back to riding youngster after 4/5 week break....any help

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sue44

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Can anyone advise on the best possible and safe way to get back riding my 4/5 year old youngster after she has been stuck in through all the bad snow and frost.She has had very limited turnout. We were doing light schooling and hacking before this bad spell of weather. Just concerned we might have to start from scratch with everything that we have done after such a break.
 
Long reining!!! Is always agood place to start; to refresh her memory!
Good luck
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if she learnt it properly first time then you shouldnt have any probs! lunge for 10 mins then get on and expect to get what you had! a few days of this and you are back on track providing you havent filled said horse full of grub!
 
started mine back yesterday/today...we lunged yesterday for 15-20 mins and today I lunged for 10 mins then got on and did about 25 mins of walking/stretching/recap of aids etc! He was very good quite unexpectedly but tired alot quicker than before the long break (more mentally than physically) so keep it short and sweet for a few days.
Good luck and I hope you don't get any snow tomorrow to kill your plans!
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No I have limited her feed due to being good doer anyway so shoudn t really go bonkers cos of food.How long riding after lunging would you suggest.
 
if you don't want to long rein i would put her on the lunge for a few minutes, then you can see what sort of mood she is.

then i would just get on and go for a short hack, not too much as the muscles will need to get used to work again.
 
In the same situation with almost 5 year old. Once we had a surface that was workable I just did some groundwork to make sure he was listening then hopped up.

He was fine and has forgotton nothing if anything the time off has given him some time for the last set of lessons to sink in. Just taking it slowly with shorter sessions till he gets his fitness back. Will take him out for a long slow hack at the weekend.
 
i'm in the same situation. after having been hacking out a couple of times i'd say just take it really steady and act as if you are just starting out again. your horse will tell you how much work he is comfortable with.
my horse started getting jumpy with the traffic again and after me getting cross a couple of times thinking he should know better
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found that he really just wanted to get used to it all again quietly
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, so thats what we are doing...
hope all goes well x
 
i started mine earlier in the week, shed been ridden about 9 times since she came out of racing then had a 2 month break over christmas and new yr, i lunged her twice, then got on, and touch wood, shes been so so much better with the break, attitude and everything.

riding in walk and trot for 15 mins ish
 
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