After getting some advice from you NR's and giving it some serious thought I've decided to cut back on Casper's schooling.
At the moment, he is schooled 3/4 times a week for about 40 minutes doing lots of trot and some canter. I try to vary it with poles, jumps, figure of 8, serpantines, teardrops etc. In addition, I try and lunge once a week to work specifically on C's canter but I also add some jumps and trotting poles.
I think we are both getting a bit stale in the school - we can turn it on when RI is there but the last few sessions have been a bit flat. I'm thinking it's because for the last couple of months, due to weather, all we've done is school - we've only hacked twice. C is only 5/6 and has the attention span of a fly!
I figure now is a good time with the clocks changing to cut down the schooling and increase the hacking - even if it is just a wee 10 minute toddle up the road - at least it's more interesting for him.
So now I'm planning 2 schooling sessions per week, one lunge, as many hacks as I can fit in (new approach will be if weather is ok we hack!) and possibly some ground work/inhand work.
Y/O just told me that the new outdoor arena will be finished in May so we'll actually be able to do some proper schooling (indoor is only 30 x 15 and as an unbalanced cob, C finds it quite hard sometimes).
So tomorrow morning, we're going for a nice relaxing hack.
Now - where I do need help is finding exercises we can do when hacking on the road?
Unfortunately, the fields/woods are too wet just now although I'm hoping to start taking him to the all weather tracks about 20 minutes away)
One of the roads we have to hack on is very busy so all I can do is keep him going forward but the other is quite quiet so - any tips for what schooling exercises we can do to ensure all the work we've put in doesn't go to waste?
Thanks
K
p.s - sorry for the long post!
At the moment, he is schooled 3/4 times a week for about 40 minutes doing lots of trot and some canter. I try to vary it with poles, jumps, figure of 8, serpantines, teardrops etc. In addition, I try and lunge once a week to work specifically on C's canter but I also add some jumps and trotting poles.
I think we are both getting a bit stale in the school - we can turn it on when RI is there but the last few sessions have been a bit flat. I'm thinking it's because for the last couple of months, due to weather, all we've done is school - we've only hacked twice. C is only 5/6 and has the attention span of a fly!
I figure now is a good time with the clocks changing to cut down the schooling and increase the hacking - even if it is just a wee 10 minute toddle up the road - at least it's more interesting for him.
So now I'm planning 2 schooling sessions per week, one lunge, as many hacks as I can fit in (new approach will be if weather is ok we hack!) and possibly some ground work/inhand work.
Y/O just told me that the new outdoor arena will be finished in May so we'll actually be able to do some proper schooling (indoor is only 30 x 15 and as an unbalanced cob, C finds it quite hard sometimes).
So tomorrow morning, we're going for a nice relaxing hack.
Now - where I do need help is finding exercises we can do when hacking on the road?
Unfortunately, the fields/woods are too wet just now although I'm hoping to start taking him to the all weather tracks about 20 minutes away)
One of the roads we have to hack on is very busy so all I can do is keep him going forward but the other is quite quiet so - any tips for what schooling exercises we can do to ensure all the work we've put in doesn't go to waste?
Thanks
K
p.s - sorry for the long post!