Advice please, bringing the Hippo back into wordk

[Susan C]

Sorry cant help it, he will always be my Hippo.

I am looking at how we start when we bring him back to work.
It is easy to say we have loads of time yet, but before you know it it will be end Feb!

He will be rising 5 this year. But by all I have found out and been told, ID do not mature very early, he still will have years before he is a real Horse not a baby.

So what do we do??

I thought we would go back to the inhand around the school, over poles again, bringing in the lungeing/long reining. The pole work increased to give him a chance to re build up the back muscle before under saddle.is this right??

Then what???

He obviously will be unfit so that will also need building up. The short hack back out in the world again. Fun on x/c course.

All he does now is go out to field and come into stable at night, but he is groomed each day and he loves it!!! I also massage him to help keep the muscle and I weight him every 2 weeks to see he is not exploding so far OK on that front. He is unclipped , although he started with a full clip at start of season, (so well behaved for 1st timer never caused a hiccup) so full coat , but rugged in lightweight rug, and fleece rug in stable.

He will have teeth checked in couple of weeks, and thought good idea to have back checked out before???

So all ideas wanted from all your experiences.

[FreedomStar]

Try taking him for long handwalks or rides over the trails to build up his stamina and endurance. Also, longe him on a slight hill or uprise, this will help him build up more muscle, but not on a really big hill. And buy him a toy to keep him busy for hours or so.

[DebO]

If you want to get him fit it takes time, it also depends on what you want to do with him. If it's just hacking with a bit of dressage, small x ctry events aim for 6-8 weeks.

Its a good idea to start getting his tack, teeth, jabs, feet etc sorted before you start your programme. Plus any change of routine eg bringing back into stable do gradually.

Start off by walking on the flat, field and progressing onto roadwork to build up muscles and harden legs, slow steady work for a longer duration rather than short fast work.

Wk1 walk from 15 mins to 45 mins by end of wk
Wk2 increase walks to 1 - 1.5hrs watch breathing/sweating
Wk3 walk up/down hills, little trot gradually introduced
Wk4 walking, increase trot work, if horse OK a little canter
10 min schoolwork (don't forget 20 mins of lungeing is
same as hacking for 1 hr lot of stress on legs)
Wk5 working 1.5hrs day, walk, trot, slow canter up hills
work over small fences
Wk6 longer work 2 hrs day or 1 hr twice day, longer canters,
jumping, schooling, lungeing
Wk7 Same as wk6, fast canter or good pipe opener (Gallop!)
Wk8 full work

Don't forget his feed ratio - 90% fibre Hay etc to 10% concentrates to start with. When horse is in full work his ration would be 60% fibre to 40% concentrates unless of course he is doing serious eventing etc, which I sure he wont be at that age. Keep an eye on the food situation eg weight.

Don't forget to keep an eye on tack and sores etc. Keep an eye on him, don't push him if he seems tired, day off won't hurt, watch for injuries.

Don't lunge more than 3 times a week it puts a lot of strain on the legs, make sure he has brushing boots on.

As far as maturing, my ID/TB is coming up 12 he's more like a 3 yr old at times. More spooky and insecure than any arabs I've had in the past! Don't think they ever grow up!

Good luck

[Heather]

Hi Gobby,

It really does depend on what you intend to do with him. Is he safe out hacking? In hand work if correctly done, can be a huge benefit, as can long reining, but either requires skill and practise.

Lunging correctly is of great benefit to prepare the horse for the rider. Simple school exercises under saddle in walk are very good too- plenty of changes of direction, but keeping all bends and circles large. Shallow loops, large demi voltes, large serpentine loops, all in walk tobegin with, prepare him for the next stage in trot.

I doubt if you want to get him fit to the point yet where he could do a lot of fast work.I presume you just generally want to get him going sensibly and safely at this stage.

Heather

[Susan C]

Firstly thanks DebO

and secondly to Heather.
Thank you both.
As you have seen I have the teeth check sorted, and am looking into back being checked. The saddle will also be checked, although I hope in the not to distant future to go down the Treeless saddle as I feel this has to be the next step to as much freedom of movement I can give him. He has only been shod Cytek so in theory this should cover all that area.

Sue's visit to me in the past made me very saddle fit consious.

What do we want to do? that is a Question. What can I expect of a 5 yr old ID is to me more important.

If in a situation of bringing on a horse to sell, he would have been far advanced to where he is, but that was never my idea. he is with me for life, so I have taken the steps to TRY and not push more then his body was ready for.

I want to puruse the Dressage hopefully novice level sometime in the year, so that is a aim.

Melissa wants to S/J him, but again that would only be small local courses. A horse of his size in WH would have to be 3ft and I am not sure that is what I want of him yet. Possibly a novice WH local level would be good. Plus I would love to see him in show class, but again more for experience again.
I think he would love x/c country as he really is forward going, so perhaps this year take part in a few more sponcered rides where you can cherry pick the jumps to suit you & the horse.

Plus more adventure hacks. So not a lot more but just uping the level a little bit, and as he becomes fitter the hacks can be increased in length and speed.

So that is the aim, I hope I am on the right wave length for his type.
I really want to gain a more balanced canter . We never really pushed this avenue,plus I want him to be more into the contact then before. I think in hindsight we were not firm enough in this area. Id can be natrually round and this helps, but they can still learn evasion and it is easy to think he did not like this bit, or that bit, when all along he just needed to know the contact is here and work into it.
One of our mistakes I feel that we intend to rectify.

Deb mentioned routine, well as I said he is already in same routine, he is out in daytime and stabled at night, that wont change. he is groomed so in reality it will be working him more, that will be the change. So In-hand will be good. Plus a top up on the listening skills and acceptance of us in charge, before we go further. hense the long reining.
Heather mentioned is he safe out, wel;l he was as safe as houses, he was the one other nervous horse went out with. he taught them to behave. I cant imagine that will change but we will test it.
But long reining out the yard well I do not want that on the roads. We have a lane to yard that is a mile long we can utilise that. We have th scholl for work and fields to work on so we are lucky.
BUT DebO we have no hills for about 3 miles!! then we have hills,as we are at the bottom of Dunstable Downs!!!!

So that will be something to work fitness to!

Lunging too often, Yes I do appreciate it is hard on legs and that is area I do not want to spoil. lus I think too much in the school is still likely to make him sad! so we will break it up. Plus it will be a build up to it anyway.
Heather we love to long rein, and Flynn is so good, we do this out on the open field as he is more keen and he behaves so well. Not being restricted to the school fence I feel helps us, and Flynn seems to have more interest. It is a joy to watch Melissa on the end of the long reins, I always feel we could do a display to music!!
We bring poles into it as well, plus as we have progressed to small jumps to.
I have always done a lot in walk, was told walk is good. I gained a lot from Sues visit in re-building Jack so not ***-similar.
Heather., Fast work made me smile, Flynn and fast are not in the same parcel. He can cover ground, his trot is lovely, he walks out as I have always encouraged forward! to him.
But Fast, well he has had his canters, and so far possibly a stride or two of gallop! but he has not found himself yet there. Which I am told is quite acceptable for his breed. But will come! That has been the let down at showing, but my horse can only do waht he is capable and his body ready for.

ODE in the future would be so wonderful. But that is in the dream machine.

DebO mentioned feeding.

I have mentioned I weight him every 2 weeks. That is the reason he was not let down in the summer. He would have exploded.
ID and living on fresh air will always be a concern.

He is given loads of roughage. at present no concentrates, in fact he has not had any concentrates.
He has a broad spectrum supplement made bespoke by Trinity Consultants covering all vits and minerals. He was on linceed lozenges & Soya ?? as recomended for growth and muscle but I have watched not too much. Enough to help the make up of them for a young horse.

It will be a long time before he is ever pumped full of concentrates if ever. I am always concerned about the weighty horse! I am great beleiver in salt & garlic though as well.

DebO you made me smile with your ID X TB being spooky @ 12 yrs, Flynn does not know that word. he obviously has taken the book to heart of taking his confidence from us as Alpha leaders. Melissa & I have always tried to lead by example to him. So far that seems to have worked.

He has not known rear or buck either can we keep this from him for ever.

He has tried Nap! but we just said OK mate, We will go the way We Want to! even if it is 1 step at a time. But We Will go where We Want to eventually. No arguments. I think he thought it was his idea..

So it would seem our ideas are about right.

I aim to have lesson again about 1 month after returning, but again that will all depend on Flynn and if he is ready.

I listened to him before he was usually right.
:D