Loose schooling in the sun..

[Sheep]

My boy, diagnosed with arthritis in various places in October, has recently come back into a little bit of work (long story short, he was lame, was treated, went lame again in January, shoes came off 3 weeks ago).

Anyway he has been doing very well without the shoes so we have been doing a bit of ground-based fittening work with a view to getting on him in a month or so, once he's muscled up a little and is more ready for it. To get him working properly we have been doing a little bit of pole work on the lunge, so I decided to try it today loose because I don't want to just send him round in endless circles..!

He worked very well, and I am rather pleased with him.. here are the results.

Bit of gentle trot to get started:

Starting on the poles:

Bit more trot:

Working those hocks!

Showing his inner hackney.. forgetting he's just an Irish bog horse:

Poles again..:

Bit of canter:

And the best.. getting the poles stupendously wrong (but isn't he enjoying himself!)

Very pleased with my old fella, he's a lovely boy and seems to be doing well back in some level of work!

 

[Charmin]

He looks like he's having a whale of a time!

Just wondering how on earth you get them to free school?! I tried once, she bucked and dived to the bottom corner then when I caught up with her cantered to the top corner and waited for me to run up again... think I got more exercise than she did!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

He's looking good. I know that it's still early days, but this is very promising.

 

[Sheep]

He looks like he's having a whale of a time!

Just wondering how on earth you get them to free school?! I tried once, she bucked and dived to the bottom corner then when I caught up with her cantered to the top corner and waited for me to run up again... think I got more exercise than she did!

Lucky I guess lol. He likes to try, I just led him around the school a couple of times over the poles and he seemed to get the idea!

He's looking good. I know that it's still early days, but this is very promising.

Thank you! My main aim at the minute is to see how he actually copes with work - of course it might simply be too much for him and he may return to full-time lawn mowing duties. Hopefully not though, fingers crossed

 

[Lolita]

He very nice, glad he is doing better.

 

[NellRosk]

Fifth pic down, check out that hock action! He looks to be doing really well and looks very pleased with himself

 

[Hippona]

He looks like he's having a whale of a time!

Just wondering how on earth you get them to free school?! I tried once, she bucked and dived to the bottom corner then when I caught up with her cantered to the top corner and waited for me to run up again... think I got more exercise than she did!

Yeah...know the feeling...one of mine storms around tail aloft swerving poles and snorting

He's looking good Sheep

 

[BellaBoyzie92]

Wow he looks lovely
Fingers crossed for you and touch wood he stays sound and in work my big lad was intermittently lame from may 2012 until march 2013.
Box rest almost killed him, so we turned him out and had his egg bar shoes off and back into normal shoes. He's now been sound since April 2013, hacked out 3/4 times a week in w,t,c,g.
And he's 18 in June and 17hh so if he can do it I'm sure your boy can best of luck x

 

[Sheep]

He very nice, glad he is doing better.

He seems to be doing well, the decent weather is probably helping

Fifth pic down, check out that hock action! He looks to be doing really well and looks very pleased with himself

I know! I was pleased with that - he seemed to manage the same degree of flexion on both sides, didn't seem to trouble him at all

Yeah...know the feeling...one of mine storms around tail aloft swerving poles and snorting

He's looking good Sheep

Thank you - if I tried this with bf's mare it would be a totally different story - that would be gymnastics, snorting and goodness knows what else!

Wow he looks lovely
Fingers crossed for you and touch wood he stays sound and in work my big lad was intermittently lame from may 2012 until march 2013.
Box rest almost killed him, so we turned him out and had his egg bar shoes off and back into normal shoes. He's now been sound since April 2013, hacked out 3/4 times a week in w,t,c,g.
And he's 18 in June and 17hh so if he can do it I'm sure your boy can best of luck x

This fella also turns 18 in June, though he is a little smaller at about 15.3hh, hopefully he will manage to come back into work like yours did.

 

[amandap]

Looking good.

 

[Sheep]

Looking good.

Thanks! Very happy with him, he's just come in now after having a lovely day sunning himself, so he's happy too

 

[Megibo]

Loving the knees and hocks over the poles!

Looking well.

 

[Tobiano]

He looks fabulous! Hope he carries on getting better

 

[Sheep]

Loving the knees and hocks over the poles!

Looking well.

He looks fabulous! Hope he carries on getting better

Thank you both! He's better than he has been in months atm.. long may it continue!