Loose schooling....

ellie_e

ellie_e

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So who does? My trainer has recently suggested to loose school my boy as we've had some major set backs/problems. We first attempted this on Saturday he was wild!! But really enjoyed himself then I got on and rode him and he was fab!! So tried this again last night same routine and he was lovely really rideable and chilled. What are your experiences of this? I cant do this at home in our school as its outdoors and I think he'd probably jump out! :rolleyes: Any tips suggestions? Heres a little vid of him.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bvg7ApnKbA
 
I'm not sure of the merits other than getting them to let off steam - which indeed is a merit in itself!

I could never loose school my tb with any success, it just completely pointless - he didn't settle and would just get wilder and wilder! The welsh idiot however, could do with having a blast round before I get on.
 
personally i love it, but I know some people think it is rather risky and causes more injuries than lunging/riding. Actually interestingly my trainer isn't a big fan of it, which I was rather surprised to find, not because of the injuries but because he doesn't think it helps teach the physical aids of riding at all, or not as well as lunging does.

Anyway i love it and did LOADs when my horse had teeth trouble and I wasn't able to ride. She got really good and we could do walk to canter, jumping, trotting poles, all sorts...
i miss it! should do some more really....
 
My warmblood will loose jump a grid perfectly happily as she has a "task" to do and understands what is expected of her. She lunges happily walk trot canter halt transitions - but I can't loose school her. She looks bewildered and gets uptight, really clingy with me and shooting around when I send her away. I suspect a round pen might help her feel more secure but we haven't got one, so I don't loose school her unless I want her to do gridwork. I haven't tried my TB, I have a feeling she'd go off and do her own thing ;)
 
Not a great fan myself. I now have problems with one of my youngsters since he's been to a trainer and loose schooled alot - on the lunge as soon as you ask him to trot he b£$%%s off and trys to act as if loose, its a real battle and quite dangerous. To let off steam occaisionally fine, but as the horse doesn't actually work I question its real use?
 
i did..........






till the little **** jumped a 5 foot fence out the arena.......... took the top rail with her...........f-ked off round the big field, giving me what felt like an astma attack.......... setting everything off in the field.....me screaming at her calling her all the names under the sun


eventually caught "it"...... realised it had a leg the size of the moon and a cut on the back,,,, hysterically called the vet (who think im crackers anyhow), came out and charged me £110



so no..... we dont loose school anymore :D :D
 
Ebony loves to loose school, she is really feisty and it gives her a good opportunity to blow off steam and then do some real work. Ben has been in the school loose once, he went in with a really calm gelding who is nice and relaxed when loose schooling, ben buffooned around being a youngster and Raz taught him the ropes, they did a couple of small loose jumps etc, nothing serious at all, just a 'play and get used to the school session' but I think its really useful and adds variety to their work. I found with mine that it really helps to create a bit of a bond with the horse too.
 
noodle_ said:
i did..........






till the little **** jumped a 5 foot fence out the arena.......... took the top rail with her...........f-ked off round the big field, giving me what felt like an astma attack.......... setting everything off in the field.....me screaming at her calling her all the names under the sun


eventually caught "it"...... realised it had a leg the size of the moon and a cut on the back,,,, hysterically called the vet (who think im crackers anyhow), came out and charged me £110



so no..... we dont loose school anymore :D :D
Click to expand...

ooooh errr!

I've only ever had ebs jump out once, and the fencing on that school was only about 4ft, other than that we have never had a problem :D
 
scout doesnt loose school...he just follows me round, he will walk, trot and halt if i run round with him, maybe go over a teeny cross pole if i do, or sometimes he stands at one side as if there is a barrier preventing him from getting over or round lol..he is very special lol :P
 
Mine loves and and i've always done it with her so she knows exactly what she's doing now and is pretty chilled out about it! Its good for general fitness/exercise and for them to let off steam! Also good when you are short of time!
 
queenbee said:
ooooh errr!

I've only ever had ebs jump out once, and the fencing on that school was only about 4ft, other than that we have never had a problem :D
Click to expand...

she likes to jump what more can i say?

:D

:rolleyes:

jump1-1.jpg


she was very lucky though as she just missed an electric cable and a metal barrier. so it could have been a very different story...
 
Ok safe to say I WILL NOT be loose schooling/jumping at home in the outdoor school!! Will stick to the indoor one at my trainers yard! :) she said its a good way for him to let off steam but also makes him think and adapt his own stride rather than relying on me, he has a huge stride so giving him short distances makes him think for himself, he looks like hes really enjoying himself, then when I get on hes really chilled and rideable.
 
ellie_e said:
Ok safe to say I WILL NOT be loose schooling/jumping at home in the outdoor school!! Will stick to the indoor one at my trainers yard! :) she said its a good way for him to let off steam but also makes him think and adapt his own stride rather than relying on me, he has a huge stride so giving him short distances makes him think for himself, he looks like hes really enjoying himself, then when I get on hes really chilled and rideable.
Click to expand...

indoors or a flipping big fence outdoor will be fine im sure :)
 
Do you let them go down and roll or are you suposed to see it as a training sess? The reason i ask, last night he was very pleased with himself after jumping through the grid he cantered around bucking, and kicked the wall :S but then got down and started rolling, my trainer shouted at him to get up- but it looked like he was enjoying himself, so do you all think of it as a workout or just some fun?
 
mine dosent roll in the school ever as tbh thats her "place of work" serious time - shes more than welcome to have a stretch and a rest anytime during the working time, but never a roll

mine bucks and broncs on the lunge and as long as i havent got side reins on her thats fine (without side reins its literally just to get steam off...) once side reins are on = behave and work.
she does tbh cause shes learnt.

imo its the same for the school.. :)
 
I loose school sometimes. I think it's valuable when training a young horse to start jumping loose and do gridwork loose - it certainly helped mine find his feet and his striding. I do loose school on the flat too - not just to let of steam but to encourage him to be attentive to me without physical aids. He does work quite nicely - can get decent transitions, I can draw him into a circle and spiral in and out, send him large again etc...
 
o, you mean loose jump! Yep. I loose jump occasionally. BH is very lazy from the ground though and I can hardly get him going. I only do it so I can put him over fences I am too chicken to jump!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GtZjKs0mBQ

I wouldn't jump this on him but he's perfectly capable, hence loose jumping! You can see how likely he is to jump out of the school and escape by how wild he is! :p :D
 
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