I have poles and jump wings - what can I do without leaving the floor?

[Walrus]

Ponio is behaving himself at the moment

. He's just coming back into work so I'm walking with a little bit of trot - I'd like to make the most of the shiney new well behaved ponio and give him something to make his brain work. What exercises does anyone recommend in the school sticking to just walk with a little bit of trot (outside track or large circles only in trot). The other day we had the poles in a square and were walking over one and halting and walking out, we also managed a quarter turn on the forhand too to change direction a couple of times in the middle of the square.

So any exercises you know that I can do using poles and instead of cones I have plastic block jump wings.

Cheers

 

[miss_c]

In walk you can do a kind of track... What I mean is use the poles to create a 'channel' so you're walking between them. I'm sure you could incorporate the jump wings as well!

 

[Walrus]

Ooh, good idea - hopefully that will help our accuracy - we need help in every area. I'm considering bending with the jump wings just to look like I'm trying out for gymkana games!

 

[milliepops]

What is he coming back into work from? Illness or just holiday?

How about raised poles? Most people use these in trot, but you can do them in walk as well

If you have jump blocks, slightly raise alternate sides of poles on the ground, one walk stride apart.

Good for balance, coordination, strengthening...

 

[Walrus]

He was kicked in the field right on the hock silly boy! Was out of work for 4 weeks and we are now on week 3 back in work. He's not mine but I get to play 3 days a week.

Very dumb basic question which I should know the answer to but if I just want normal poles to walk over how far apart should they be? He's a 15.1hh welsh D and quite short striding but I'm trying to get him to be more responsive off the leg and to walk forward and relax into a contact. He has a habit of concertinering (sp) his neck and shortening his stride in so I'm trying not to have my reins too short and encouraging him to go forwards into them (if that makes sense!).

 

[Tickles]

Can you use the plastic wings as bending poles? Or for making the points of a square to walk around (e.g. put them near the corners of the school so you ride corners between them and the edge of the school, not curves.)

You can make the track thing fihunt suggested harder by putting a 90 degree (or whatever other angle) in it using two sets of poles.

 

[Rhiann0n]

Create some Le TREC style obstacles?

Narrow corridor (50 cm), rein back corridor (80 cm), S-bend, Maypole, Immobility

 

[Walrus]

[ QUOTE ]
Create some Le TREC style obstacles?

Narrow corridor (50 cm), rein back corridor (80 cm), S-bend, Maypole, Immobility

[/ QUOTE ]

Maypole!!? I have a vision! Sometimes we look like a maypole when I try and position him at the mounting block - I'm guessing that's not quite it! *Goes off to google Le Trec*

*disclaimer - I sound like a total numpty but rest assured we usually muddle through OK without too much serious damage to limbs or bodywork!

 

[domane]

Do some desensitization work? Arrange the poles so that they are criss-crossed or fanned and so he has to pick his way through them (just like if you had dropped a few drinking straws

).

Put one poly block on top of the other and knock them over, once he is settled with you knocking them over, walk him so that he knocks with his quarters. Tie a rope around the poly block and drag it around with you.

What about adding a tarpaulin to the mix and getting him to walk over and stand on it?

Just some alternative ideas......

 

[Tickles]

Someone told me three (human) strides for placing poles but making them a generous 3 strides should encourage him to be a bit more forward too.

For trotting poles 5 (human too!) feet apart I think?

 

[Walrus]

Thanks guys!

And flipping nora Domane, I'm not sure we're ready for that level of desensitisation yet - although some fab ideas. I guess the key is just to play really isn't it? I thik if we incorperated tarpaulin at present I could end up in the next county! I am however considering introducing a plastic carrier bag into our grooming regieme!

Morrigan - googled Le Trec, got some good ideas, it looks like a fun day out! I didn't have my own pony as a kid and always wanted to do handy pony - this may be a chance in adulthood!

Cheers guys

 

[Walrus]

In case anyone was interested I played with ponio, poles and jump wings today. Ponio's eyebrows would have left his head if he had any when he saw the school! We had some normal walk poles on one side, a channal on the other and jump wings (plastic blocks) down the centre line for bending. Spent half an hour wiggling round and over everything. He was a little star, bless him when I first asked him to walk over the poles he tripped and then tried a mini hop! by the end we managed to walk over them in a calm balanced way. He was a bit more sprightly today but not in a horrid way! After 4 months I feel we may have achieved walk!