How to encourage him to work long and low and a fitness question

B

blood_magik

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 January 2011
Messages
6,343
Location
Scotland
Visit site
I'm try to build up jerry's top line and improve his fitness in time for our lorry arriving in November.
Firstly, how can I improve his fitness? I've been doing canter work in the fields and hill work to build up his bum.
If I'm schooling then I warm up for 20 mins w/t/c then go back and work on getting him to collect and sit back in his hocks, which he finds difficult.
I need to get him fit enough to compete at 1m to 1.20 by November :rolleyes:
We schooled indoors last night and he was knackered and starting to sweat after 20 minutes although in his defence, it was rather hot indoors and he wasn't as puffy today.

Now for the long and low question.
He will come down into a nice outline in both snaffle and Pelham but seems to get bored and stick his head back up for a nosy to see what's going on. How can I encourage him to drop his head and carry himself without throwing my contact away?

Some pictures so you can see how he goes. Sorry about the quality :(
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...035.223002495&type=1&pid=2778291&id=223002495
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...035.223002495&type=1&pid=2778288&id=223002495
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...035.223002495&type=1&pid=2778286&id=223002495

I can offer strawberries and chocolate ice cream :p
 
lunging in a Pessoa

With regard to maintaining an outline, steady consistent practice in my experience. My old boy liked to fuss and fart around a bit to start with but I found that by being annoyingly "there" if he moved outside of the outline I wanted (but not getting into a fight about it though), it helped him no end :)
 
I currently lunge in side reins on the advice of my vet as he said jerry needs to build up his bum.
Hes a funny one :rolleyes: he'll fight one minute but go beautifully the next. Then we go into canter and the head goes straight up :p
 
Sounds very similar to my lad the only thing I have so far is to get him so tired he can't be bothered to fight me and its easier just for him to work well.

That and lots of circles and turns and loads of lateral work. Change direction all the time just try and keep him on his toes. Another thing I have found that is good is trotting poles randomly placed in the school and just pop over them every now and again just so they don't know what's coming next. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top