What Is Horse Agility? How a Deaf Mustang Named Renata Learned It with Hand Signals

What is horse agility?

Horse agility is a sport where you lead your horse through an obstacle course while you walk on the ground beside it. Nobody sits on the horse, so it's a lot like dog agility, only with a much bigger partner.

This month, a deaf mustang mare named Renata made the news in this sport. She can't hear her handler's voice, yet she won a junior class in an international online contest.

Meet Renata, the deaf mustang who won

Renata is a 15-year-old mare from the Little Book Cliffs herd, a group of wild horses that live in the canyons and plateaus northeast of Grand Junction, Colorado. She lives at Grand Valley Horse Rescue in Mesa County, Colorado.

According to The Slope, a local news site, Renata and her young handler won the junior class of the International Horse Agility Club's Summer of Sport contest. The club posted its Summer of Sport 2026 results on Sept. 7, and KJCT8 News also covered the win on Oct. 6, 2026.

How the rescue found out she was deaf

Renata first came to the rescue in 2022 and was adopted by a family within a month. About three years later that adoption didn't work out, and she came back to the rescue in July 2025 because of training difficulties.

That's when staff discovered she was deaf.

Hand signals instead of words

The trainers stopped using spoken cues and switched to hand signals. The Slope reports that Renata learned the new system quickly and became more outgoing and eager to work.

Her young handler joined the rescue's horsemanship program about four months after Renata came back. Within about six weeks of meeting, the two finished their first agility course together, on Dec. 24, 2025.

The Slope also reports that the rescue is having money trouble. That comes from one news report.

How do horses understand hand signals?

Horses are experts at reading bodies. In the wild, they "talk" to each other mostly with ears, heads, tails and how they move, not with sounds.

Scientists have tested this with people, too:

• A 2017 University of Sussex study found horses could tell a relaxed, slouched body posture from a tall, spread-out one, even with people they had never met. They were more likely to walk up to the relaxed person.
• Another Sussex study found adult horses can read subtle human body cues, while horses under 3 years old mostly couldn't. That suggests horses learn to read us with experience.

That's great news for a deaf horse. Her eyes, and her feel for where you stand and how you move, can do the job her ears can't.

Training a horse with hand signals: the basics

Trainers who work with deaf horses often keep their signals simple:

• Use the same signal every time. For example, an open palm raised could mean "stop."
• Stay where the horse can see you. A deaf horse can't hear you coming, so let her see you before you touch her.
• Let your body match your hand. Walking forward with energy means "go"; stopping your feet and breathing out means "whoa."
• Reward the try. A rub on the neck tells her she got it right.

These same tips help hearing horses, too. Lots of handlers find their horse watches them more closely than it listens.

How the International Horse Agility Club works

The International Horse Agility Club was started in 2009 by a British horsewoman named Vanessa Bee. The Slope says the club is based in Gloucestershire, in the United Kingdom.

Because members live all over the world, most competitions happen by video. Here's how it works:

1. A new course comes out each month. The club shares a course plan showing which obstacles to use and in what order.
2. You build it at home. Renata's team set up each month's course right at the rescue in Colorado.
3. You practice, then film. A phone camera is fine.
4. You send in your video. It's judged against entries from around the world, and you get feedback and your placing.

The club offers courses on a lead rope, at liberty (no rope at all) and even some ridden ones. Most beginners start on the lead rope. A 2022 Horse Canada article described six levels of lead-rope courses, from Starter upward, and walk-only courses too.

The Zyta's Legacy Award

The club gives a special prize called the Zyta's Legacy Award to teams that enter every single monthly contest. According to The Slope, fewer than 7% of entrants earn it.

Renata and her young handler were reported as on track for it. They still have to keep entering every month to get it.

Is it about winning?

Not really. The sport is about building trust between horses and people, and Horse Canada reported that trust is always rewarded, even if an obstacle doesn't go perfectly. Whips and sticks aren't allowed.

Horse agility obstacles you'll see

Courses use everyday objects that might look scary to a horse. Here are some horse agility obstacles you might see or practice with:

Some courses also include a hoop, a gate or tasks like picking up a foot.

Why any horse can try it

One of the best things about horse agility is who can do it. Because nobody rides, older horses, small ponies, miniature horses, donkeys, mules and horses with special needs can all join in.

Renata shows that a horse with a disability can still shine. A calm senior horse or a retired horse that can't be ridden anymore can also enjoy the puzzle.

And you don't have to be a great rider. Agility is all groundwork, so kids who are still learning to ride can practice real horsemanship.

How kids can start horse agility safely

Horses are big and can spook, even when they're being good. Before you try any obstacle, check this list.

Safety checklist

• An adult is always there. A grown-up who knows horses should stand nearby for every session.
• Choose a calm, gentle horse. Ask the owner or instructor which horse is best for kids.
• Wear a helmet and sturdy boots. A riding helmet protects your head, and boots protect your toes if a hoof lands on them.
• Hold the lead rope the right way. Never wrap it around your hand or arm. Keep the extra rope folded in your other hand.
• Stand on the horse's left side, by its neck. Don't walk directly in front of your horse.
• Use a safe, fenced area. Flat ground, no clutter and no other loose horses.

Our horse safety guide for kids and the safety page have more tips.

Your first agility steps

1. Practice walking and stopping. Your horse should walk beside you and stop when you stop.
2. Lay one pole on the ground. Walk over it together, slowly.
3. Add cones. Set up three or four and weave through them.
4. Make a "narrow gap." Two buckets or barrels a safe distance apart are enough.
5. Keep sessions short. About 15 minutes is plenty, and end on a good try.

If your horse looks worried, with its head high, eyes wide and ears stiff, go back to an easier step. Getting your horse to trust an obstacle is the real win.

What it costs

You can practice for free with things you already have, like poles, cones and buckets. If you want to enter the club's online contests, the club's Join the Club page lists its basic adult membership at £37.50 a year and junior membership (for ages 16 and under) at £22.50 a year. Prices can change, so check the club's site.

What to watch next

• More monthly courses. The club keeps posting new courses, so Renata's team can keep entering.
• The Zyta's Legacy Award. If Renata and her young handler enter every month, they could join the small group who earn it. That hasn't been announced yet.
• Your own course. Try building a mini agility course at your barn this month and practice with an adult.

Want to learn more about horses like Renata? Read our guide to adopting a horse, try more groundwork exercises or check out fun horse facts for kids. Grown-ups can find more ideas on the parents and teachers page.