Good news at last - so ideas please guys!

[Riverboy]

So the vet came on Tuesday and we can start Luca's rehabilitation into work!! Whoop Whoop!!

We have four weeks of long lining to do and then she is back. She wants me to long line him round the yard (luckily we have hacking on the yard (100 acres) so this is faily easy, including two little hills. We're building up from 15 min to 1.5hrs in walk 6 to 7 days a week.

Thing is she wants him to learn to use his back again properly (as he's been protecting it for so long) and work long and low on our power walking long lining, however he just wants to go round with his head like a giraffe - do you have any ideas how I can encourage him to drop his head and neck and really swing from behind whilst on long lines...

Also - ideas for making it a bit more interesting for both of us?! Trying to vary the routes we've taken the last three days but can see both of us getting a little bored! Lol!

On a side note - he's behaved like a super star the whole time and I really can't wait to get cracking properly!!!

A nice warm cup of tea and chocolate hob nob to all, and on the left theres a box of malteasers for everyone to celebrate!!!

T xx

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

o good news

Erm...... not sure if this would work with long lining, but can you use side reins?
Or, just grasping a random memory thought thingy, can you now set up the long lines to work, pretty much, like draw reins? so when you take a contact with it it asks him to lower?

To make it interesting, maybe halt work transitions? (are you allowed to do that? or does it have to be lots of consistent walk?) thats about all I can think of really except for making the routes different each time like you said (but yes I get it would get a bit boring!)

But good that he is being so good about it all thats fab news!

 

[MrsMozart]

Yay!!!!!! Whoop whoop whoop

Malteasers?! Champagne is called for!

So pleased hunny.

No idea on the long and low on the long-rein though... Dizz does her own thing and unless I'm on top she does not comprehend long and low...

Maybe try putting some poles out (if vet says okay to do so); that would make him look down to some extent.

 

[mik]

A Chambon worked really well for me and my giraffe. He was a nightmare and pulled me a lot when lunging. He now, never pulls on the lunge, even when playing and will lower his head and relax his back if I just gently squeeze the lunge rein (attached to bit through the back like a curb, (rubber bit). There is also no restriction from side reins.
Good luck.

 

[cptrayes]

Put some poles down in pairs and walk him over them and/or "through" them - improves your steering no end and gives you something to aim for. If you can't do poles you could use something else as markers (jumper, bucket, numnah). My friend also gets hers to kick a giant beachball but that wouldn't be easy to buy at this time of year!

 

[tangotime]

I long lined one of mine in a pessoa as part of his rehabilitation program (when he wasn't allowed to be lunged) to encourage him to work properly and it worked really well.

 

[Riverboy]

Ooh tangotime - I was wondering if I could do that - as I think it would encourage him to use both end properly...

MrsM - I must admit on Tuesday evening after we got the good news OH did bring round a mini bottle of bubbly. It felt bad to be celebrating when part of me is still so sad about River but its SO good to be doing something with the lad.

Poles are another good idea - the vet did say he could go over poles on the ground and raised ones etc to encourage him to 'use' himself... But i hadn't thought of using them to practice steering - what a genius idea!

Thank you everyone - we're long lining in the dark and he has to walk alongside the M25 (J11 slip road) he's only been at this yard a week and a half and he's doing all of it like he hasn't a care in the world - finally karma is catching up with me!!!

T xxx