Ground work which doesn't involve the 'P' word or carrot sticks.....

NiceChristmasBaubles

NiceChristmasBaubles

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Ok, I'm bored with my horsey lot at the moment. Have an oldie who I don't ride anymore (she's 35), a Sec A which younger son rides on the lead rein, and an Arab x which is all but outgrown by older son, too big and forward going at the moment for younger son. I can ride the Arab x (he's 13'2"), but don't really enjoy it for one reason and another, so really just keep him and the other pony ticking over by lunging them.

Ponies are at home and old girl is in full livery 1 1/2 hours away with a friend as I didn't want to move her when we moved. Until she goes to the big stable in the sky we can't afford to keep another. The next horse would be something older son can do PC/school team stuff on and I can do dressage on.

So, feeling a little guilty that the Arab x isn't doing much at the moment. I looked at Trec but they don't seem to have anything in Berkshire (unless I've missed it). But did think I could do some other stuff to keep him thinking and doing things until younger son can ride him (hopefully late this year/early next).

Really not into a lot of the ground work stuff, but may be persuaded as long is it still uses what I would call fairly traditional methods. ;)

We don't have a school, but do have an area in the field we can use when it isn't frozen or slippery!

Any suggestions (other than hacking)? Thanks. :)

P.S. This isn't meant to sound a 'woe is me' thread. I'm very lucky with my lot but just feel a little fed up that I'm not doing anything with them. They are actually quite happy just eating grass. :)
 
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How about setting up a horse agility course?

You can go over poles, tarps, in and out of cones etc all on the ground in hand!

Great spook busting games for your horse and will improve your relationship too!

You can check out Horse Agility website for ideas!
 
I don't ride much at all in winter and after searching around the internet I got a book for Christmas by Oliver Hilberger called Schooling Excercises in Hand, after seeing it reccommended by someone else on here.

It is a lovely book, with nice pictures explaining the various techniques and exercises.
I must admit I haven't read the whole thing yet, and have only tried it a little with my cob (who did stand staring at me with a blank expression for some time!!:rolleyes:).

Here it is on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schooling-Exercises-Hand-Suppleness-Confidence/dp/3861279649/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328720006&sr=1-11
 
I quite like long reining or ground driving mine, if they're sensible about it and you've got quiet lanes it can be quite pleasant plodding along, plus you aren't it the school so they seem to be a bit more receptive than with straight lunging. :)
 
There is a book called Bombproof Your Horse which may have useful/fun exercises for you to tackle in it. Nowt to do with the P word either! From long before that!!!
 
Thanks for all the replies! :)

diamondrockharvey said:
How about setting up a horse agility course?

You can go over poles, tarps, in and out of cones etc all on the ground in hand!

Great spook busting games for your horse and will improve your relationship too!

You can check out Horse Agility website for ideas!
Click to expand...

cm2581 said:
There is a book called Bombproof Your Horse which may have useful/fun exercises for you to tackle in it. Nowt to do with the P word either! From long before that!!!
Click to expand...

When I first saw these suggestions I must say I had a bit of a laugh at what our very well-to-do, but lovely neighbours might think of a grown woman running round cones etc with a pony in tow. :D But I think younger son might enjoy doing it as well with the sec A, so will give that a go.

chickeninabun said:
I don't ride much at all in winter and after searching around the internet I got a book for Christmas by Oliver Hilberger called Schooling Excercises in Hand, after seeing it reccommended by someone else on here.

It is a lovely book, with nice pictures explaining the various techniques and exercises.
I must admit I haven't read the whole thing yet, and have only tried it a little with my cob (who did stand staring at me with a blank expression for some time!!:rolleyes:).

Here it is on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Schooling-Exercises-Hand-Suppleness-Confidence/dp/3861279649/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328720006&sr=1-11
Click to expand...

This looks good - he could probably to with some of the suppleness work as he is a little like a giraffe. :rolleyes:

bikerchickone said:
I quite like long reining or ground driving mine, if they're sensible about it and you've got quiet lanes it can be quite pleasant plodding along, plus you aren't it the school so they seem to be a bit more receptive than with straight lunging. :)
Click to expand...

Sadly our lanes are not quiet. I might try and play around a bit in the field. When we got him he stood up when lunging, but does that happily now, so may progress to lunging with two lines and see if I can take it further than that. :)
 
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You can do lots from the ground - look at the Spanish Riding school! Shoulder in, rein back, turn on the forehand/haunches, piaffe, etc can all be done from the ground :) I'm sure if you search on line there'll be plenty of 'classical' type exercises to do starting off with the basics.
 
i get mine fit and supple every season by long reining (and lunging with two reins if we get eh chance to sneak into a field) before i sit on her - it also gets me fit and helps me loose the xmas excess :o
i do everything in hand that i do ridden - sprials, figures of 8, surpentines, lateral work, working and medium walk and trot (when i can run fast enough) etc - even building up to flying changes on figures of 8 in canter (takes some practice and lots of running LOL!)
i also do all stuff moving her ie turn on forehand/haunches etc etc
all done with no mention of a man in a cowboy hat or a carrot stick - but i do carry a lunge whip with the lash tied up and use it as an extension of my arm/to replicate legs on side etc :eek: OMG - is that what they use it for but charge ££££'s for!! ;)
 
echo the agility .............. children could also join in not only doing the stuff with pone but in making up obstacles, thinking up ideas etc

you can imagine dog agility and just make obstacles bigger ;)

weave poles ( we do them in reverse too as we bored doing them forwards)


see saw

mayagility011.jpg




bridge

bridge.jpg




jump (and stop not career round a course)


ribbon curtain

tazcurtain.jpg



tunnels

hoops to jump through

backing up over poles

walk through or under "scary stuff" like small walls of water containers or curtains of pop bottles / cans

walk over tarps / black mats

stand stays

etc ..........
 
Ooo lots to do, schooling LL'ing rather than just driving in straight lines, along with all the in hand stuff suggested.

Clicker train to touch targets, stand on a podium, build yourself a tipper bridge to go over, small gaps to go through, can be done with electric fence posts, agility stuff loads to do :D
 
TigerTail said:
Ooo lots to do, schooling LL'ing rather than just driving in straight lines, along with all the in hand stuff suggested.

Clicker train to touch targets, stand on a podium, build yourself a tipper bridge to go over, small gaps to go through, can be done with electric fence posts, agility stuff loads to do :D
Click to expand...

Clicker training really makes you think!

I decided to teach my baby horse to spin or do a twirl.....That was a lot for her to get her head around,so I had to think about a shaping plan. Google Ben Hart to find out more.

It worked much quicker than I anticpated. Baby horse may soon be ready for the circus!:)
 
Thanks Tazzle - I love seeing your pictures of your young friend having an absolute ball (I saw another post you did one time before). My sister rode with the RDA when she was younger and I also helped out and it's always wonderful to see what pleasure being with a horse can bring. I think agility would be something my boys (ponies and children!) would enjoy. My human boys hate grooming etc, so it would be fun for them to work on the ground with the ponies for a bit.

In the nicest possible way, I'm not desperately into clicker training, because I don't really like to 'treat' my animals - which is probably why my dogs are so bad at recall! :rolleyes::o

Also, I really don't want to introduce treats with this particular pony, even carrots and things, as (a) he has had laminitis with a previous owner, (b) he is very food oriented already - I can't have him out when I move the temporary fencing because he is clearly starved and so desperate for new grass :eek:, and (c) when we first got him he was quite 'rude' and bargy and I don't like that around children.

But there are loads of good suggestions here that I can take on board. :)
 
You can do clicker without food treats, just use a v ery specific tone of voice and a rub as a reward like me ;) I dont do treats either - and my dogs are ace at recall :D
 
thank you nikicb ;)

I hope the lads have fun with some groundwok and maybe you can put pics up here for us all to smile at :D :D

positive reinforcment can indeed be scratchies or anything else your horse / pone values ;) ...... Taz's jackpot is a good rear end scratching session :D :D :D :D ... so you can still train it positively if you want ;)

:D :D :D re labradors....... can hear a rustle of a sweet paper at a hundred yards yet so hard of hearing they cannot hear a shout to recall at 10especially if theres smelly rabbit poo to roll in :D :D :D ( sorry all lab owners...... but my fave dog from childhood was a lab so no disrespect intended :D ;) :D )
 
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