Lockdown training ideas with limited facilities

[JMW]

Can anyone share any ridden training ideas for a 16m lunge pen (excellent surface) - for a 4 year old? Obviously I use it for lunging, but am currently unable to use an arena due to lockdown and am bored out of my mind going up and down the road! It is perfectly possible to canter a well schooled horse in there, but you wouldn’t want to do it for long and obviously not with a 4 y old. Walking poles?! I’ve gone in there for turn on forehand... any suggestions from others’ experiences gratefully received.

 

[Lillian_paddington]

What’s your hacking like? Personally I’d much prefer to do schooling on a hack than in a very small space.

 

[JMW]

What’s your hacking like? Personally I’d much prefer to do schooling on a hack than in a very small space.

Mostly roadwork, some very short, extremely muddy bridle paths. No fields. I do school out hacking but just getting frustrated with going up and down the same road. I do box off to hack when I can but that’s not often enough.

 

[Afon_34]

Sorry Op but if you’ve got a 4 year old I’d hack, hack & hack some more over going in that small area with it. Hopefully we’ll be out of lockdown soon & then you can get going again schooling wise in a bigger arena

 

[TheMule]

I would do lots in hand, teaching yields and incorporate poles and spooky things but I would be reluctant to ride in such a small space other than to start to reinforce what you're doing from the ground under saddle

 

[Lillian_paddington]

Personally I’d rather school on straight lines on a young horse even if it is up and down the same road. Is she rising four or rising five? I’d be tempted to turn her away for a couple of months if the mud on the paths is a big issue and then start again in spring when the tracks are drier and hopefully a field to school in.
Just wondering if it would be worth looking around at yards in the area - limited hacking and no arena doesn’t sound ideal.

 

[JMW]

Personally I’d rather school on straight lines on a young horse even if it is up and down the same road. Is she rising four or rising five? I’d be tempted to turn her away for a couple of months if the mud on the paths is a big issue and then start again in spring when the tracks are drier and hopefully a field to school in.
Just wondering if it would be worth looking around at yards in the area - limited hacking and no arena doesn’t sound ideal.

Yes, I’ve tried finding a livery space locally so that I can use an arena but no luck. Plenty to hire once lockdown is lifted

 

[LEC]

I have a similar amount of space and facilities. I do most of my schooling out hacking and twice a week use the pen for raised poles in hand. I do maybe 10/15 mins with different set ups to work the muscles and improve feet/brain co-ordination. I never do more than that as becomes detrimental to muscles.

TBH I am just pretty chilled about it. Its boring, annoying and frustrating but I just see it as a time to put the correct foundations in place out hacking. Are my transitions good, is the horse even in both reins? Can I do shoulder fore? Leg yeild? Am I straight? Can I change the neck positions in walk and trot? Is the horse carrying itself? Am I straight? Can I move the hind quarters about? Is the horse spooky? How are they about passing objects? Do they hesitate? Can I improve their confidence? Can I move the neck left and right with just using my legs and minimal rein pressure?

 

[ihatework]

In all honesty I’d just stick the horse in the field and bring back in when lock down ends and you have better weather, facilities and hacking.

 

[MummyEms]

Either a break and lots of in hand ground work getting your horse really responsive to back up, cross hinds over in circles, light in the hand leading, only moving his feet when you move yours and standing when you do. Lots of this will pay off hugely once you get back on.
Then I say as much hacking as possible xx

 

[Lyle]

Groundwork, there is so many low energy exercises that teach respect, suppleness, how to yield, and be responsive. Couple this with tonnes of desensitising, and you'll have an awesome mount by the end of lockdown

 

[sbloom]

Turn away, or use the round pen for ground work as others have said, though I would have a slightly different focus, looking mainly at posture. I have a sheet containing a load of links to good in hand websites and FB pages, I can email to anyone who drops me their email address. We don't always think about the very best way to help young, or remedial, horses to carry a rider, so I would really focus on postural work number one, but you can add in some fun stuff too. And it all helps the horse-rider bond and contributes to that side of ridden training.

This is a brilliant podcast I listened to over the weekend https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/ba...the-horse-from-the-inside-out-with-deb-davies

 

[B.D.2000]

I'd use this time you have to do lots and lots of groundwork.

Get desensitising; get them used to plastic bags, flags, different sounds and different surfaces under their feet. A tarpaulin would be great for multiple sessions, covering different simulated experiences. If you have any jump wings, you could set up jumps with rugs or tarpaulin secured on the poles and get them used to narrow spaces and feeling more and more comfortable walking and standing in that tight spot. This could help with travelling and loading for the future.

If you have any hills on your hacking routes, use them. Hill-work is great for strengthening lower limb tendons, backs and improving general fitness. As are trotting - and raised - poles, although with your only form of a schooling facility, I wouldn't recommend doing this too much, by what you've stated it sounds like you're already aware that too many circles aren't good for youngsters, or any horse.

Groundwork would also be a great thing to do. You can bond with your horse as well as teaching them valuable manners and stress-coping mechanisms for the future. Here are some simple, but effective, ground work patterns; backing up, getting the horse to move their hind-quarters away from you with the aim for them to drop their head and relax, once they do this you should take away the pressure and let them stand in rest. In the wild horses would move with each other and eat during the day, but they'd also stand and rest, too. You want your horse to learn that you are both their herd leader and their resting place. Additionally, if you find your horse in a stressful situation, like a show, in the future, you can do some quarter control to relax them. The horse will associate this with finding their restful place, kind of like us finding our 'happy place' when we are in a stressful or upsetting situation. This quarter control exercise can also help your horse to become more supple. However, again, too much of these with a young horse would not be recommended.

I think it is best to stick to mostly groundwork and lunging whilst your horse is developing, both mentally a physically. This is a great time to desensitise your young horse with lots of different things to simulate situations they could be in, in the future. Additionally, it is great to get those muscles growing and strengthening, without the rider. Without the weight of the rider it allows the horse to stretch their muscles as well as build them ready for the future. It is best to keep in mind that the horse's spine is not yet fully developed until they are 6 years old, maybe even older with some slow developing horses.

I wish you all the best and hope that you enjoy yourself with your horse through these horrible times. Good luck to the bright future with your horse!

Below is an image that shows the skeletal development of the horse: