out of the wall, posting it in a post box (made by me

) Picking a flag out of one bin and putting it another. The next obstacle didn't work as well as it should have as the brushes kep tbreaking

It was a blue tarpaulin, with shavings on, rider had to get off and sweep the shavings from one end to the other, while holding the horse. Then a small jump and then standing in a 'box' (made of jump bits. and then the end

A good day was had by all and we time, but also give penalties for bits missed, 'refused' etc.