Training Equipment

So you want to train your animal. What equipment will you need? Obviously it depends on the species, and what you're training it to do.



Here, you can see me training an ex-racehorse, using Parelli Natural Horsemanship to introduce her to the idea of jumping, as she had been a flat-racer.

The halter, the line, the stick, the cavalleto (little fence) - they are all specifically designed for use with horses, and I wouldn't dream of skimping on them. If you're training a horse, there's no way round it - you need specialist equipment. Using makeshift tools can be dangerous, for you and the horse.

But what about smaller animals? Is there a cheaper, hassle-free alternative to buying lots of expensive training equipment for, let's say, a dog? Absolutely! The only limit to what you can use is your imagination, and of course safety - as long as it's not going to hurt your dog in any way, you can probably use it in your training.

Keeping on the theme of jumping, imagine you've seen flyball on Crufts, and are longing to give it a go with your dog - but you don't have any hurdles, and those flyball boxes look very expensive. Improvise! Try making hurdles out of whatever you have lying around the garden, and to stand in for a flyball box, you could have a mat and a friend. Teach your dog to jump the hurdles and touch the mat, which your friend will take as a cue to throw the ball in the air - dog catches it and returns to you over the hurdles. There you go - your dog now knows the idea of flyball, and when you finally manage to find a flyball group in your area, they will be amazed by how quickly (s)he gets the hang of it!

Use your imagination, be creative but always safe.. and have fun with your training!