Backing 3/4yr olds

Asha said:
Had a tough day today. Rustle attacked his sister Amara, totally unprovoked. Fortunately she got out of the way, but he meant it. He tried to pin her and back barrell her. Then he raised a leg at me.
Its so out of character, he adores his sister.
I cant let this go on. Hes clearly in alot of pain. Had the physio out yesterday for routine stuff, and she looked at him across the stable door and commented on how much muscle hes lost since she saw a couple of months ago.
Sorry, i know this isnt the place to put this . Just struggling to make the call.
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That really sucks, I'm so sorry for you and for him, what a rubbish outcome 😕
 
@CanteringCarrot Myka is worked 5 days a week. 5 on, 2 off, repeat. She is noticeably better on day 5 than on day 1 but each week we get a bit further. I think the consistency does her good. None of the work is physically demanding - I’m not even back on board yet - and even when I was, rides were broken up with lots of chill and thinking time. I think your plan sounds fine
 
Asha said:
Thanks everyone for the kind messages and the PMs . He’s gone now .
I can’t explain how I feel . But it was the right thing for him . No longer in pain .
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It really really sucks- all that planning’s all the hopes and dreams, years of loving them and doing the best for them and then something totally out of your control takes them from you. He was a lucky boy to have been born with you.
 
Asha said:
Thanks everyone for the kind messages and the PMs . He’s gone now .
I can’t explain how I feel . But it was the right thing for him . No longer in pain .
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I'm so very sorry. You're right, it was the right thing for him. Still, such a difficult thing to do, and I have a lot of respect for you (and others) that can make this right yet difficult call. While he may have been here shorter than planned, he still had you during that time and to do right by him at the end. 💜
 
Ambers Echo said:
@CanteringCarrot Myka is worked 5 days a week. 5 on, 2 off, repeat. She is noticeably better on day 5 than on day 1 but each week we get a bit further. I think the consistency does her good. None of the work is physically demanding - I’m not even back on board yet - and even when I was, rides were broken up with lots of chill and thinking time. I think your plan sounds fine
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Yeah, and I've always been pretty interactive with him because that's what he needs and seems to thrive on. I'm just not in a place mentally to receive flak on the matter or really participate in this thread, truly. So that's why I figured I'd come back later.

I think it will be a good for both of us.
 
CanteringCarrot said:
Yeah, and I've always been pretty interactive with him because that's what he needs and seems to thrive on. I'm just not in a place mentally to receive flak on the matter or really participate in this thread, truly. So that's why I figured I'd come back later.

I think it will be a good for both of us.
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No, I know what you mean. I'm not participating much either. I'll feedback when I have something good to say!!

#muddling through #progressisnotlinear
 
Perfect pony is perfect out hacking, however I am finding him hotter than Hades in the arena!
He has only been in there 3x, and seems to settle after 5 mins but that first 5 mins is HOT!

So far we just walk patterns and do halts and breathe until he settles. Then once he is settled we add some trotting circles and that goes well with the transitions.

I am erring towards just focussing on hacking for now and stay out of the arena for a few weeks OR carry on as we are, which is going in the arena once or twice a week for 10 mins.
I don't feel going straight up into trot earlier will improve it, but maybe it would??
He's not naughty as all with it, just sharp and quite electric feeling. Thankfully I tend to have a dull bum rather than a hot seat 😂
 
Well bog pony is being an absolute babe and hasn’t put a foot wrong in his long reining recently. He’s got the idea of circles with me in the middle, starts, stops and turns and teaching him to line up next to the mounting block.

Homebred pony…Well. He has been getting bolshy leading to the field and just generally annoying so decided to start school today. We didn’t even get to long reining as he was being an absolute bull and it was a bit of a shock to my system to realise he has zero respect for my personal space. He very much wanted to roll in the arena so was doing his best Spanish walk impression trying to paw and walk at the same time. Plus a couple of dramatic spooks, one led to a massive rear (although I think he scared himself as he lost his balance a little and didn’t do it again!) and the other to a circle of broncs. So just did some work on generally not pushing through me. He did well. Watching the videos back, I can see how much he struggles with impulse control so we’ll be doing some work on that sort of thing before he graduates to long reins.

It’s entirely my own fault - unless we’re grazing my neighbours fields, which we do about 2 months of the year, I virtually never really lead him. They let themselves in and out of their stables and he always comes to follow me about when I go down the yard and I’m now reaping the consequences!! He’s been to a few shows, futurity and some walks around the village and he’s been fine so didn’t occur to me until today that we had developed a bit of a problem. He’s a smart cookie though and there was a definite improvement throughout the session and he walked to the field like an absolute gentleman!
 
Hauled over to a local trail and had a lovely little outing. Lots of cyclists, walkers, and joggers on the trail due to the nice weather. The car park was a bit busy too.

We saw two other horses on the trail, and we've never come across others while out there. Mostly just did some fast walking and lots of staring at the unfamiliar horses as if they were aliens. He got over it quickly and never looked back once we passed them.

Some of our best times we've had have been on our outings.
 
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Took the 3yo out in the ‘storm’ (we didn’t get much of it) today. She was much better behaved than the 6yo we took with her as nanny mare! 6yo would spook…3yo would look at me, check I wasn’t bothered and relax - on endless repeat. Was very proud of her!
 
Xc
millitiger said:
Perfect pony is perfect out hacking, however I am finding him hotter than Hades in the arena!
He has only been in there 3x, and seems to settle after 5 mins but that first 5 mins is HOT!

So far we just walk patterns and do halts and breathe until he settles. Then once he is settled we add some trotting circles and that goes well with the transitions.

I am erring towards just focussing on hacking for now and stay out of the arena for a few weeks OR carry on as we are, which is going in the arena once or twice a week for 10 mins.
I don't feel going straight up into trot earlier will improve it, but maybe it would??
He's not naughty as all with it, just sharp and quite electric feeling. Thankfully I tend to have a dull bum rather than a hot seat 😂
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i have one the same. Done loads of hacking and a few farm rides and feels predictable and safe. But put him in an arena and he is horrible. Nappy and extremely tense. I have gone back to the ground work for now to improve his manners. Lots of side passing, bending, head down. Shoulder and quarters control. I couldn’t lunge in the open field because he just kept taking off and going for a flat out gallop but I have persevered a lot with that this week twice a day and after getting away from me 4 times on Friday and well and truly wearing himself out he has realised it’s easier if he stays with me and hasn’t done it since. So very pleased that we have had a breakthrough there and I can now lunge in just a halter in the field. I feel more hopeful that we can work through this now.
He is a challenging one that’s for sure. But a great learning experience. Xx
 
@McGrools , definitely sounds challenging! Well done for persevering, it will be worth it.

Small pony is very well behaved and hasn't done anything naughty, just feels like an unexploded bomb for the first 5 mins!
He lunges nicely, he is very responsive to ride and mannerly to the aids... Just super hot!
Perhaps it is my payback after years of complaining my older horse is too steady and laid back for me 🙈😂

In other news giant ginger is home BUT is going to the vets next week for a scope and airway check.
Being a ginormosaurous, I know he is prone to this, and I had question marks which have only become bigger the more work he has done.
So a ton of expense, stress and emotion as he'll likely need an op, box rest and all of the rehab etc.
Sometimes you wonder why we put ourselves through it!!
He is very gorgeous though and I can't help but smile when he puts his head over the stable door.
 
A little update on my 2 as they are now into their 2nd little block of 'work'. Enya has come back in stronger and more balanced. We haven’t had any reactions to the roller/ saddle and she seems to have really clicked into what being ridden is all about. We have started walking independently and today she had her first little trots on the lunge. She was super! If you'd seen this horse throw the shapes she has, you'd understand why I was a tiny bit worried about how this might go, but she was cool as a cucumber about it 😎

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The mule is also starting to twig what this is all about- we've had to do a lot of halt training with pony nuts or he just disappears in some random direction (walk bolting, I call it!) We braved it without a leader today and survived a few laps of steering and stopping. Both babies are now ready for some short hacking loops which they can hopefully start next week when I have an extra helper.

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Two very different equines 😂

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millitiger said:
Enya is very smart!
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Thank you! She is absolutely beautiful to sit on- she is balanced and athletic and I think she will find everything very easy. She does have a bit of attitude though, so will have to always try to stay on her side! That’s to be expected as it's very much in her breeding, and she has a lovely temperament so hopefully we can do that. Pony nuts are my best friend right now, she is very food motivated!
 
I am not back in "Youngster camp" also as a work colleague has deposited her 4yr old with me for a few weeks.
He is huge(17hh at least), lazy and a bit "Tim nice but dim"

He was sent off for breaking 7 weeks ago and I honestly have no clue what they did with him as I had to start from scratch!
Double lining and teaching him what Trot on actually means.
He is fabulous out hacking, leads or follows and no leg needed.

But my god he makes life hard in the school.
He is slowly getting the forward idea but its taking a while.

We haven't even attempted canter yet, I fear I may expire with the work ill need to do on top 🤣 processed-6886B750-8D76-4881-9965-7FC8D34BE34E.jpegprocessed-6ACCD6B5-0A8E-4ABD-B8A4-388100D02D25.jpeg
 
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