Loose Schooling

[Smogul]

How would you introduce loose schooling to a pony with a slightly odd catching history. It is not fair to say he was difficult to catch when we got him – he was impossible! His previous owners had kept a small herd out in the hills and when they wanted them in, the collies were sent out to round them up! When we got Solllie two years ago, he would gallop off when you approached him and keep galloping round and round looking for the opening to the stable yard. If you opened the gate, he would trot into the yard and stand waiting to get his head collar on and be tied up. Apart from this idiosyncrasy, he was great to handle in every way. Obviously this wasn’t very practical in a normal livery set up so we have spent some time training him to stand and wait until we come up to him. Occasionally he forgets and shoots off but will stop as soon as you do. In the recent spell of lousy weather he has even been trotting to the gate when he sees us coming.
He is very voice responsive and lunges beautifully but I would also like to be able to loose school. Do you think this will simply confuse him? I have never had a problem loose schooling before but all my previous horses were 100% to catch.

 

[Cadfael&Coffee]

if he lunges beautifully, then pretty much proper loose schooling is just treating them exactly as if they were on the lunge, but with no rope. just keep your body language exactly the same as if he was on a rope, and take it from there.

if he runs off initially, then just respond, again, as if he were on a rope- keep him going at the pace u want, and use your voice even if he's not listening, and he should get the idea

DO NOT simply chase him round the school- that defies the entire objective

good luck!!!

 

[bugaboo]

He should accept it well if your loose schooling correctly and not doing what most people attempt which is them chasing said horse round and round in circles with no correct warm up or cool down or transitions or anything.

 

[Smogul]

Thanks for response. I do know how to loose school but am struggling to know how to start with this one. I suppose I have never had to think about it as in the past all my horses would stand still until I asked them to move! Although he now stands still in the field until his headcollar is put on, in the stable he still moves away as soon as I go in. As soon as I stop moving, he comes towards me. Can you see why I am concerned about confusing him?

 

[eatmoremincepies]

Why not start by having a play with him in the school, the basics for loose schooling are will he stop, start and change direction when you ask. You could start with a lunge line on but not using it, just use your body language to ask him to start/stop and only use the lunge line to bring him back to you if you need it. Only ask him to go maybe 10 feet away and then see if he will stop and come back to you.

That will give you an idea of how he will respond and what you need to practise in the arena environment before he generalises the behavour you have trained in the field. (Especially as he has not generalised it to the stable - worth working on that too). If you think he is finding it too confusing, maybe work on getting him to come to you in the arena until he really gets that, before asking him to move away from you.

Make sure you are really clear on what your body language/eye contact needs to be for asking him to go, stop and come to you, then he is less likely to be confused by what you're asking.



Hope that helps, EMMP

 

[Smogul]

Eatmoremincepies - thanks. I think you are right and he hasn't generalised his behaviour as I still need to tie him up when grooming. I think I will work more in the stable before attempting to loose school.

 

[eatmoremincepies]

Sounds a good plan. Once he is really switched on to your body language he will probably get it quite quickly, jsut be really clear because as far as he is concerned you are sending him body language all the time you're with him! And if it sounds like gobbledegook to him most of the time he will tune it out. Nothing wrong with training a voice command either eg "stand" - the more clues he gets as to what you want the better.