Hoops are handy obstacles to use for teaching a variety of skills. They are easy to set up and store. We can use them in numerous contexts. They can help us achieve a variety of objectives. For example:

Handler:

• Identify prerequisites for each exercise.
• Practice thin-slicing the tasks.
• Practice writing a training (shaping) plan for each configuration.
• Hone our timing of the click.
• Make our signals as clear and consistent as possible.

Horse:

• Develop foot awareness.
• Gives a defined spot to learn the ‘wait’.
• Generalize signals (cues) to new situations.
• New puzzles to work through – mental stimulation.
• Flexion exercises.

Boots and I have played with hoops on and off for quite a while, as in the following video clips.  For a 15hh horse hoops about one metre across work well for trotting through, but we also use smaller ones for some of the other activities.

The hoops are made with plastic water pipe with the ends held together either with the right-sized twig pushed into the ends or a stretch of hose either one size smaller to fit inside the ends or one size larger to form a sleeve across the ends. To make them more visible I wound electrical tape around them.

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Clip 5