Clipping/time off/lessons instead?

[Sol]

Just musing really....

Seeing as Dante is awful to hack, I can't see us really doing much now (no chance of boxing to an indoor although I still don't regret moving from yard WITH an indoor amazingly!) as the arena has frozen already. Rode on it Saturday when it was sort of half and half but it wasn't ideal.

So.... intentions were to clip Dan again and work on his flatwork over winter to start jumping again in the spring, but I'm now thinking it may be better to not clip and be content with just lunging him or hacking him quietly and carefully any day that the world has thawed out enough or do a little bit of walk work ridden in the school (mostly to remind him that he must behave under saddle because he's such a twit ) and see if I can find somewhere local to have dressage lessons on a schoolmaster maybe with the money I save on lessons/clipping/new rugs/quarter sheets etc?

I'm also thinking that a few months 'off' might do him the world of good? Or is he likely to come back even worse behaved!?

Thanks

 

[Izzwizz]

My mare had a year off due to injury and she came back better than ever. Confident and content. You would probably get a lot of benefit from just quietly hacking as you say and giving eachother a break for a few weeks. Winter is hard enough. Lessons on another horse sounds a lovely idea, riding others is good for you anyway.

 

[diggerbez]

i'm a big believer in giving horses time off... i think its chills their heads out and gives them a mental break (think like school holidays!)