Working Equitation at Home

The Barrels

Two "barrels" are used, placed 4 metres apart measured from the centre of each barrel.

For training you can use blocks, kegs, milk churns or any other object that is safe to ride around. Obviously if you have barrels / drums, whether wooden, metal, or plastic you can use those so long as they are safe to use.

In the training video we have used jump blocks as demonstration.

At advanced the distance is reduced to 3 metres between barrels.

There is a three barrel configuration used at higher levels that we have not covered here.

The Bridge

The bridge would normally be the most expensive investment you made if you bought an official obstacle. However, using a piece or two of rubber matting, a couple of poles and some blocks you can make a very acceptable training version. 

A bridge for competition should be 2 metres in length, 1.5 metres wide and 20cm high in the centre. 

You can simulate the noise of a wooden competition bridge with a piece of thick ply as your bridge surface. You should ensure that the timber sheet is thick enough and strong enough to withstand a horse walking on it safely.

The Reinback Bell

For training you will need to create a straight channel using two jump poles raised off the ground and 2 metres apart. The poles should be able to fall and roll away if knocked. You can use pole pods (https://amzn.to/4ia7jAB), or just small blocks of wood to sit your poles on.

For training it is not essential to have a bell to ring. Place a wing or jump stand at the right hand far end of your channel to represent where a bell would be hanging.

A 90 degree channel is used at Inter A, Inter B, Junior International and Advanced. This is not currently covered in our training.

The Pen

The pen can be easily created using poles on the ground. Your outer circle of the pen must be 6 metres across. Ensure you get as much of an even circle as possible even if using straight poles. Leave an entrance / exit to your pen with a gap of approaximately 2 metres in your outer circle.

The inner circle should be 3 metres across leaving a 1.5 metre track acound your pen. For training it might be difficult to get the 3 metre inner circle using what you have to hand and so a smaller central circle will be ok. You can use a collection of blocks or cones to be the centre.

The Jug

The Jug obstacle can be built in a number of different ways. The obstacle requires a stable platform to sit a jug on that can be reached by a rider from their horse. The platform should be a minimum of 1 metre high. You can use a bird table, a barrel or, as shown in the video, a keg sat on two jump blocks. The most important thing is the platform must be stable so that there is no danger of it falling over when the jug is lifted and put back down.

The Switch Cup

Place two posts or uprights 1.5 metres apart. Ideally the posts should be thin enough in diameter to be able to place a plastic or metal cup upsidedown over the top of the post. If you don't have posts thin enough you can use a much larger vessel such as an upturned plastic jug.

The Jump

The ease of handling and speed rounds have a single, small jump. 

At competition, regardless of the level, the highest the jump will ever be is a pole sat on top of a standard straw bale on its edge.

Don't worry about getting a straw bale for practice, you can just use a couple of poles and a filler if you feel like it. At lower Junior levels the jump is sometimes a small cross pole. 

The Sideways Pole

This is possibly the obstacle that will need the most practice to perfect.

A jump pole sat off the ground on small wooden blocks or polepods (https://amzn.to/4ia7jAB) so that it can roll off is all that is needed. 

There are more advanced versions of this obstacle, including parralel poles or an 'L' shaped pole. This training covers the single, straight pole.

The Vara Pickup & Return

The 'Vara' or 'Garrocha' as it is called in some countries, is the long wooden pole used to remove the ring from the bull. 

The pickup of the vara from a 'barrel' type receptacle and the return to either another barrel or the same one are key skill elements of the bull line. Getting the pickup wrong can effect you ability to get the ring and therefore is important to practice.

When practicing at home, it is not necessary to have either barrels or an official vara. As with all our training exercises you can recreate a safe alternative.

The first item to find is a barrel style receptacle. Alternatives options to an open topped barrel can be a feed bin (plastic or metal), a large trash can, a domestic wheelie bin, or even a tall cardboard box from a large delivery. Most important is to make sure there are no sharp edges should you ride too close and touch it, and that it is tall enough to take the length of your vara without falling over.

Your vara, or garrocha, can be made of wood, or plastic, or metal. An official vara is similar to a long broom handle. You can therefore use a long broom handle, a length of plastic pipe, or a bamboo garden cane. Hardware stores will be able to provide a piece of wooden dowel or a length of pipe. The diameter of your vara should be about 4cm or 1.5 inches. It should be able to be held in one hand easily. The length can be between 1.8m (6ft) and 2.4m (10ft). This isn't an official length and so if you can't find a suitable item at 1.8m long, something shorter will be fine. What is important is that it is long enough for you to reach from your horse when it is in your 'barrel'. You should be able to put your hand on it and pick it up without having to reach down too far.