Ease of Handling 101: Your Guide to Working Equitation Obstacles
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Whether you're a seasoned competitor or just starting out, mastering the diverse obstacles in the Ease of Handling test (EOH) is key to a successful performance.
In this article, we'll delve into each obstacle, exploring execution, common difficulties, and severe faults to steer clear of.
What are The obstacles in the “Ease of Handling” event?
The Ease of Handling test is one of the 4 different trials in a Working Equitation competition.
It features 10 to 15 of the following obstacles:
The bridge, a wooden structure to cross at a steady pace
The figure 8, consisting of 2 barrels
The pen, a circular enclosure with a narrow entrance
The jug, where you pick up an object from a barrel or table and place it back
The straight slalom or single slalom, where you weave through a series of posts set up in a single line. The double slalom has two parallel lines of posts for a more complex weaving pattern.
The gate needs to be opened so you can pass through, and close it behind you
The jump is a low jump, often a strawbale or pole
The bell corridor is set in a small corridor and the obstacle consists of going through the corridor and ringing the bell. Alternatively, the bell corridor can have an L-shaped reinback after ringing the bell.
In the sidepass rail, the horse moves laterally over a raised pole without touching said pole
The drums or clover leaf obstacle consists of three drums to be circled in a clover leaf pattern
The water ditch needs to be crossed, again at a steady pace
The bank is a raised platform the horse must step up on or down from (or both!).
For the garrocha obstacle, you pick up a long pole (garrocha) from a barrel, carry it while executing a pattern or obstacle, and then replace it. Often, the rider is asked to spear a small ring using the garrocha
The rounded posts obstacle has you enter a corridor between posts to pick up a cup - then rein back in reverse slalom to place the cup on a post
The Bridge
The bridge obstacle requires the horse to cross a wooden structure, typically 3-4 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. The horse should maintain a steady pace, at a walk, and cross the bridge without hesitation.
Main difficulties:
Some horses may be hesitant to step on an unfamiliar surface
Maintaining balance and rhythm while crossing
Mistakes to avoid:
Not performing the obstacle at a walk
Severe resistance or hesitation
Stepping outside of the entry/exit markers
The Figure 8
This obstacle consists of two barrels placed at a set distance apart. The rider must guide the horse in a figure-eight pattern around the barrels.
Main difficulties:
Executing precise circles of equal size
Performing a smooth lead change or transition between the barrels (depending on the category)
Mistakes to avoid:
Incorrect leads, failing to change lead
Uneven circle sizes
Touching or knocking over the barrels
The Pen
The pen is a circular enclosure with a narrow entrance. The rider must enter the pen, perform a full 360-degree turn, exit, change hand with a half-pirouette, change lead and re-enter the obstacle going in the opposite direction.
Main difficulties:
Maintaining gait, balance and bend throughout
Keeping the horse calm and confident
Mistakes to avoid:
Trotting in the Pen
Severe resistance
Errors in rhythm
Error when making the flying change
The Jug
This obstacle involves picking up a jug (or similar object) from a barrel or table, lifting it up and placing it down, while keeping the horse still.
Main difficulties:
Maintaining the horse's stillness while handling the jug
Riding a smooth transition to approach the table
Mistakes to avoid:
Dropping the jug or knocking over the table
Lack of immobility at the halt
Poor transition
The Single Slalom (Straight Slalom)
This is a series of posts set in a straight line that the horse and rider must weave through, maintaining rhythm and bend through the turns and always staying on the correct lead.
Main difficulties:
Keeping symmetry and precision of the bending line
Changing bend and lead at each change of direction, in the line and midway between the posts. The horse’s lead and bend should be in conformity with the turn.
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching or knocking down posts
Breaking gait
Incorrect bend through turns
Incorrect change of lead
The Gate
The rider must open a gate, pass through it and close it without letting it go.
Main difficulties:
Coordinating horse and rider movements while manipulating the gate
Maintaining position relative to the gate
Mistakes to avoid:
Letting go of the gate
Failure to properly close the gate
The Jump
A small jump, typically made of straw bales or a pole, that the horse must clear.
Main difficulties:
Approaching at the correct pace and distance
Maintaining balance over the jump
Mistakes to avoid:
Knocking down the jump
Refusals or run-outs
The Bell Corridor
A narrow corridor where the rider must reach out to ring a bell at the end, then back out of the corridor.
Main difficulties:
Precise steering in a confined space
Backing straight out of the corridor
Mistakes to avoid:
Knocking over the sides of the corridor
Failure to ring the bell
Crooked or rushed backing
The Bell with a Reinback L
Similar to the bell corridor, but with an L-shaped reinback after ringing the bell.
Main difficulties:
Maintaining straightness while backing
Executing a smooth 90° turn while backing
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching or knocking over the sides of the corridor
Forward steps
Resistance to backing
The Sidepass Rail
The horse must move laterally over a raised rail or pole without touching it, in the required direction.
Main difficulties:
Crossing the legs smoothly without loss of rhythm
Bending the horse in the direction of travel
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching or knocking down the rail
Forward or backward steps
Loss of lateral movement
Going in the wrong direction
The Double Slalom
Similar to the single slalom, but with two parallel lines of posts that create a more complex weaving pattern. The horse must perform half turns of consistent size around the posts, then follow a straight line, change lead halfway between the two lines of posts, and start the next half turn.
Main difficulties:
Maintaining consistent bend and rhythm
Executing tight turns around each pole
Executing flying changes, preferably using the same number of strides between the flying changes
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching or knocking over poles
Breaking gait
Failure to change lead
Inconsistent distance from poles
The Drums or Clover Leaf
This obstacle consists of three drums positioned at the three points of an equilateral triangle, which the horse and rider must circle in a clover leaf pattern.
Main difficulties:
Making three round, even circles
Maintaining the same rhythm
Keeping the correct bend and lead throughout
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching the drum
Oval or flattened circle shape
Incorrect bend
Failure to change lead
The Water Ditch
A shallow water ditch that the horse must walk or canter through without hesitation.
Main difficulties:
Encouraging the horse to step into the water confidently
Maintaining a steady pace through the water
Mistakes to avoid:
Refusal to enter the water
Rushing through or jumping over the water
The Bank
A raised platform that the horse must step up onto or down from (or both!).
Main difficulties:
Maintaining gait and rhythm on uneven terrain
Encouraging the horse to step up or down confidently
Mistakes to avoid:
Hesitation or refusal
Loss of straightness or balance
The Garrocha (Pole)
The rider must pick up a long pole (garrocha) from a barrel, carry it while executing a simple pattern (like spearing a ring), and then replace it.
Main difficulties:
Handling a long object while driving the horse with one hand
Maintaining balance and coordination
Mistakes to avoid:
Dropping the pole
Incorrect hand placement
Failure to complete the associated task (e.g. missing the ring)
skewering a Ring
Using the garrocha, the rider must spear a small ring. Often, the ring is affixed atop the cutout of a bull as a test of the horse’s confidence and to honor the tradition of working cattle on horseback.
Main difficulties:
Staying on the right lead/bend (If the rider is carrying the pole in the right hand, and vice versa)
Maintaining gait
Mistakes to avoid:
Dropping the pole
Lack of straightness
Change in cadence of the gait or breaking gait
Incorrect bend or canter on the incorrect lead
Rounding Posts
The rider must
Enter a corridor of 6 posts
Halt between the end posts to pick up a cup
Rein back in a reverse slalom around the middle post on the side of the corridor from which the cup was removed
Deposit the cup on the post at the corridor entrance that corresponds with the side from which the cup was retrieved.
Main difficulties:
Showing stillness when picking up the cup
Maintaining a steady rhythm while backing up around the middle post
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching or knocking down posts
Resistance or poor quality of reinback (loss of diagonals)
Lack of immobility at the halt
Switching Cup
The rider must halt between 2 posts, remove a cup from the post where it is set, place it on the other post, and then immediately exit the obstacle, proceeding forward at the prescribed gait.
Main difficulties:
Maintaining stillness when switching the cup
Riding a smooth transition to enter and exit
Mistakes to avoid:
Touching or knocking down posts
Dropping cup
Lack of immobility at the halt
Additional tips for the Ease of Handling test
Remember that the specific requirements and difficulties (especially when it comes to gait) may vary depending on the level you’re competing at and the specific rules of the organizing body.
By mastering these obstacles, working equitation riders demonstrate their ability to handle real-world situations with skill and finesse.
The key to success in this discipline is patience, practice, and developing a strong partnership with your horse.
Explore our Working Equitation courses to learn more about the different obstacles and how to master this fun and versatile discipline!
