mainpower
Well-Known Member
I apologise for the length of my post, but don't want to drip feed information!
I have a six year old that I have owned from 18 months. He's by an ID out of an untouched section D hill pony. He's quite a sensitive chap, and there is sometimes a fine line between keeping on top of "cheekiness" and scaring him!
He is a very late developer, and was extremely croup high (actually looked like a "cut and shut" until rising 5 and started to level out, but has remained very slightly croup high. Due to his slow maturing and regular (quite dramatic) growth spurts, I've found it hard to keep him working consistently, not helped by his regular shape changing mean he's had 7 saddles since he was 4!
He has his back and teeth checked twice a year, is living out at the moment, and the most he has ever been fed is ad-lib hay, straw chaff and hi-fibre nuts.
Anyway, to get to the point, lol! Over last winter, I got him out and about to local prelim dressage events, and he's been fairly consistent in his %s and placings, and was second overall in a points championship. Regular judges comments were, nice paces, will do a lovely test when matures, needs to gain confidence, develop a consistent rhythm and be steadier in his mouth.
In February he managed to get a tiny puncture in his off hind sole, develop an under-run abscess, then once he was sound stand on a stone right where the tiny puncture was and get a whacking great hole in his sole. Then when he came sound he bruised his other hind foot. In total he was lame for around 9 weeks.
So I brought him back into work, light hacking, lunging, long reining and some gentle schooling. But after his break he just does not want to go forward in the school. (He isn't ridden in there much, maybe 20/30 minutes twice a week). I often give him a 10 minute lunge before I get on, just to relax him and warm him up a bit. He has a good walk, a good rhythmic canter (although he won't hold it for long), but he's not forwards in trot. If I push him he has a "Welsh tantrum", ears pinned back, humping and tail swishing, and if I use the stick on him he bucks. (Big bucks, but luckily in a straight line lol).
My farrier checked his feet and says there's no problem. My backman came out last Friday, and said he was sore and had tension over his back, and this was probably a result of having been lame for so long he'd been moving awkwardly which had put strain on him. He had a new saddle fitted to him when he came sound. The EDT is coming next week, although I don't feel he has any mouth issues.
I hacked him Saturday and Sunday no problems, lunged him on Monday morning, then had an impacted wisdom tooth out on Monday afternoon. I had an infected jaw and just felt so rough (plus (TMI) tummy trouble from the anti-biotics and painkillers lol) that I didn't ride again until last night, when my instructor came along to give us a very easy lesson.
He was awful!! He walked with his head up, he would trot about three relaxed strides before he stuck his head up so high I could see his star, and put the breaks on. The saving grace was his canter, he got the correct strike off every time (he has had problems with the left lead before) and cantered nicely, but as soon as we went back to trot the brakes went on.
The only way we could get a decent trot was by putting some poles down so he lowered his head and went forward, but as soon as he was over the pole he stopped going forward.
My instructor doesn't feel he's in pain, but maybe he was in discomfort before and having had a few days off he hasn't had time to work out he's ok now. She also thinks that though his training is at maybe a 4/5 yo old stage, he's old enough to be testing me, it's as though he will work for a few strides, and then it's "sod this, I'm bored, not doing it anymore". I have learned with other horses that you don't get anywhere arguing with Welshies, so I do lots of rein changes and transitions, but that's not going to help when we get back to competing!
I'm going to get Mr Backman back early next week to give him another check.
I know that it's early days since he's been lame, and hope that I don't come across as impatient, but I'm hoping that one of you clever talented competition riders out there can suggest some tips/checks/exercises to help me get him forwards again?
Thanks to anyone who has taken the tome to read this and chocolate/cakes/alcohol of your choice for anyone offering advice!
I have a six year old that I have owned from 18 months. He's by an ID out of an untouched section D hill pony. He's quite a sensitive chap, and there is sometimes a fine line between keeping on top of "cheekiness" and scaring him!
He is a very late developer, and was extremely croup high (actually looked like a "cut and shut" until rising 5 and started to level out, but has remained very slightly croup high. Due to his slow maturing and regular (quite dramatic) growth spurts, I've found it hard to keep him working consistently, not helped by his regular shape changing mean he's had 7 saddles since he was 4!
He has his back and teeth checked twice a year, is living out at the moment, and the most he has ever been fed is ad-lib hay, straw chaff and hi-fibre nuts.
Anyway, to get to the point, lol! Over last winter, I got him out and about to local prelim dressage events, and he's been fairly consistent in his %s and placings, and was second overall in a points championship. Regular judges comments were, nice paces, will do a lovely test when matures, needs to gain confidence, develop a consistent rhythm and be steadier in his mouth.
In February he managed to get a tiny puncture in his off hind sole, develop an under-run abscess, then once he was sound stand on a stone right where the tiny puncture was and get a whacking great hole in his sole. Then when he came sound he bruised his other hind foot. In total he was lame for around 9 weeks.
So I brought him back into work, light hacking, lunging, long reining and some gentle schooling. But after his break he just does not want to go forward in the school. (He isn't ridden in there much, maybe 20/30 minutes twice a week). I often give him a 10 minute lunge before I get on, just to relax him and warm him up a bit. He has a good walk, a good rhythmic canter (although he won't hold it for long), but he's not forwards in trot. If I push him he has a "Welsh tantrum", ears pinned back, humping and tail swishing, and if I use the stick on him he bucks. (Big bucks, but luckily in a straight line lol).
My farrier checked his feet and says there's no problem. My backman came out last Friday, and said he was sore and had tension over his back, and this was probably a result of having been lame for so long he'd been moving awkwardly which had put strain on him. He had a new saddle fitted to him when he came sound. The EDT is coming next week, although I don't feel he has any mouth issues.
I hacked him Saturday and Sunday no problems, lunged him on Monday morning, then had an impacted wisdom tooth out on Monday afternoon. I had an infected jaw and just felt so rough (plus (TMI) tummy trouble from the anti-biotics and painkillers lol) that I didn't ride again until last night, when my instructor came along to give us a very easy lesson.
He was awful!! He walked with his head up, he would trot about three relaxed strides before he stuck his head up so high I could see his star, and put the breaks on. The saving grace was his canter, he got the correct strike off every time (he has had problems with the left lead before) and cantered nicely, but as soon as we went back to trot the brakes went on.
The only way we could get a decent trot was by putting some poles down so he lowered his head and went forward, but as soon as he was over the pole he stopped going forward.
My instructor doesn't feel he's in pain, but maybe he was in discomfort before and having had a few days off he hasn't had time to work out he's ok now. She also thinks that though his training is at maybe a 4/5 yo old stage, he's old enough to be testing me, it's as though he will work for a few strides, and then it's "sod this, I'm bored, not doing it anymore". I have learned with other horses that you don't get anywhere arguing with Welshies, so I do lots of rein changes and transitions, but that's not going to help when we get back to competing!
I'm going to get Mr Backman back early next week to give him another check.
I know that it's early days since he's been lame, and hope that I don't come across as impatient, but I'm hoping that one of you clever talented competition riders out there can suggest some tips/checks/exercises to help me get him forwards again?
Thanks to anyone who has taken the tome to read this and chocolate/cakes/alcohol of your choice for anyone offering advice!