Intensive schooling, is this good or bad?

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milliepup

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Long story short but my mare (dressage bred) can work really well but can also play up really badly! Up to now she has been schooled maybe 3 times a week and sometimes she is good sometimes a nightmare! At my last lesson my instructor said that she could do with some intensive schooling (schooling for 2 weeks with maybe a day off) just to try and get her to settle and work consistently. She has only been broken approx 16 months.
I have been doing this for 4 days now and she has shown a definate improvement already but speaking to someone today I now feel that I shouldn't be doing it for that long.
Basically we have to hack 10 minutes to the school, she is kept in overnight then turned out during the day. She is an angel in the stable and has no vices apart from lack of concentration when schooling. Once again in the last 4 days though she has shown a major improvement.

Just wondered what others would say about this and whether I should keep going or give her time off.
 
Each horse is an individual isn't it - and you have to do what works for you and her.

A friend of mine absolutely drills his horse - and horse goes magnificently. Doesn't have any fun though.....
 
I would of thought it was a bit too much as well for a young horse. She will probably get bored and thats when the playing up will start.

Also with my youngster she gets tired easily and will start to play up then as well. I thought she was being naughty at first but my instructor told me she was tired and i should stop when she gets like that.

I do find she is better after a few days schooling but i try to give her as much variety as possible as i want being ridden to be fun for her
 
I am awfully old fashioned and believe that you school horses in order to enjoy riding them not the other way round. I have friends who school continually and they have pretty unhappy, unwilling horses.

With a youngster especially I would aim to get the horse happy in it's work, attentive and keen to please before intensive schooling. I would expect a young horse to be inconsistent and a bit cheeky on occasion and take it with a sense of humour.
If this were my horse I would be going in the school a couple of times a week, as you have been doing for short sessions. If horse works fabulously then I would call it a day and go for a hack, but my objective would be to encourage a good work ethic and ensure the horse is very clear about what is expected and what's not. The rest of the time I would be hacking and getting out and about.
 
Going in the school every day is fine but keep the sessions short- 20mins should be enough to acheive a good level of work. Then you can finish there or go for a hack- or hack then school.
 
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