Thomas A. Knott, Dolores Oden Cooper Home Desk Guide to Dog Training

When I arrived, everyone was waiting for me. Naturally, the people were friendly, and yet they were eager to see how I handled the Doberman.

I brought with me a special retrieval item with a removable side panel, on the central part of which a piece of metal pipe was placed.

At the beginning of the seminar, I gave the Doberman an ordinary fetch. He stood rooted to the spot and stood tense for about half an hour. I didn't pay attention to him and continued my studies. Finally, he gave up the fetch.

I picked it up, exchanged it for mine and gave it to him. He again grabbed the retrieval object and froze. I commanded “Give”, but he didn’t even bat an eye. Then I removed one side and used the other to pull the wooden part of the aport out of his mouth. The Doberman was shocked! It didn't hurt, but it definitely didn't like having some kind of metal pipe in its mouth.

After that, when I gave him the usual fetch and commanded “Give”, the Doberman immediately let him go. There were no more problems with him.

Chapter Twelve

Retrieval with unsupported jump over a blind barrier

This technique requires the dog to jump over a blind barrier, pick up the retrieval object, jump back and sit in front of the trainer. As stated above, she should sit close enough that the handler does not have to reach or step forward. Then, on command, the dog moves to the “Nearby” position.

At competitions using the AKC system, the trainer gives a minimum of commands, the first being “Sit, wait.” Then, when the trainer throws the object over the obstacle, the command “Barrier” is given, and the dog takes the object, returns and sits in front of the trainer. The next commands are “Give” and “Near”.

When teaching this skill, it is very advisable to use additional words and gestures at the beginning, but they should be eliminated as early as possible.

Breaking down the exercise into stages

The skill of jumping over a blind barrier with apport is taught in several steps. Firstly, the dog is taught to jump without a retrieval device. The height of the barrier initially remains small. When the dog masters the “Barrier” command, fetch is added to the exercise and the height is increased.

AKC rules establish a certain height of the barrier. For dogs of small breeds it is 20 cm. The maximum jump height, regardless of the size of the dog, is 91 cm.

To calculate the height of the hurdle for your dog, place a ruler or bar on his withers and measure the distance from the withers to the ground. Table 1 shows the height of the obstacle for dogs of various sizes. As a rule, it is 1.25 times the height of the dog at the withers. However, there are exceptions for certain breeds. Full details of the AKC rules for these breeds are listed in Appendix B.

Take your time

Take your time when learning this skill. The height of the obstacle should be small at first; the dog needs to gain confidence that it can jump over it.

Make sure that your pet runs exactly in the middle of the barrier and that he does not develop the bad habit of jumping from the side. To do this, the trainer should be slightly to the right of the center line of the runway.

Do not increase the height of the obstacle even if you want to test “what my dog is good for.” Only after she consistently brings the fetch with a jump over the barrier can you begin to “raise the bar.”

Table 1 Required barrier height

Height of the dog at the withers (in cm) - Barrier height(in cm)

less than 20 - 20

from 20 to 23 - 25

from 23 to 26 - 30

from 26 to 30 - 35

from 30 to 34 - 40

from 34 to 38 - 45

from 38 to 41 - 50

from 41 to 47 - 55

from 47 to 51 - 60

from 51 to 55 - 65

from 55 to 58 - 70

from 58 to 62 - 75

from 62 to 67 - 80

from 67 to 71 - 85

from 71 and above - 91

Installing a barrier

Install a blind barrier 10 cm high for small breeds and 20 cm high for large ones. You will also need boards No. 1 and 2 for the long jump.

Since at the initial stage you too If you jump with your dog, practice without it for now. You must confidently, quickly and without hesitation take at least the minimum height so that the dog, when jumping with you, happily runs up to the obstacle, and does not trudge along. Start your run about two meters away and jump over the board, pushing off with your right foot. Remember that the left leg is the “pointing leg” for your pet.

Before you begin training, put on the training collar and attach the leash to the “hard” ring. Bring your dog to the obstacle so that it examines it from both sides, but do not allow it to go around it from the side. Because the technique requires a jump through barrier, you should not teach your dog that it can be get around.

Skill training

Step 1

Install a blind barrier ten or twenty centimeters high, depending on the size of the dog. Take the dog on a leash and walk about two meters to the obstacle. Without giving the command “Nearby”, walk quickly to it and about ninety centimeters away command “Barrier”. It is important to choose the correct take-off point for the dog. If necessary, measure ninety centimeters and mark this place with something.

When giving the command, lightly tug the leash and jump over the barrier, pushing off with your right foot. . Don't pull on the leash when jumping, otherwise the dog may lose its balance.

Remember that she should jump in the center of the obstacle, and the trainer should be slightly to the right. After the jump, continue moving forward, then in a wide arc approach the place where you started the exercise and repeat it. Don't forget to praise your pet affectionately when he completes a task.

Encouragement and support are extremely important motivators throughout your jumping training. Angry or irritated correction will only intimidate the dog. Since the purpose of this exercise is to teach her to fetch the trainer, strict correction can only do a disservice.

After a few lessons, the dog will learn to confidently jump over the barrier. Don't let her get bored: move on to the next step.

Step 2

Place long jump boards facing the barrier - No. 1 on the near side, No. 2 on the far side. This will force the dog to push further away from the barrier and jump in a flatter arc.

With your dog on a leash, run up to the obstacle and, a meter away from it, command “Barrier”. Jump together. The leash should not be taut; under no circumstances should you use it to drag your dog over an obstacle. Go back to the start and repeat the jump.

Step 3

At this stage, the long jump boards are moved a little further from the barrier so that the dog starts the jump earlier. Thereby the highest point of the jump will be exactly above the middle of the barrier. For the initial height this does not matter much, but later it will become important.

Competitions require that the maximum height of the jump be achieved above the center of the barrier. If this happens earlier, the dog may miss the obstacle or land awkwardly too close to it. On the other hand, if the highest point of the jump is behind the barrier, she has to push off earlier and, as a result, jump higher.

Move the boards at a distance of ten to twenty centimeters, depending on the size of the dog. If you have a very small breed, the boards can be left in place.

At this stage a reverse jump is added. To do this, you need to step over the barrier and stay in this position. If the boards attached to it get in the way, one can be removed. It is important that you maintain stable balance and can easily back away with your dog. Try practicing this movement several times without the dog.

Retrieval with unsupported jump over a blind barrier

When teaching this skill, it is very advisable to use additional words and gestures at the beginning, but they should be eliminated as early as possible.

Breaking down the exercise into stages

AKC rules establish a certain height of the barrier. For dogs of small breeds it is 20 cm. The maximum jump height, regardless of the size of the dog, is 91 cm.

Take your time

Take your time when learning this skill. The height of the obstacle should be small at first; the dog needs to gain confidence that it can jump over it.

Table 1 Required barrier height

Height of the dog at the withers (in cm) - Barrier height(in cm)

less than 20 - 20

from 20 to 23 - 25

from 23 to 26 - 30

from 26 to 30 - 35

from 30 to 34 - 40

from 34 to 38 - 45

from 38 to 41 - 50

from 41 to 47 - 55

from 47 to 51 - 60

from 51 to 55 - 65

from 55 to 58 - 70

from 58 to 62 - 75

from 62 to 67 - 80

from 67 to 71 - 85

from 71 and above - 91

Installing a barrier

Install a blind barrier 10 cm high for small breeds and 20 cm high for large ones. You will also need boards No. 1 and 2 for the long jump.

Skill training

Step 1

When giving the command, lightly tug the leash and jump over the barrier, pushing off with your right foot. . Don't pull on the leash when jumping, otherwise the dog may lose its balance.

After a few lessons, the dog will learn to confidently jump over the barrier. Don't let her get bored: move on to the next step.

Step 2

Place long jump boards facing the barrier - No. 1 on the near side, No. 2 on the far side. This will force the dog to push further away from the barrier and jump in a flatter arc.

Step 3

Move the boards at a distance of ten to twenty centimeters, depending on the size of the dog. If you have a very small breed, the boards can be left in place.

From a distance of two meters, quickly approach the obstacle. Give the command “Barrier” a meter away from him. As the dog jumps, step over him with your left foot and stop.

As soon as she lands on all four paws, immediately say her nickname. Don't command "Come to me", just call her. When she turns around, start backing away. The leash should be slack. Do not pull the dog on the leash to the other side, she will follow you anyway. Talk to her in an encouraging tone and, above all, do not forget to praise her if she gets to the starting point with you.

When you return, repeat the exercise. This step needs to be practiced several times in each lesson until the dog performs it without errors.

Step 4

Now you are ready to take a big step forward: the dog performs the jumps exactly the same as in Step 3, but without a leash. Start two to three meters from the obstacle. Quickly approach it, at a distance of 80-90 centimeters, give the command “Barrier” and stop above it. After the dog has jumped and landed on all four paws, say its name. Immediately back away so that she turns to you and jumps over the obstacle again. Finish the exercise and praise your dog generously. Work methodically until a lasting skill is developed, but do not force your dog to jump too often in one lesson - he may lose interest in it.

Step 5

At this stage, a fetch object is introduced, which the dog is already familiar with, since it can already fetch it without jumping. However, be patient. Excessive haste can only cause problems and set you and your pet back several sessions.

Before starting, remove the long jump boards from the barrier. The dog is on the left without a leash, you hold the retrieving object in your right hand. Quickly approach the obstacle, throw an aport and immediately, while it is flying, command “Barrier”. Please note that you are throwing aport before the command is given. Dogs readily respond to moving objects, and thus you use their natural inclinations in training.

Jump over the barrier with your dog. If you have trouble jumping, go around it. As soon as the dog lands, bend down and command “Fetch” in an encouraging voice. If necessary, pick up the item and give it to your pet. He can bring it without a jump without errors, but connecting these two elements - jumping and fetching - sometimes requires a significant amount of time and effort. Work patiently and constantly encourage your dog. No rough correction is allowed here!

As soon as the dog raises the fetch, he must perform a reverse jump. If she drops an item, pick it up. Let the dog take it and hold it until it jumps back. Praise her energetically, even if the jump doesn't go well. Take your time and keep learning. Rushing into learning this skill can cause a lot of problems later.

Step 6

Description: the dog sits next to you, about two or three meters away. You give the command “Sit, wait,” throw the object and immediately command “Fetch.” At this time you yourself remain in place.

Show your dog the retrieval object - slowly rotate it in front of him and make sure he is watching you closely. Throw him over the barrier and immediately, while he is flying, command “Aport.”

At AKC competitions you must throw the object at least two and a half meters beyond the obstacle. Practice your throw. If necessary, measure the distance and mark it with something.

After the command, the dog must jump over the barrier, raise the fetch and return back jumping over the barrier. Do not end the exercise with the commands “Sit” and “Next”; For now, it is enough that your pet simply brought you the fetch.

Command “Give” and take the retrieval item by the sides. Don't forget to praise your dog.

Limit the number of jumps in one lesson, let this exercise become fun for the dog and not a boring routine. After all, from a dog’s point of view, this should be nothing more than a most interesting game.

Step 7

Now you will practice the skill as required by the competition rules. At this stage, also increase the height of your jump by 5 cm at a time.

Naturally, you will want to get your dog over the full height of the barrier as quickly as possible, but this mistake can cause a lot of problems. There will already be enough of them, so there is no need to create extra ones.

Place the dog in the “Near” position three meters from the obstacle and give the command “Sit, wait.” Throw the retrieval object over the barrier at a distance of at least two and a half meters. Wait a second or two before commanding “Aport.”

On command, the dog must jump, raise the fetch, jump again and come to you. Now you can correct the dog’s position, but there cannot be any great difficulties here, since your pet already knows how to fetch without jumping.

Command “Give” and take the retrieval object from the dog by the sides. Then say her name and give the command “Nearby”. At this point, you have combined all the components of this exercise into a single whole.

If your dog suddenly refuses to jump, remove one or more bars for a while, and then gradually increase the height until he gains confidence. As soon as she confidently reaches the required height, continue training at a lower height. The dog should jump to full height approximately one time in five. Now the emphasis needs to be on precision execution and correction of small errors.

Also keep in mind that as the height increases, the dog can no longer see the retrieval object that is on the other side of the barrier, so throw it far enough and straight enough so that it is easy for him to notice it during the jump.

To prevent your pet from getting bored with this exercise, alternate it with fetching without jumping.

Problem solving

At some stage the dog, returning, may refuse to jump over the barrier. Check how you throw the aport, it is possible that the error lies here.

Pay attention to which direction the dog turns after picking up the retrieval object. For example, she turns to the left, and you, in turn, throw the aport not in a straight line, but to the left. As a result, the dog will go around the obstacle, and not because it is too lazy to jump, but because after the turn the left post appears in front of its eyes. Make sure that when she turns around, she will be facing the center of the barrier. If your dog turns left, then the object needs to be thrown slightly to the right, and vice versa.

Plungers to the rescue

As soon as the dog begins to perform the exercise without a leash, a plunger fence can be installed to avoid misunderstandings. This is an extremely useful thing in the training process; it can be used when teaching any skill where the dog is required to maintain the direction of movement.

You can install it on any side of the barrier. If the dog refuses to jump when retreating or approaching and avoids the obstacle, install a fence in the shape of a V, with the barrier on the wide side and you on the narrow side. As the dog begins to correct himself and jump back more or less consistently, gradually widen the sides of the fence and then remove it altogether.

Jump adjustments

If your dog is clinging to an obstacle with his front paws or pushing off with his hind paws, there are a few things you might want to consider.

First of all, you may have raised the height of the barrier too quickly. If so, then your pet simply cannot find the right take-off point that would allow him to jump to the required height and distance without touching the bars. In this case, you should significantly reduce the height, then slowly increase it. If you find that the dog is pushing off too close to the obstacle, place a long jump board in front of it at a distance of 8-15 cm. If, on the contrary, she starts the jump too far, place the board on the opposite side of the obstacle. If this doesn't help, there are a couple more ways.

Using the auxiliary bar

Install the bar fasteners on both edges of the barrier (they should hang over distant side) and place a strip painted black and white on them. By the way, if you haven’t prepared a special one, any one will be suitable for these purposes; you just need to wrap it with black adhesive or insulating tape at a distance of 6-7 cm. As you remember, the fastenings are designed so that if the dog touches the bar, it will fall to the ground. The startling effect of the falling bar is usually enough to cause your pet to adjust and take the barrier without relying on it.

The fasteners shown in the figure are designed in such a way that if they are installed above near side of the barrier, it is used to train dogs that rely on their front paws when jumping. At the same time, the bar falls back. They can also be used when teaching long jumps. As you can see, this is a very useful device.

Instead of an auxiliary strip above the barrier at a height of about 5 cm, you can glue thick paper tape; serpentine is quite suitable here. If the dog touches it or tries to push off with its front paws, the tape breaks and thus achieves the same effect.

From the book Directory. Dog training author Kruserman GV

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From the book Home Desk Reference for Dog Training by Knott Thomas A

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From the book Special Dog Training author Krukover Vladimir Isaevich

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Barrier, solid fence, ditch Before starting training to overcome the mentioned obstacles, the dog must get used to them and examine them. Dogs are taught to overcome these obstacles in several ways. The first method. The trainer overcomes the obstacle together with

Any dog can jump from birth and does it willingly. If you have a puppy, you are probably convinced of this.

Now we need to teach him to do this on command. Let's start with a barrier no more than 45 centimeters high. Let's walk with the dog on a leash, lead it to the barrier and jump over it ourselves, at the same time commanding “Barrier!”

The dog will undoubtedly follow our example. Let's praise him for this and give him a treat. After a few lessons, we will gradually begin to increase the height of the obstacle. In addition, having made a jump, we will immediately jump over the barrier in the opposite direction, each time giving the command “Barrier!” Let's repeat this several times. Then we will give the command again, but we will not jump ourselves. Once on the other side of the barrier, the dog will be puzzled that we did not follow it and at the same second will jump over the barrier in the opposite direction to be next to us, and this is exactly what we are trying to achieve.

In a few lessons, the dog will learn that the command “Barrier!” she must jump over the obstacle herself and then return to us, even without a leash. We will gradually ensure that she jumps from a position to our left, then, on command, returns, stands in front of us, and again, on command, stands at our foot. In no case should you force, scold or punish a dog if it does not want to take the barrier or does it awkwardly. For her, this exercise should have the character of an exciting game.

If we make a mistake, we simply won’t praise or encourage it. At the same time, you shouldn’t skimp on rewards, or even excessive ones, if the dog does everything as needed. The hurdle exercise looks exactly the same as the low hurdle jump. During the first lessons, we will place the obstacle quite low and go over it together with the dog, keeping it on a leash. Gradually increasing the angle of inclination, we require the dog to overcome the obstacle, while we ourselves go around it from the side.

Then we begin to let the dog go alone. When the dog learns to take the barrier and overcome the obstacle, combine these two exercises with fetching, which the dog, naturally, should already be proficient in. Let’s place the dog to our left, throw the retrieving object over the barrier, and then give the following commands in order: “”, “Barrier!”, “Give!”, “To the leg!” If we take the time and be patient, we will achieve ideal results, both in the high jump and in overcoming obstacles.

You should not get too carried away with these exercises, which look impressive and encourage the owner to demonstrate the abilities of his dog in front of friends, regardless of the fact that he is tired. You should not take advantage of the fact that performing these exercises brings pleasure to the dog. If a dog gets tired, it will begin to make mistakes that can become systemic.

From this article you will learn:

What are the types of athletics hurdles?
What is special about the adjustable track and field hurdle?
Where did track and field hurdles come from?
How to properly run over track and field hurdles
How to learn to run over track and field hurdles

Athletics hurdles are sports equipment used for running with obstacles during training and sports competitions. The design of the track and field hurdle includes a wooden crossbar reinforced in two posts. The racks are connected to each other by a spacer. The racks also have footrests with struts, on the free ends of which a counterweight is placed. There are two types of athletics barriers - with a metal base and a wooden one.

Athletics hurdle: types, characteristics

The track and field hurdle is installed at race distances of 80, 110 and 400 m. The bases are made of metal and wood. By design, barriers are divided into two types - with universal and constant height. Universal barriers are installed at 3 heights used in competitions: 762, 914 and 1067 mm. Barriers with constant height are 762, 914 and 1067 mm.

The track and field hurdle consists of a crossbar attached to the ends of vertical posts. The vertical posts themselves are installed on the ends of the support steps with counterweights. For strength, the rack and footrest are connected to each other by inclined struts.

The top crossbar is made of wood. It protrudes 3 cm beyond the racks. The parameters of the crossbar are as follows: length - 1.2 m, width - 7 cm, thickness - 2 cm. Its upper edges are rounded. The color of the crossbars is white. Dark stripes 10 cm wide are drawn at the indentation from the ends of the side edges of the racks. The length of the footrest can be a maximum of 70 cm. The minimum weight of an athletics barrier is 10 kg.

If the base of the barrier is made of metal, the crossbar is secured in clamps welded to the upper ends of the vertical posts. These racks with spacers, clips and footrests are connected by welding. A counterweight is adjusted to the inner diameter of the footrests and welded at the same distance from the ends. The material for the manufacture of racks with footrests and spacers are seamless water and gas pipes made of steel, for the holders - thin steel, for the counterweight - steel. Wood is used for the crossbar - pine, larch or fir.

If the base of the track and field barrier is wooden, then all the elements are also made of wood. The only exception is the counterweight. The parts are connected to each other with glue, as well as with the help of wooden rods and dowels. The gray cast iron counterweight is attached to the free ends of the footrests using nuts and bolts. To make the crossbar, pine, larch, fir and spruce are used.

Athletics barriers are coated with oil paints. As a rule, these sports equipment are blue or light gray. The crossbars are always white. At a distance of 10 cm from their end, draw two black stripes. Each length is 18 cm.

Below is a table with the main dimensions of athletics hurdles (cm).

The parts must be very firmly welded to each other. Distortions, burns and other inaccuracies should not appear during welding. It is necessary to file and clean the seams after welding, make sure that there are no roughness or cracks on the surface of the clips. The outer surfaces of the cage should not peek out from behind the crossbar. Casein glue is used to connect the parts. The ends of all elements are rounded and cleaned, and the counterweight is pulled tightly to the footrests. Athletics barriers must be painted carefully and carefully. The paint is applied in a dense layer, without gaps, stains, or smudges.

For the manufacture of athletics barriers, GOST 7551-55 applies. In accordance with it, a factory mark or inscription indicating the manufacturer and product number can be placed on the crossbar of each barrier. Dry rooms are suitable for storing products.

Where and how did track and field barriers appear?

Athletics is rightly called the Queen of Sports. For a long time, this sport has remained the most popular and widespread. The birthplace of athletics is Ancient Greece. It was there, at the running competitions at the Olympic Games around 766 BC. e., this direction was born.

In modern history, the beginning of athletics as a new sport was laid at long-distance running competitions in England. They took place in 1837. College students in the city of Rugby took part in the competition. The sporting event started successfully, and therefore the following year over 10 similar races took place.

In the second half of the 19th century, new directions were introduced into athletics competitions in the form of steeplechase and short-distance races, and weight throwing. In 1851, the competition included long jump and running high jump. Athletics gained even greater popularity after this sport was included in the program of the Olympic Games in 1896.

Steeplechase began in the 19th century in England. At that time, English shepherds competed to see who could run the fastest through the sheep pens. Later, they began to choose lawns with primitive barriers installed on them for competitions. After some time, they began using lighter weight obstacles in the shape of an inverted “T”. In 1935, an L-shaped track and field hurdle with a weighted base was invented. This design overturned when a force of 8 pounds, or 3.6 kg, was applied.

In 1864, the athlete A. Daniel set a record in the 120-yard race (109.92 m). He ran the distance in 17.75 seconds. In subsequent years, athletes tried hard to find a rational technique. As a result, an “attack” of the barrier appeared with a straight leg and a tilt of the body when overcoming the obstacle. The first to demonstrate this technique was A. Cruise (England) in 1886. His result was 16.4 s.

12 years later, an athlete from the USA, A. Krenzlein, showed a brilliant technique for running over barriers. His result was 120 yards in 15.2 seconds. It was this athlete who won the Second Olympic Games in 1990.

Further, the technique of “running through barriers” was improved by the American athlete F. Smithson. The athlete demonstrated a delayed extension of the pushing leg, thanks to which it was possible not to turn the body and at the same time maintain balance when leaving the barrier. F. Smithson won the IV Olympic Games in 1908, showing a brilliant result - 110 m in 15.0 s.

Athletes could not improve Smithson's indicator for more than 50 years. And only in 1975, an athlete from France, Guy Dru, managed to run the same distance 2 seconds faster - in 13.0 seconds. In subsequent years, only electronic timing was used to record world records. The first record was set by the athlete from Cuba A. Kasanyans - 13.21 s. R. Nehemia improved the world record twice: in 1979 – 13.00 and in 1981 – 12.93 s. In 1993, the world record was again set by an athlete from England, K. Jackson, with a result of 12.91 s.

Rules for running over athletics hurdles

The most popular and spectacular athletics distances, but also very difficult ones, are sprints. However, running over track and field hurdles is also not easy. To show excellent results, an athlete must not only be strong and run well. This requires excellent coordination of movements and the ability to feel the rhythm.

Hurdling is a sprint athletics discipline in which athletes overcome obstacles. Almost all Olympic and world records in this area belong to American athletes. It is also worth highlighting an athlete from Russia, Yulia Pechenkina, who in 2003 set a world record in the 400 m hurdles. Russia's Sergei Shubenkov, world champion, also showed an excellent result in the 100m hurdles.

Hurdling is carried out at a distance of no more than 400 m, depending on the time of year and location of the competition. Hurdling is often carried out in stadiums and arenas.

Barriers in the shape of the letter L are used as obstacles. Thanks to this shape, injuries to athletes when falling devices are minimized. Note that the shape of the barriers until 1935 resembled the letter T. To knock them down, more effort was required, and because of this, athletes often fell. Nowadays, it's easier to knock down barriers (you need to apply 3.6 kg of force), but because of this, runners lose valuable time.

Hurdling rules

Before moving on to the technique and other subtleties of hurdling, it is necessary to study its rules. Running along the main distance and smooth running are almost identical in the rules. After the signal, the athlete starts and runs clearly along his path to the finish. If he breaks the rules, that is, he deliberately runs out of bounds or knocks over an athletics barrier onto an adjacent track, sanctions are applied to the athlete.

There are rules for overcoming barriers. Thus, the athlete is obliged to step over it completely; bringing his foot to the side of the barrier is prohibited.

The rules for running over athletics hurdles allow the structure to fall, but it is forbidden to deliberately drop the hurdle. Note that this rule arose not so long ago. Previously, the rules prohibited knocking down the barrier, and the judges simply did not count such results. When it became clear that the athlete, hitting the structure, was wasting time on this, knocking down was allowed. However, almost immediately after this, many athletes began to deliberately knock down structures with their hands and feet. That is why it was specifically forbidden to do this in the future.

The placement of track and field hurdles is determined by the length of the race, and also depends on the gender of the athletes. The structures are evenly spaced along the distance. For races of 50, 60, 100 and 110 m they are placed in a straight line, for a distance of 400 m - around the entire circle.

Running over athletics hurdles is much more technically difficult. An athlete needs not only to be fast and strong, have excellent coordination, but also to cope with obstacles correctly. The technique of running over hurdles includes 4 main stages.

Stage 1: start and acceleration.

The athlete needs to take the correct starting position and accelerate to maximum in the first 13-45 m. At step 4-5, the athlete must straighten his body and prepare for the first barrier. The start and acceleration stage ends approximately 2 meters before the barrier and at the moment when the swing leg is extended.

Stage 2: overcoming the first barrier.

The success of his race as a whole depends on how well the athlete overcomes the first obstacle. Overcoming the first hurdle sets the rhythm for the entire race, and will need to be maintained throughout the entire distance. Many people believe that when running over athletics hurdles, the athlete jumps over. But this opinion is wrong. Professional athletes use only this terminology: “overcome” or “step over the barrier.”

The athlete, when pushing with his leg, does not jump up, but moves forward as far as possible. According to the rules, athletes must overcome athletics hurdles not by jumping, but by moving their swing leg over the structure. This is why stretching is so important during training and preparation for competitions. If it is bad for an athlete, even if he is tall and has long legs, the barrier will become a serious problem for him.

Track and field hurdles are overcome in 3 stages.

The first stage is the attack. The athlete lifts the swing leg and straightens it so that the thigh is parallel to the horizontal plane. In order for an athlete to successfully overcome an obstacle, the distance of the pushing leg to it should be about 2 meters. To pass the barrier, the athlete lifts the push leg and carries it over the bar. He points his swing leg down.

You need to land on your toes, only then rolling onto your heel. Here the athlete must ensure that his body does not move back, but stays straight. Otherwise, the speed of movement will drop significantly. When all phases are correctly overcome, the contact of the swing leg with the track is about 1.3 m from the structure. In this case, the first step after it should be the shortest.

Stage 3: completing the main distance.

If the sporting event takes place in the summer, there will be 9 more barriers left until the end of the distance. They need to be overcome in the same way as the first. The athlete needs to walk the entire distance in a single rhythm, even if the structures fall.

Stage 4: finish.

The finish in the track and field hurdles is exactly the same as in other races. The beginning of this stage is the moment when the athlete overcomes the last barrier. If an athlete overcomes the previous structures technically correctly and at the recommended pace, then he reaches the finish line at a fairly high speed.

Stages of learning to run over athletics hurdles

Track and field hurdles is a difficult sport that requires the athlete to have strength, endurance and excellent preparation, which can only be achieved through hard training. During training, athletes practice various elements of hurdling, learn how to properly run the distance, and develop the appropriate skills. Preparation for track and track running is almost the same. Most of the time, athletes work on strength, endurance, speed, work on stretching and, without fail, study the technique of starting from the blocks.

Special training with hurdles should begin after the athlete has acquired the necessary skills. If the athlete is physically fit enough, you can include hurdle-overcoming techniques in the program. As part of the training, the athlete overcomes obstacles, learns to cover the distance rhythmically and quickly.

Training to run over athletics hurdles includes 5 stages:

1. Learning the basics, demonstrating.

At this stage, the athlete is clearly shown the technique of overcoming obstacles. The first lesson consists of familiarization with all stages of the distance, the technique of running up, throwing over an obstacle, and rhythmic movement between barriers.

2. Preparatory stage.

The athlete devotes a lot of time to his physical training, developing flexibility and endurance. It is very important that the muscles of the hip joint, back of the thigh and legs are elastic and mobile. Athletes are also trained to overcome barriers. Athletes develop techniques for working with the swing and push legs.

3. Rhythm training.

To consolidate the technique of running over barriers and maintain a uniform rhythm throughout the entire distance, the athlete needs to practice the technique many times. In this case, the number of barriers and the distance between them should be gradually increased.

4. Start and acceleration training.

The athlete needs to train from both low and high starts, while separately mastering the acceleration technique at the start.

5. Consolidation and improvement of skills.

One of the prerequisites for training is regularity and continuous improvement of skills. The athlete must work hard to improve flexibility, jump height and speed. It is better if the loads are different: practicing running from a high and low start, competitions with and without a group against time, training at distances of different lengths and number of barriers.

To achieve good results in this discipline, an athlete, first of all, must have a quick reaction and be able to develop good speed immediately after overcoming the barrier.

Exercises for mastering hurdling technique

The athlete takes the starting position: puts his legs apart, bends his arms at the elbows. On the count of 1-2-3, he imitates the movement of running with his hands. On the count of 4, makes a wider movement forward, straightening the arm at the elbow joint, and returns to the starting position. The exercise is repeated 6-12 times. When straightening, your arms bend forward slightly. When returning to the starting position, the hand is carried to the side. The pace of the exercise can be slow, medium or fast (Fig. A).

The athlete takes the same starting position as in exercise 1. Imitates arm movements as when walking. Tempo – slow, medium and fast (Fig. B).
Starting position as in the first exercise. The athlete imitates movements as when running. Pace – slow, medium and fast.
The athlete takes the starting position - stands in the main stance and bends his arms at the elbows. Next, the athlete imitates the work of his hands, simultaneously raising the swing leg with the pelvis forward and up, and then throws the heel forward and down. The exercise is performed in motion, that is, the athlete walks, moving forward. The exercise is repeated 6-12 times in 2-4 approaches (Fig. C).
The athlete takes the starting position - places the swing leg on the barrier. During the exercise, he imitates the work of his hands. It is advisable to avoid bending the knee joint of the swing leg lying on the barrier. The exercise is repeated 8-12 times in 2-4 approaches.

Thanks to these exercises, athletes understand how their arms should move when running over hurdles. When performing, you need your hand to go far forward. When moving your hand forward, you need to tilt your torso and, as it were, catch up with it. If an athlete is only learning basic exercises, he should perform them at a slow pace.

Exercises to help develop correct swing leg movements

The athlete takes the starting position: stands up to the barrier and grabs the top bar with his hand. Then, at a fast pace, he raises the swing leg, bends it at the knee and lowers it to the starting position. The exercise is repeated 10 to 12 times. The pace is medium or fast (Fig. A).

Starting position: the athlete stands sideways at the barrier, puts his hand on the crossbar at shoulder level. Next, he raises the thigh of the swing leg above the horizontal and throws the heel forward, after which he lowers the straight leg down. The exercise is repeated 10-15 times in 2-3 approaches (Fig. B).
The same exercise, but with a shock absorber.
The athlete takes the starting position: at a distance of 1-1.5 m, stands facing the wall. Next, he raises the thigh of the swing leg high and actively throws out his shin, after which he touches the wall (that is, he “attacks” the barrier). The exercise is repeated 10-18 times with acceleration at the end (Fig. C).

The same exercise, only perform it while walking or running a little. The number of repetitions is from 10 to 15 times.
The same exercise as the previous one, only here they move onto a support (a gymnastic horse). The number of repetitions is from 10 to 15 (Fig. D).
The athlete takes the starting position - stands facing the direction of movement, after which he “attacks” the gymnastic horse through the low athletics barrier in front. The number of repetitions is from 10 to 18 times. The exercise is done from a place, walking or running slowly, gradually accelerating towards the end. The distance between the gymnastic horse and the support is from 30 to 80 cm.
Low athletics barriers are placed at a distance of 8-12 m from each other. The athlete runs along the side of the barrier, moving the swing leg over it and the pushing leg outside it. When running between structures, he raises his hip high. The number of repetitions is from 4 to 8 (Fig. E).

When performing exercises No. 4-7, it is necessary that the pelvis quickly moves forward due to the active extension of the swing leg, and that the push-off is correct. The effect of exercise 7 is better if the athlete, attacking the “barrier,” sends the swing leg without bending the knee. This shortcoming can be corrected with the help of this exercise.

Exercises to develop the correct movement of the pushing leg

Starting position: the athlete stands at a distance of 90-120 cm from the side of the structure and holds on to its pole. Next, he moves the pushing leg, bent at the knee, over the athletics barrier from the side and repeats the exercise 10-15 times in 2-4 approaches. The transfer of the pushing leg is simulated from an extremely posterior position. At first the athlete takes a slow pace, then moves faster over the barrier. It is necessary to ensure that the leg is bent at the knee.
The exercise is the same, only a rubber shock absorber is used to perform it. When performing the exercise, the athlete must carry the pushing leg at the very edge of the barrier.

The exercise is similar to the previous one, only it does not require a gymnastic wall and a shock absorber.
The same exercise, only perform it with 2, 4 and 6 steps. The athlete approaches the barrier, raises the swing leg with his knee forward and upward, and then actively lowers it behind the barrier. At this time, your hand touches the support.

Two athletics structures are installed at a distance of 1.8-2.5 m from each other. When walking, the athlete takes turns placing the pushing leg on the side of each barrier. Number of repetitions – 6-12 times.
The athlete takes the starting position - stands from the side of the barrier and holds the support with his hands. One structure is installed obliquely and perpendicular to the gymnastic wall. The athlete slides his foot along the barrier bar. Number of repetitions – 8-12 times in 2-3 approaches. Rest between approaches – 1-1.5 minutes.

At a distance of 7-12 m, 5-6 small barriers are placed. The athlete, running through the barrier, carries his pushing leg through it. He runs up to and between barriers, raising his hip high, or takes short steps. The pace of the exercise is medium to fast.

As the athlete takes the take-off leg over the barrier, they must push their hip forward quickly and freely. When performing exercises, you should not allow your body to lean back. The athlete needs to stay high, ensure that there is a bend in the knee when moving the pushing leg over the barrier, and begin the movement from the extreme rear position. When lifting the foot of the push leg above the knee, that is, throwing the shin up while running and at the same time lowering the knee down, the athlete must move the push leg along the inclined barrier.

Set up two barriers and a gymnastics horse. The barriers are spaced 2-3 m apart from each other. The distance from the barrier to the horse is about 1.5 m. The athlete crosses two barriers, after which he attacks the gymnastic horse. The number of repetitions is 5-10 times. When crossing the barrier, the swing leg is quickly lowered. When performing the exercise, you should not bend over too much.

The track and field hurdles are positioned in the same way as in the previous exercise. An athlete jumps and overcomes barriers.
For the exercise, a low gymnastic horse is placed. Obstacles are overcome by walking and moving. On their toes they approach the gymnastic apparatus, lift the swing leg bent at the knee up and forward and actively lower it down. Then they immediately push off with the pushing leg, quickly bringing it forward, to the first running step behind the obstacle.

From 3 to 7 low barriers are placed at a distance of 8-12 m. The athlete, while performing the exercise, runs 5 steps between the barriers. The number of repetitions is from 4 to 10.
From 3 to 5 barriers are placed at a distance of 3-4 m. In the future, the structures can be further removed from each other. The athlete begins to run from a high start in one step. The pace of the exercise is medium to fast.

At a distance of 8.5-9.14 m from each other, track and field hurdles with a height of 60-106 cm are placed. The athlete begins to run from a high and low start.

The gymnastic horse is “attacked” from a place, from one or several steps. The athlete, while performing exercises, makes sure that his pelvis does not lag behind. The throw itself (“attack”) is done quickly. The foot of the pushing leg does not turn to the side during the throw. When performing the exercise, there is no need to rush to lean your shoulders forward early. To do this, the throw should start from the pelvis, and the knee of the bent leg should be raised up and down.

When performing exercises, the athlete must move the pushing leg with an emphasis on quickly moving it into a running step position. You must maintain a high position between barriers and do not crouch. Athletics hurdles can be of different heights and located at different distances from each other. The height and distance of the structures vary depending on the age and level of training of the trainee.

The athlete takes the starting position - lies on his back, arms along the body. The position of the legs changes with counter swing movements. The number of repetitions is 15-25 times. The pace of the exercise is slow with a large amplitude in the anteroposterior direction (Fig. A).
Starting position – the athlete lies on his back, spreads his arms to the sides, legs together. The foot of the right foot touches the hand of the left hand. The number of repetitions for each leg is 6-10 times. The pace is slow and medium. When performing exercises, you do not need to raise your head and torso (Fig. B).
Starting position – the athlete lies on his back, legs together, arms spread to the sides. Raises his legs, lowers them first to the left, then to the right. Number of repetitions – 6-10 times.
Starting position – the athlete lies on his back, stretches his arms behind his head, and brings his legs together. At the same time, he raises his legs and torso in a counter motion. The number of repetitions is 6-12 times. The pace is medium and fast (Fig. C).
Starting position – the athlete lies on his back, hands behind his head, legs together. On the count of 1, he raises his legs and torso (as in the previous exercise), on the count of 2, he returns to the barrier squat position, bends towards the swing leg, and on the count of 3, takes the starting position. Number of repetitions – 6-12 times. The pace is medium and fast. Each time on the count of 2, the position of the legs changes (Fig. D).
Starting position – the athlete lies on his back, arms extended along the body. Raises straight legs, lowers them behind the head and slowly returns to the starting position. The number of repetitions is 8-15 times. The pace is medium (Fig. E).

Starting position – the athlete lies on the floor and leans behind with his hands. When lifting your right leg up, you simultaneously bend in the lower back, place your leg to the side and take the starting position. The same thing in the other direction. The number of repetitions for each side is 6-10 times. The pace of the exercises is slow. The amplitude is large (Fig. F).
Starting position – the athlete lies on his back, spreads his arms to the sides, and connects his legs. Next he draws circles in the air with his feet. The number of repetitions of the exercise in each direction is 4-8 times. The amplitude of circular movements should be large. Legs stay together. The pace of the exercise is average (Fig. G).

The athlete takes the starting position - hanging on the wall with his face forward. Next, he raises and lowers his legs bent at the knees. You need to raise your legs quickly and return to the starting position slowly. The number of repetitions is 8-20 times (Fig. A).
Starting position – the athlete stands sideways to the gymnastics wall. He grabs the pole with his hands, places one leg closer to the wall and leans to the sides. When bending over, the athlete keeps his arms straight. The number of repetitions in each direction is 10-15. Tempo – slow or medium (Figure B).
Starting position – hanging on the wall. The athlete swings his legs in one direction and the other. Keeps legs together. The amplitude is large. The number of repetitions in each direction is 8-15 times. A medium tempo is suitable for the exercise (Fig. C).
The athlete takes the starting position - stands on the pole of the gymnastic wall (legs together), holds his hands at chest level. Squats and quickly returns to the starting position. The number of repetitions is 10-15 times. Pace – slow, medium and fast.
Starting position - the athlete stands on a wall pole at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the floor and holds onto the pole at chest level. Lowers himself down, bending one leg on the pole. The other (straight) leg goes down. Then takes the starting position. The number of repetitions for each leg is 10-15 times in 2-3 approaches. The pace of exercise is slow and medium. Rest between series – 1-2 minutes (Fig. D).
Starting position – hanging on the wall. The athlete raises his legs from this position: he touches the crossbar with his feet above the grip of his hands and slowly takes the starting position. The number of repetitions is 4-10 times in 2-3 approaches. The pace of the exercise is slow and medium. Rest between series – 1-2.5 minutes (Fig. E).

Barrier exercises

The athlete takes the starting position - stands up, holding his hands in support on the barrier. Pushes off from the support with his hands. The number of repetitions is 8-15 times. The pace of exercise is medium to fast.
The athlete takes the starting position - stands sideways to the barrier, leans with one hand on the athletics barrier in a lunge position and changes the position of his legs. The head and torso are kept straight, without bending forward. The number of repetitions is 10-20 times.
Starting position - the athlete stands facing the barrier, puts a straight leg on it, supporting it on the floor, and holds onto the barrier with his hands. Squats on one leg, quickly returning to the starting position. The number of repetitions for each leg is 4-10 times.
The distance between barriers is 1.5-2 m (height 50.0-91.4 cm). An athlete jumps over athletic barriers, pushing off with both feet. Number of repetitions – 3-4 times (5-8 barriers). The pace of the exercise is average.

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