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Discussion on 2003 Tips | |
Author | Message |
Member: Kthorse |
Posted on Monday, Feb 10, 2003 - 2:45 pm: A tip to stop your horse pawing the ground, when tied, bored etc.This worked for my arab after only 2 lessons, but then he is super smart. All I did was the instant he pawed while his foot was in the air I grabbed it and held it there for a minute or two. He used to do this every second he was tied up. He has never done it again after only 2 lessons. Hope this helps someone. Katrina |
Member: Tangoh |
Posted on Monday, Feb 10, 2003 - 4:49 pm: I can tell you I'll certainy be giving that a try real soon. My horse is an extreme 'pawer' also. Thanks for the tip Katrina. I'll let you know if it works. |
Member: Kthorse |
Posted on Monday, Feb 10, 2003 - 6:43 pm: Good luck. Its been almost a year since that little lesson and he still hasnt pawed. Yes please let me know if it works.It was a fluke lesson I was frustrated at his pawing so I thought if you keep doing that you will have to hold your foot up till you stop. Yeh!!!. It amazes me consistantly how simple the best lessons are. Katrina |
Member: Aannk |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003 - 9:49 am: Katrina,When you say a "minute or two" do you literally mean that? My gelding paws too. I want to try this. How long would I hold it? Actually a count of 120? Thanks, Alicia |
Member: Kthorse |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003 - 10:55 am: Alicia,I think 1 minute is enough though every horse is different. As long as its longer than cleaning his foot. If a minute does not work do it longer. It might even work with less time. I would start at 1 minute though. Good luck. |
Member: Sparky |
Posted on Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003 - 3:21 pm: Handy tip for doubling - if you have to double someone - be it adult or small child - for whatever reason - use an extra belt or the one around your waist if you are in the bush - on the outside of your coat. This provides a secure handle for the back rider and prevents the leaning into the front rider. This works really well for small children getting a ride. Hope this helps. Janet Schmidt |
Member: Aannk |
Posted on Wednesday, Feb 12, 2003 - 8:40 am: Thanks Katrina |
Member: Chrism |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 13, 2003 - 3:36 pm: Here's a 2003 tip:I've always been aware that you could "bridge" your reins when riding rather forward, cross country (eventers do this). This gives you a firm hold of both reins and it is harder to actually lose one when on course. Just recently, we've been experimenting with using bridged reins at times for dressage work ... and found: 1) horse has a harder time pulling a rein loose and seemed quieter and softer in the mouth 2) rider quiets the "active" hand and since it is attached to the quiet hand, it doesn't misbehave, annoying the horse and setting up mouth fussiness 3) it also helped to maintain proper hand spacing, discouraged raising or DrOpping a hand, etc. So, if you have fussy hands or a dominant hand and a resultant fussy horse, you may want to consider riding what a bridged rein at times. Cheers. |
Member: Sunny66 |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 13, 2003 - 3:41 pm: Perfect Chris!! I'm notorious for that!! My trainer has me doing this too and it REALLY works!! |
Member: Ntucket |
Posted on Friday, Mar 14, 2003 - 11:55 am: Similar to bridging, we'd be told to hold a short crop or stick horizontally with both hands while riding. Another tip: To quiet fussy hands or address one-sidedness (and to discretely point out to the rider that the one-sidedness was on the RIDER's part), my trainer would have us school with the reins crossed over the horse's neck. The right hand would be holding the left rein and the left hand would have the right rein. It forced you to quickly abandon habits and think (yes, think) about what you were doing with your hands. Usually my eyes became crossed and I found myself sticking my tongue out of the corner of my mouth, giggling and making funny faces, but suddenly the horse would become incredibly soft and light in my hand. Very humbling after insisting that I didn't think I was hanging on a rein. Perhaps all the giggling forced me to stop holding my breath as well. Try it, and be patient, it takes a few minutes to pass the panicky 'I can't steer my horse like this' feeling. After that the giggling starts. It's fun! |
Member: Aaring |
Posted on Friday, Mar 14, 2003 - 12:44 pm: Chris,Please describe "bridging" to the uninitiated. Thanks! |
Member: Chrism |
Posted on Friday, Mar 14, 2003 - 1:00 pm: Oooh, I was hoping no on would ask, GRIN.I looked around the 'net, but did not see a description to post, so I will try. Take up your reins "English style" - one in each hand, through each ring finger and over the top of your forefinger. You should feel some contact to the horse's mouth, which is different than if you ride Western. The loop that goes over the top of each forefinger is called the "bight" and normally lays on the horse's right side. To bridge, you catch up a length of the bight in each hand, so that each rein goes like this: from right mouth to right hand to left hand then bight and from left mouth to left hand to right hand then bight. The bit of rein between the two hands is double thickness. Does this help? It is so much easier to show someone. |
Member: Chrism |
Posted on Monday, Oct 13, 2003 - 5:59 pm: Do you periodically get saddle sores? Painful rubs in all the wrong places? Here are some things to think about and perhaps work on:Is your saddle large enough for your behind? Are you sitting in the right place? Are you balanced and relaxed? If you are getting rubs on the inside of your knees, are you pinching? Are you sitting upright? Is your hip angle too closed or open? What about your riding clothes? Are the seams in tender places? Is the fabric too loose? Is your underwear, er, appropriate for the job? Here are 2 things that come highly recommended - for the ladies, wear satiny undies inside out so that the seams, elastic around the legs and the cotton is on the outside, away from your skin. Augment this with runner's "Body Glide" available from your local running supply store. Rubs can happen to anyone. I was recently in a clinic (taught by an Ironman, I think). He had us doing way more continuous cantering then we normally worked on without transitions - and I have a tendancy to open my hip angle too much at the canter anyway, which became even more so as I get tired. Well, I'll spare the details, but I was rubbed and the rubs became a very good reminder to close my hip angle at the canter ... subsequently, our canter work has become much lighter and balanced and our down transitions are getting even better. Cheers. |
Member: Dres |
Posted on Monday, Oct 13, 2003 - 7:42 pm: i find the best thing for saddle sores or even to help prevent them is DESITIN baby cream... i think this works better then body glide... only you will get white fingers after application... ...also , if you DO get saddle sores... the desitin sure feels good just for every day sitting in the office chair...been there after a good hot , long , day at the show... Ann |
Member: Gr82bme |
Posted on Tuesday, Oct 28, 2003 - 2:32 pm: I used to have trouble with horses getting grabby about treats given by hand. So I trained them to look away from me then give them the treat. Now when you go to give them a treat they look to their right side, Works great & is safe for kids too. No more greedy snack grabbing.Debby |
New Member: Ekf10 |
Posted on Friday, Jan 2, 2004 - 8:22 pm: }When to back a young horse?? I have a Cleveland Bay cross who will be 2 in April...she now is approx 15.3 on her way to 17 hands (I hope); she trailers well; for the past year I have walked her on the road to accustom to traffic and this summer started ground driving her on the road and around cones; we have worked in the round pen; she clips fairly well (still needs some work there. She is very willing but curious as to opinions for actual backing. } |
Member: Christos |
Posted on Saturday, Jan 3, 2004 - 8:39 am: Ellen,It greatly depends on what your plans are for this horse. If you intend him to age well in your hands, do not ride him at all before he is 36 months old and then again be very tactful during his first year under saddle. If you want to sell him in a couple of years, start riding carefully this summer and finish his training through next winter. This way you can show him next summer as a trained 3yo. This is not correct for the horse's bones and ligaments, but it is what everybody is doing and what the "market" demands. Many people also think that he will be harder to "break" when he is 3, so let's jump aboard now that he's little, get done with the discipline and then let him grow a bit more before actual riding starts. This is incorrect, older horses accept the first rides a lot better, both physically and mentally. Personally, I would never buy a 3yo that looks accustomed to the weight on his back. |
Member: Ekf10 |
Posted on Saturday, Jan 3, 2004 - 8:48 pm: Thanks Christos...you confirmed my beliefs...as anxious as I am to ride her, I'm in the for the long term. I'll continue lots of ground driving this Spring and possibly hitch her this summer w/ my sane sensible driving mare to work as a team.Thanks for your thoughts |
Member: Chrism |
Posted on Monday, Jan 5, 2004 - 12:36 pm: I started riding my Swedish WB lightly in her 39th month (2 times a week, lunge a bit and ride a bit). 4 months later, she does w/t and ho under saddle, is learning to be forward, calm, straight and some very simple schooling figures. Usually lunging is 20 minutes total and undersaddle no more that 30 minutes, a lot of it walking on loose reins.My mare, who turns 21 this July, and is still quite nice/fun to ride was started at 4. This is what works for me. Cheers. |
Member: Gailking |
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 6, 2004 - 5:22 pm: Just a comment on when to back a young horse. To me, it depends upon the breed and your current training. I got my younger Arab at 1 1/2 years and didn't back him until 4+ years. I taught him basic ground manners and ponied him everywhere with my older Arab. I did very little lunging because he performed very well and I didn't think it is good for their young bones. He also grew a lot in girth and muscle definition in his fourth to fifth year. When it was time to back him, my trainer got on and he was terrific. It took a short while for him to learn a rider's communication. I ride bare back almost exclusively, and because he was so fast and handy, I was somewhat nervous. He would stop at the least little tweak of my leg or bottom. Anyway, he is very responsive and a wonderful mover. He loves to go fast and gets somewhat frustrated when he has to slow down. All in all, I think waiting to put a horse into serious training is better for the horse both physically and mentally. He had the opportunity to deal with lots of things in a relaxed way without carrying a rider and is a sane, non spooky guy. My older horse who was 4 when I got him had lots of quirks that had to be undone. My young one has none of those kinds of issues. This summer they both spent the whole summer at the ocean which presented a whole passle of new training issues. Again, the younger horse was more relaxed about all the new input but they both had tons of fun running loose on the beach and discovering surf, sand, seaweed, etc.One final hint, my older horse's training progressed reasonable well, but I had to always ride him perfectly to get him to perform and it took lots of energy to keep him going in an arena. I finally started riding bareback and instantly he was a different horse. He would trot for 45 minutes without my having to push him. So now I ride bare back all the time. It has made me a much better rider, and my horses seem to enjoy it more too. |
Member: Paix |
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2004 - 7:05 am: Thanks for posting all the personal experiences with training. Little gifts to make lives more comfortable for our horses is always a wonderful welcome!I havent seen any experiences related to abused/shy/fearful/angry horses. Ive certainly had my share for 20+ years since it really is my forte' and incredibly fulfilling. It would be interesting to see the personal approaches people have used to communicate with these Horses. We will have an onslaught of PMU horses coming to our communities over the next couple years. Often these horses need a bit more attention and concentration on what worked for them specifically (and generally-they all still have 64 CHx ) - and what didnt work? What has been your (collective your) experiences in reaching out to these horses and helping them gain back their confidence and trust. Hope this is a good thread for everyone - I know we have so many horses in unfortunate situations where many of us are attempting to rescue and help out. We could all use some of the personal "tricks" people have discovered.... THANKS! |
Member: Cowgrl |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 18, 2004 - 6:53 pm: Dina,Related to fearful/shy horses - I have a 3 year old mustang that I bought from his adopter. This horse didn't have a lot done with him when I got him - leading, moving away when you approached his side, etc. The only place I could touch him was his forehead and only when I was holding him. What I would do to get him to let me touch him all over was apply pressure and release. For example - to touch his ears I would bring my hand up around his years resting my hand just behind or in front of his ears. He would resist and move around and I would let him but I wouldn't remove my hand. After a minute or two he would stop moving and trying to get away from my hand. I would remove my hand immediately and turn away. Then turn back and do it again. It took a long time but now he realizes how great it feels to have his ears rubbed and practically shoves his head into my hand. I did the same with all parts of his body. Keep up the pressure until he stops reacting and starts thinking then remove the pressure and turn away. In his way of thinking I am a preditor when I approach and then realizes that I'm not a preditor when he sees that what I am doing is not hurting him and my turning away. What preditor is going to turn away if I mean to take him down? One of the keys is to not make eye contact. Eye contact is considered aggressive. Also, if you rub his eyes, it calms him down - works for any horse. It takes a lot of patience and time to get a shy horse to trust you but once they do, you have a friend for life. For a horse that I couldn't touch, I now have a confident one that let's me handle him all over, follows me around, and is a joy to work with. I've started riding him and he's turning out to be everything I wanted in a trail horse. To paraphrase Monty Roberts, If you only have 15 minutes to teach a horse, it will take a week. If you have a week, it will take 15 minutes. Works every time. Happy trails. Holly} |
Member: Paix |
Posted on Monday, Mar 22, 2004 - 3:22 pm: Thanks Holly,I completely agree and have had the same successes with this similar approach. I posted that thread hoping to get more tips and stories from the forum. I think, when re-reading my post, it was misleading. When I said, "I havent seen any experiences related to abused/shy/fearful/angry horses," I meant the posts on "tips" didnt seem to ever address this issue. Maybe its in a differnt place on the forum - I wish, with so many horses being rescued by people who may not have ever had a horse before, there could be a dedicated area just for "Working with the abused/shy/fearful Horse." I wish all horses cld get this same time and energy from the people that work with them that you give to yours. Its my best and favorite kind of work, to work with these horses. I have been very lucky with wonderful success stories. Thanks for sharing ur story. Sounds like a wonderful relationship with ur boy - theres nothing like the mutual trust that can build with a horse... at least for me. I live for that feeling - that kind of relationship. |
Member: Cowgrl |
Posted on Monday, Mar 22, 2004 - 4:16 pm: Thanks for the kind words Dina. One thing that people need to remember when working with this kind of horse is to keep it fun for you and your horse. Don't sweat the small stuff. And never lose your patience. Okay that's three.Holly |