Agility Kit On A Budget

[Blitza]

as topic description says.

[Vickie]

Depends how much of a budget & what you are looking to get.

I found I can make pretty good jumps for around $20 each from Bunnings. Weave poles can also be made quite cheaply although if you want a proper set with bases it'll cost you at least $100. Tunnels are more expensive as there is no real cheap alternative. Contacts can be made if you have the knowhow & $ but a plank costs very little or even stairs are great for teaching & proofing position.

[Vickie]

BTW I saw you run Amber last night, she is lovely & looked great out there.

[ness]

I just made a set of 7 jumps (not full height uprights but works for me, its car sized and convenient) and worked out it would have cost around $100 give or take a bit.

I only spent $55 but I already had the PVC bars and that didn't include the cost of the glue as my friend had bought enough for both of us. It did include 2 jump cups on each jump though.

I bought base plated weavers but you could use the same principle on making weavers and that would be around $40 for a set of 12 stick in the ground poles.

[ness]

I posted this in the BC thread but might as well post it here:

- 1 rake handle ($3 from bunnings or kmart of all places) - I cut them in half to get 2 up-rights

- 20mm PVC t's cut in half for jump cups. So I have both 400 and 500 height cups on mine so each jump needed 2 t's.

- 150mm x 5.6mm bullet head nails (come in a pack of 16 from bunnings)

- liquid nails

1. Cut rakes handle dowel to desire length - you could make them longer if you wanted to but they seem to be around 1.2m long so each jump ends up around 60cm (fine for mine who only need 400 and 500 jumps).

2. Drill hole in bottom of each length of dowel.

3. Cut top off nail.

4. Apply liquid nails into the hole in the bottom as well as long the nail and push nail into upright. Wipe away excess.

5. Cut jump cups in half and sand.

6. Drill 2 screws into the cups and drill attach to the dowel at the appropriate heights.

7. Optional painting - will attack mine with paint tomorrow.

All up it took under 2 hours to make 7 jumps (well plus make another 7 uprights but the cups weren't attached to those as they belonged to my friend so she was going to do them later).

Love the fact they are so easy and light to carry. Fit in a small bag for taking to the park - actually just a bag we got recently from buying pillows . If I want them any taller for whatever reason you can easily fit a length of PVC over the top of the uprights but I guess you could use longer lengths of rake handle.

[Blitza]

BTW I saw you run Amber last night, she is lovely & looked great out there.

wow thank you!

[Blitza]

I posted this in the BC thread but might as well post it here:

- 1 rake handle ($3 from bunnings or kmart of all places) - I cut them in half to get 2 up-rights

- 20mm PVC t's cut in half for jump cups. So I have both 400 and 500 height cups on mine so each jump needed 2 t's.

- 150mm x 5.6mm bullet head nails (come in a pack of 16 from bunnings)

- liquid nails

1. Cut rakes handle dowel to desire length - you could make them longer if you wanted to but they seem to be around 1.2m long so each jump ends up around 60cm (fine for mine who only need 400 and 500 jumps).

2. Drill hole in bottom of each length of dowel.

3. Cut top off nail.

4. Apply liquid nails into the hole in the bottom as well as long the nail and push nail into upright. Wipe away excess.

5. Cut jump cups in half and sand.

6. Drill 2 screws into the cups and drill attach to the dowel at the appropriate heights.

7. Optional painting - will attack mine with paint tomorrow.

All up it took under 2 hours to make 7 jumps (well plus make another 7 uprights but the cups weren't attached to those as they belonged to my friend so she was going to do them later).

Love the fact they are so easy and light to carry. Fit in a small bag for taking to the park - actually just a bag we got recently from buying pillows . If I want them any taller for whatever reason you can easily fit a length of PVC over the top of the uprights but I guess you could use longer lengths of rake handle.

jumps not a problem as i improvise lol with car ramps etc.

I more need ideas for tunnels, and contacts ( see saw and dog walk). neighbour is making me a new hoop.

[Kavik]

I am making a ramp to for contact training.

I got a piece of plywood, thickest they have (17mm?) 1200mm long and 600mm wide. Going to get it cut into 300mm width. I also bought a table from IKEA for around $25. I got outdoor low sheen paint and builder's sand/cement sand? Added the sand to the paint. Have painted table and smaller contact board that I found on side of road (corkboard). Now just need to paint bigger board. Then I will rest board on the table so I can practice independent contact position with speed.

[JulesP]

I got a tunnel from Air Dogs. Not super sturdy but does the job. Cost was $130. You can get mine ventilation ducting from Plasticoat, this works out cheaper than a 'proper' tunnel. Not sure of the current cost.

I haven't seen any cheap seesaws or dog walks/A frame around. Cheapest would be to make your own. You could make up a wobble board fairly easily for seesaw work. I use steps and a dog ramp for contact work.

[Vehs]

is it wrong that I stack up buckets and put a broom across them for jumps?

For weave poles I used PVC pipes and just stabbed them into the ground

hula hoop for a ring that I just strung up between two stakes

I don't have an a-frame/balance alternative because I used to use playground equipment and peoples walls when out on walks ..I guess now I could try a ramp of sorts

I did a lot of agility training with the D when I first moved, but it's just been too hot lately and then when it's cool it's dark and not that safe!

[Karelea Aussies]

I think we need to get our heads together and have a working bee :D