i think my horse is getting bored ...

notpoodle

notpoodle

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Jul 16, 2003
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bored with schooling type work that is. even though i had vowed to try anything to make things interesting, i find that's easier said than done - and that we have a habit of ending up doing/practising the same stuff (brakes, turns, trying to get a bend to the left, ensuring she does not dive into the middle of the school sideways ...) over and over again. i just feel we're a bit (well, not just a bit i suspect) stuck at the moment!

would love to take her out for a lovely hack BUT she currently won't go out on her own and i have noone to ride out with :rolleyes:

i could take her down to the big field that is used for cross country at the moment BUT i am a little worried about that one because up until a month ago she lived in that very field (so she might not like being ridden in there!).

anyone got any ideas?

julia
x
 
If I were you, I'd try to ride in the field. My pony often gets ridden in the field he lives in, and he does behave just as well as if he's being schooled in any other field. Instead of him associating the place with working, he associates me riding him with working, wherever that may be.

Also, try walking out in-hand. It might not work, but it might help, and add something new. And if you can, do a bit of lunging to add some variety
 
done the inhand stroll thing, she was not overly enthusiastic (admittedly it was a hot day and there was tons of flies around!). i think i'll put my brave hat on and try the field :) i make sure the gate's shut so in case she does bolt or anything (have been told by previous owner that she can get very excited at the prospect of running over a big open space ...), she won't be able to run onto the road or anything.



julia
x

ps: er: lunging. i haven't lunged a horse in about 10 years, so i think i'd be doing more harm than good with that one :rolleyes:
 
just had another idea she might like :) her previous owner said angel enyoyed jumping. maybe i could just loose school her with a couple of little cavaletties around? (if they let me that is because the onnly school with sufficient fencing is kind of sunk in the ground and ive been told horses have jumped out of it in the past because they can see the 'normal' level ground ...)

julia

x
 
Murph gets very bored in the school so I throw in lots of variations for him if I feel him getting fed up - lots of 10m circles all over the school, serpentines, lots of walk/trot transitions, frequent changes of rein, leg yielding in and out of larger circles and working in trot on the inside track of the school...

If I can get myself organised then I put out some trot poles down the centre of the school and work on extending his trot, he seems to enjoy that! Another thing I had begun to do as his flexibility increased was get some old non-canter dressage tests and follow them - gives you a pattern to work to if you run out of ideas!

He doesn't always get it right but repetition improved him greatly - plus it keeps his brain in gear and I find if I'm focussed on what I'm doing next then it stops him getting distracted and playing up.

Good luck!
 
i do the circles, serpentines, change of rein and transition stuff - and i think she's getting a bit fed up with it (because we usually get stuck on something or other and end up working on really basic stuff like 'we do not dive into the middle of the school sideways' or 'circles and turns can be done in trot, falling back into walk is not a necessity' :rolleyes: ).

there is a chance it's to do with her saddle i suspect, but i am no expert and (see other posts) am finding it very difficult to get anyone to check out my saddle or sell and fit a new one i can afford :(

julia
x
 
pray to be blessed?! i think i may be blessed in that respect anyway because she hasn't got much along the lines of withers and quite a round back.

julia
x
 
Im ment pray to be blessed by the balance fairy! :D

But round ponies are better! Withers can hurt.. Ferns very withery especially if they chuck you forward.. Ouch!

Have you got someone who could lunge you on her? You could try some no stirrup work... No reins work... Balance work...

What about Jumping? Could do abit of that!

Lucy
 
havent got anyone who'd lunger her for me i'm afraid :rolleyes: jumping she can do without me (i don't jump and i'm not sure i should - on a 13hh pony being 5'5 myself and all) :D

my balance is not bad (about the only thing about my riding that is okay!), i used to do vaulting :D that was 15 years ago though :D

we've done no reins work (no reins meaning i just hold on to the buckle), even went round traffic cones with no reins a couple of times (difficult to get hold of the cones though because they always seem to be needed for the PC or some lesson) :)

julia
x

ps: i wish i had someone to go hacking with, because i'm sure she'd enjoy that :)
 
What about riding to music, I'm sure you could take a small tape machine into your school, with some of your favourite music on, the sort that gets you that 'up' feeling :D. You could then try and do things in time with the music, transitions in time to the music speeding up or down. Trying to keep in time with the beat, or designing your own 'dancing to music' test, like leg yielding across in time or increasing and decreasing circles. It might not just be Angel that is getting bored, it could be you as well, as when you get into the habit of doing the same thing over and over again without a specific goal to aim for, especially alone, then it could get boring.
 
people at my yard take 'dressage to music' very seriously, so i'll be the laughing stock if i tried that :rolleyes: (i suspect i'm the laughing stock anyway ...)

julia
x

on second thoughts: to hell with what people think, that sounds like a really fun idea :)
 
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Do desensitization. :) I LOVE that stuff!!!

Bring into the ring stuff you don't encounter every day but COULD someday, if you were to ride her out, if you went to a show, things like that. A horse can never be too desensitized.

Some things I suggest: A bicycle, a tarp, plastic bags, just throw poles randomly in the arena and guide her around to them (reminds her to watch where she steps and helps you work on focusing your attention to where you want her to go), tie ribbons around so they can billow and blow... There's a TON of stuff that you can bring in! The real test is to get her to do a simple dressage test with all those distractions for her to look at! ;)
 
TB that was going to be my suggestions, we have lots of flags from the England footie on our school fences, tarps and road cones, and currently my mother can be seen walking up and down in the boiling evening heat with an umbrella!!!-how sad is that all that to make my boy learn to work to distraction!...working in the field is good but keep it steady-all this talk of bolting etc -work in the field doesnt have to mean gallop!!-work in a circle and get an outline going and make him listen and then maybe finish with some in hand canter on the circle..be careful though our ground is like concrete so working in the hay field is out at all but walk at the moment...music is a good idea, we use it lots and it helps to keep you interested as well!!!-good luck
 
that sounds interesting :) i wonder if they let me do that (most schools needed for lessons most times). i think i skip the mini-dressage though :rolleyes:

julia
x
 
why on earth shouldn't you jump on a 13hh pony? admittedly exmoors aren't the most athletic jumpers, but as long as you're not planning on 3 foot, what's the problem?

can you not start asking the other liveries when they go out and if you can go with them?
 
i don't jump at all :D don't like it :)

believe me, i have asked other liveries when they go out. i found one lady, but i keep missing her at the weekend. the other ones either come during the day in the week (when i'm at work) or they don't hack at all, because all they do is dressage and their horses are too spooky/crazy to go out on the road with :rolleyes:

i really hope we sort our little napping issue soon, because then i can go out on my own again :)

julia
x
 
If she doesn't like going out on her own and you haven't anyone to ride out with, perhaps you could find somebody to walk at the side of you until you both gain confidence at being out on your own.
A ten minute ride out before and after your schooling should help with the boredom.
All the best
From Tracy
 
that'd be tricky as well. bf only comes up at the weekend and people at yard are usually too busy for stuff like that :rolleyes:

am working on the napping problem though and i'm sure she'll be back to normal sooner or later!

julia
x
 
Play games with her (admittedly this may make you even more of a laughing stock;) ) I found with my small ponies they get easily bored and 'shut off' in a schooling session so we play, we get cones out and play bending (well that is what they think, in fact they are working on transitions, outline and bend - but shush! don't tell them that:D ) and we use distractions (like AJB suggested..tarpaulins, umbrellas and those ever useful England flags - we have some too :D ) I also build obstacles to longrein through, practice for driving trials but also good schooling. I have found that lots of ground work and games with Rupert has strengthened his confidence in me and his napping has decreased...now we can longrein out alone...we haven't achieved riding yet but can manage a few hundred yards alone which is better than napping as soon as we are out of the gate which was how we started off......:rolleyes:
 
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