Anyone elze'z ex racerz *alwayz* behind the leg?

catembi

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Plz excuze my zpelling... the 'letter I can't type' haz ztuck down on my keyboard & I can't get it back up...!

Anyway, my ex-racer iz 8, in perfect health, happy, zound... but idle. I've had him for 2 1/2 yearz. He raced 18 timez with 2 winz & 5 2ndz, zo not *that* zlow. However, I really ztruggle to get him in front of the leg. I have to canter fairly early on in a zchooling zezzion, otherwize he'z worze. I alzo have a jump or 2 zet up in the zchool to give him zome variety, & a quick pop wakez him up a bit.

He doezn't really rezpond to whip or zpur, zo I've given up wearing zpurz az they make little differenze. He'z the zame out hacking - co-operatez but at hiz own zpeed. At compz, he'z a raving lunatic, but apart from that...zlow!

Right, off to get a new keyboard az thiz iz driving me up the wall!

T x
 
love the all the Zzzzzz's it's like the bees are writing to us...

i would do lots of transitions, lots of 10m circles, serpentines, 10m figures of eights and 10m half circle/ 'S' shapes and lots of changing the rein across E-B ... don't let him guess what's happening next. This will get the hind leg steppting through, bring him up in front, make you sit up and drve him through from behind, which will all put him infront of your leg.

P.s. my personal favorite movement for this is a 3 loop serpentine asking for canter on the centre line, then trot on the tracks- keeps them thinking, bending and going forwards!
 
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Trev iz 'happy' zlow! Not grumpy at all... juzt likez to potter about in hiz own rhythm & cadence. The engine zeldom zeemz to engage.

I wouldn't believe that he'd won any racez except I've downloaded & watched them! He waz actually quite good!

You could come & zee your yourzelf once I've had my cuzhionride topped up!

T x
 
You could be dezcribing (ha ha) my ex racer word for word. He's 8 as well. Not at all grumpy except when girthing. I'm going to trial him on aloe vera over the winter because I do suspect ulcers but the slow thing I think is just him - he's sooooo chilled out he's practically backwards
 
My girl waz (:p) really behind the leg as well, I think it's because they were never taught leg aids although that is dependent on how long yours has been off the track :)
 
Your post made me smile :D If you're really stuck and using something that will recognize html codes, you can get an s by typing &#115, then highlighting it and clicking the "#" code that you can see e.g. above the box where you're typing a reply. You can then cut and paste this series of characters every time you want an s. Bit of a palaver, but if you really really want an s, it will get it for you. Mind you, I think your post was more entertaining as it stood :D

WRT to the actual topic - try food rewards ;) Keep a few polos, chopped up carrots or nuggety type things (I use Badminton Fibre Nuggets) in your pocket, and whenever you get a particularly good and forward transition, say "good boy", stop and give a polo. You may find you start to get a bit more keenness. If the Spanish Riding School do it, it can't be that bad, eh? (they all have special sugar lump pockets sewn into their tail coats).
 
Haha, guessssssss who'ssssss been to Argosssssssss...??!!

Now I need to hide the packaging from o/h so I don't get into trouble for ruining my other keyboard. I seem to remember spilling something on it ages ago, & hoping I'd got away with it. It's gradually been getting stickier. Then this morning I was eating a swizzells Matlow double lolly & it unexpectedly disintegrated with sherbet going everywhere, which is what finished it off.

Thank you for explaining how to get an S next time I'm stuck... I will def probs need that in the future as this isn't the first keyboard that's met a sticky end & probs won't be the last.

H'mm interesting idea re treats. Trev loves a polo, so might be worth a try. It does amaze me that such a dozy old donkey who won't even trot better than a shuffle til he's had a canter actually won £18k racing!

T x
 
I think sometimes they just like to do things at their own pace. Loll usually starts off a bit bimbly and then gets better - on a hack the first 1/2 mile can be little more than a shuffle :o some days and then she perks up and gets on, working on the flat the first few times I ask for trot are RUBBISH but once she's had a canter she'll work properly it's just a case of letting her wake up a bit.
 
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