Exercising and bonding ideas???

[NightRider]

So I've realized I've been very ignorant and stubborn the past few days and there is no excuse for it:o

I do need suggestions on what to work on cuz I know I don't WANT to pay my barn instructor $50 a lesson. So what I'm wanting are ideas for things I can work on with King without breaking my piggy bank. I'll be honest, I know I can't train my own horse myself but I also don't have unlimited funds at my disposal:mad:.

I would also like ideas on things that would make our bond stronger as a pair, I don't want to have happen again what happened the other day:o(that really put me in a tizzy and made me want to not ride). I don't know how to make him happy except for hugging, kissing, grooming, and talking to him and giving him attention(which I know makes me feel good:)).

I do need help, and I'll be happy to let people know how their ideas work out if people are wanting to share them:). I almost wish I had never been let jump that early because when I started riding that was the only thing I wanted to do that was my motivation:mad::rolleyes:. Now that I can I've been realizing that although I learned A LOT very quickly it was at the price of being a horrid rider.

Now that I think more what people should actually do is give me goals or challenges to do everytime I ride. Like one day say work on this, and I'll let you know how it goes, the next day something else etc etc:-)

[colleen&val]

when i first got my girly i used to brush her then give her a massage , she loved it and thats how we got used to each other, finding her spot where she loved having a good scratch was priceless, espcially the faces they pull :D

and i used to walk her out in hand, just went for a walk togeather, giving her a rub and talking to her all the time, but im an old softy :o

i think you two will get a really close bond :)

[NightRider]

when i first got my girly i used to brush her then give her a massage , she loved it and thats how we got used to each other, finding her spot where she loved having a good scratch was priceless, espcially the faces they pull :D

and i used to walk her out in hand, just went for a walk togeather, giving her a rub and talking to her all the time, but im an old softy :o

i think you two will get a really close bond :)

Yea, I used to spend like hours at my old barn doing that, but with him I can't seem to find his spot:rolleyes:. There is one horse at the barn that everytime I scratch his cheeks he tilts his head and reminds me of a giraffe lol. I know it will take some time for him to warm up to me...

[colleen&val]

try in his mane, top of his tail , withers and shoulder, my girl loves her ears scratched :D

i might sound mad, but think good things, not just talk, im sure my girl picks up on my thoughts alot :D

i dont think it will take too long for him to warm to you, he seems a very genuine sort :)

[Star_Piper]

I'm seconding the idea of spending loads of time just grooming and scratching him. If he enjoys fuss like that, it's the perfect way to bond more with him :) Also the walking out in hand is a good one too.

You can get numerous books on groundwork exercises, so it might be a good idea to look into them. I'm sure you can get some of them second hand too, so shouldn't break the bank too badly. One of those will give you all sorts of ideas for things to work on, which will improve communication and your relationship with your horse. The one I've got is by Rio Bartlett, but there are loads of other ones out there, I'm sure someone else can recommend a good one to you.

I think you already know this, but it's a point worth mentioning again - when you're working towards a specific goal (whether it's managing to trot a perfect 20m circle, or jump a certain jump), when the horse gets it right, reward him. One of the best ways of doing that, is to let him rest, so if he trotted a fantastic 20m circle you would then come back to walk (or halt) and let him stretch his neck out and relax as a reward. If he likes a scratch on the shoulder, you could also do that, or whatever else he really enjoys.

And for you: do you have a camera that you could set up to record you riding, or a willing person who'll come and record you a lot? Even without regular instruction you can still make progress, if you study how you're riding and then refer to a book about riding to help identify your faults. Or of course you can post them on here, and people will take time to give you some pointers to help you progress :) It's not as good as having an instructor there teaching you, but it's better than not trying to identify and correct your faults at all.

Enjoy yourself! King is a very handsome boy indeed, and I'm sure you'll have loads more fun with him :)

[NightRider]

I'm seconding the idea of spending loads of time just grooming and scratching him. If he enjoys fuss like that, it's the perfect way to bond more with him :) Also the walking out in hand is a good one too.

You can get numerous books on groundwork exercises, so it might be a good idea to look into them. I'm sure you can get some of them second hand too, so shouldn't break the bank too badly. One of those will give you all sorts of ideas for things to work on, which will improve communication and your relationship with your horse. The one I've got is by Rio Bartlett, but there are loads of other ones out there, I'm sure someone else can recommend a good one to you.

I think you already know this, but it's a point worth mentioning again - when you're working towards a specific goal (whether it's managing to trot a perfect 20m circle, or jump a certain jump), when the horse gets it right, reward him. One of the best ways of doing that, is to let him rest, so if he trotted a fantastic 20m circle you would then come back to walk (or halt) and let him stretch his neck out and relax as a reward. If he likes a scratch on the shoulder, you could also do that, or whatever else he really enjoys.

And for you: do you have a camera that you could set up to record you riding, or a willing person who'll come and record you a lot? Even without regular instruction you can still make progress, if you study how you're riding and then refer to a book about riding to help identify your faults. Or of course you can post them on here, and people will take time to give you some pointers to help you progress :) It's not as good as having an instructor there teaching you, but it's better than not trying to identify and correct your faults at all.

Enjoy yourself! King is a very handsome boy indeed, and I'm sure you'll have loads more fun with him :)

Yes I have a camera lol, I've been recording all my videos myself that's why they are so bad:rolleyes::o

[huskyfinn]

i got Finn and i couldn't ride him for a few months due to me being pregnant and him recovering from an injury, that's why i picked him as it meant i wasn't under any pressure to ride him straight away.

i spent the time just grooming him, walking him out in hand to munch on some good grass, massaging him and even sat in his stable reading a few magazines/books! by the timei got to ride him we understood each other really well! :D

a friend of mine spends some time each day (even if she's riding) just letting her horse loose in the arena and running around with him, sometimes she will ask him to kick a ball and things like that, they have a VERY strong bond.

[NightRider]

i got Finn and i couldn't ride him for a few months due to me being pregnant and him recovering from an injury, that's why i picked him as it meant i wasn't under any pressure to ride him straight away.

i spent the time just grooming him, walking him out in hand to munch on some good grass, massaging him and even sat in his stable reading a few magazines/books! by the timei got to ride him we understood each other really well! :D

a friend of mine spends some time each day (even if she's riding) just letting her horse loose in the arena and running around with him, sometimes she will ask him to kick a ball and things like that, they have a VERY strong bond.

Main thing I just don't want a repeat of the other day:o:eek::p

[huskyfinn]

the thing is there is always a possibility of a horse nipping at you, could be for a number of reasons but the difference is once you get to know your horse and your horse trusts you then IF it was to happen then you would know it's either been scared or in pain.

my horse would try and nip at me when i was brushing the dirt from between his front legs and i realised it hurt him so i now either clip him there in winter or pick at it instead of brushing.

i just had another thought about what you said, you said you were passing under his head back and for then he nipped you, maybe he was telling you that you were annoying him? also did he have any food nearby?

anyway back to the post (god i waffle!) playing games with a horse on the ground is a great way to learn how each other moves and it really builds up a trust with each other. you can still do it even if you are riding that day, just do it for less time! my mate has a big gym ball that she uses, she can tell him to touch the ball and he knows what she's asking, it keeps his mind busy as well! ;)

[Daffy Dilly]

I'm a huge fan of clicker training. You can do virtually anything with it. Alexandra Kurland is US based, and has a great range of books and dvds. I know she runs regular clinics.

One of the concerns held by those who only really notice the treat aspect of clicker, is that the horse mugs you for treats at every available opportunity. It's one of the first things you address, although I never needed to with my ex-bolshy cob.

It trains both horse and rider. If done correctly, you learn how to teach your horse and you will get a highly motivated horse who is willing to try. Worth having a look at. :)

[Alexa&Tess]

I think walking out in hand is a brilliant way to get to know your horse, and for them to learn to trust you. You can notice more what they are looking at and what they find worrying. Then you can build up their trust in you by helping them pass/touch the thing they find scary.

[NightRider]

the thing is there is always a possibility of a horse nipping at you, could be for a number of reasons but the difference is once you get to know your horse and your horse trusts you then IF it was to happen then you would know it's either been scared or in pain.

my horse would try and nip at me when i was brushing the dirt from between his front legs and i realised it hurt him so i now either clip him there in winter or pick at it instead of brushing.

i just had another thought about what you said, you said you were passing under his head back and for then he nipped you, maybe he was telling you that you were annoying him? also did he have any food nearby?

anyway back to the post (god i waffle!) playing games with a horse on the ground is a great way to learn how each other moves and it really builds up a trust with each other. you can still do it even if you are riding that day, just do it for less time! my mate has a big gym ball that she uses, she can tell him to touch the ball and he knows what she's asking, it keeps his mind busy as well! ;)

So explain the ball thing to me cuz a few of the horses at my barn have them, but how do you train them to kick it and stuff like you just said?