Keeping a pony ticking over with no facilities

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HaffiesRock

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My pony is on grass livery at a yard with no facilities. I tend to hack at the weekends, but that hasn't been possible for the last couple of weeks due to the torrential rain. He is happy hacker Haflinger so not particularly fit and doenst need to be, but I like him to remember his job!

I buddy up with a friend to get a couple of days off from the yard a week (its quite far from home), but after friends 2 days my pony can be a bit rude. Nothing major, just not standing to be tied and being a pain when foot picking. Can anyone suggest anything I can do that will take about 10 minutes, but work him with out being ridden or lunged? Stretches maybe? We have a small concrete yard thats 4 stable longs and about 3 metres wide so I am limited for space. I just want him to be a little more respectful and have his brain on something for a little while during the week rather than becoming the feral pony that he is! :O)

Any suggestion welcome, but I do not have a school or anywhere to ride during the week, so only inhand suggestions please in a small area! xx
 
I'm on a brilliant yard with a large floodlit school, but I do find that when I want to ride in the evenings after work, everybody else has had the same idea and it's a bit of a battle to get in the school unfortunately. I'm conscious that my boy is a very green 5 year old and I therefore need to be doing more with him. On the nights I can't get into the school I either walk him in hand, or long rein him round the farm (there are several businesses on the land with various bits of machinery about) for spook busting (he doesn't like shadows etc). Once he's more accustomed to this, I will ride him round and add leg yielding etc into it in walk and trot.
 
My yard is at the end of a close. The yard its self is mainly grass so really muddy. Please someone tell me if I m being mad, but I could do some inhand work on the close? It will be dark but there are street lights, there is minimal traffic coming up it other than cars coming home or going out. I would obviously kit out in hi viz and put some lights on us both. Is this a mad idea? I wouldn't have to go on the main road. xx
 
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Sorry to bring it up... but if in a headcollar not bridle and you're insured check whether you are covered or not. They're arses for getting out on little things like that.

If you know anyone on the close, how about borrowing a wheelie bin/bike for walking round and other little 'thinking things'. Always find that they're better then their minds are worked too :)
 
Thanks, ill check my insurance now :O)

Good idea with the bins and stuff. I know the man on the end nearest the yard. Maybe he will let me borrow his bin! Ha ha x
 
Im having similar problems with one of ours who is a haffie...happy hacker at the moment but he loves jumping so we want to really work on getting him fit so we can take him out next year. I know Shrek (our haffie) benefits hugely from being handled/ridden regularly, he can revert to bolshy yob quite quickly if we dont at least do some groundwork with him daily and the early nights and rubbish weekends have made it pretty difficult. I would def be using the close as much as possible and working his brain if not his muscles! Do you have any friends who live on the close....maybe you could work on bomb proofing etc
 
We do very similar up & down a lane, round & round a small quiet housing estate (takes 15mins if you walk on foot) the locals are pretty used to us now. Paved area outside our barn is about 3m x 20m, & we do little obstacle & gymkhana games in walk & trot on it with daughter & pony. Did loads of bending round cones games last year & it made a huge difference to how supple she was. Plus when fields dry, we ride round that in the dark.
 
redriverrock said:
Im having similar problems with one of ours who is a haffie...happy hacker at the moment but he loves jumping so we want to really work on getting him fit so we can take him out next year. I know Shrek (our haffie) benefits hugely from being handled/ridden regularly, he can revert to bolshy yob quite quickly if we dont at least do some groundwork with him daily and the early nights and rubbish weekends have made it pretty difficult. I would def be using the close as much as possible and working his brain if not his muscles! Do you have any friends who live on the close....maybe you could work on bomb proofing etc
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Your Haffy sounds just like mine. He quickly loses his manners, but they come back instantly once hes told :)

He has a problem with mounting and can spin around, so I suppose I could practice this on the yard without having to go anywhere.

I am definitely going to use the close. Its the only way in and out for the yard so he is used to going up and down it anyway, just not in the dark! We have some mini cones i could set up a small game on the concrete yard. Put your nose on it, or find the treat something like that?

Thinking about it there really is a lot I could do with him :)
Any other suggestions? xx
 
You could try clicker training him, simple things like moving out of your space, moving over, turning - that sort of thing. Maybe training him to hold his hooves up etc especially as he is a bit funny round the farrier
 
Regarding your haffie spinning whilst you try mount, mine did this, so before it got dangerous I got help from a professional. She basically taught my horse to swing her end out by tapping her bum with a whip. So when it came to getting on when she swung away from me I tapped the opposite side to where I was stood and she swung back in towards me. After a while she got bored and stood still. Fingers crossed six months later problem solved. I don't imagine it works for everyone but did for us.
 
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