New young horse -an epic update and any schooling tips please

[monte1]

So a bit of an update and some background, For those of you who may not remember my search for a new horse earlier this year . I bought a five year old (rising 6) irish sport horse, clover hill lines, who was green as grass having come over from Ireland two months earlier, he had apparently hunted a few times and virtually nothing else. I have now had my lovely chap since February and after arriving with us slightly shell shocked and nervous of pretty much everyone, he has settled very well and developed into a lovely friendly if sometimes a bit of a cheeky character. It has taken me a while to get to know him and I have been taking things very steadily, but had forgotten just how much work a youngster is and how patient you have to be !

he can be a bit of a worrier, although not with regard to traffic, dogs and everyday life etc. more about going out alone etc, although he will always oblige, just wanders along pooping a bit and uncertain for first 10 mins or so!


Generally I think his schooling is coming on OK, we can now mostly go in straight lines, something he couldn't do when he arrived!
his walk can still get tense, so we are working on softness and lots of halting and calm repetitions, so hopefully this will come in time.

In the trot sometimes he hollows his back, tucks his head in and comes against my hand and wont go forward properly or just rushes, which i find quite hard to manage and end up halting him and starting again, we do get there in the end and he goes really nicely, but I often feel we have to have a little bit of a battle over what I would like him to do and what he wants to do and now I know him better and know he understands my outside leg aids etc, I am inclined to feel he is trying it on a bit and ignoring me rather than not understanding.

we can do a little bit of shoulder in now and he can leg yield, although to the left he finds it quite hard still. ( might be me though as I need to ask my trainer to watch and see if i am blocking him) I have taught him turns on the haunches - he is quite clever seems to pick things up quickly.


So, any tips really to help me focus him when he does get tense when schooling or hacking would be really helpful ??

I feel maybe we are not progessing quickly enough? _ I have been having lessons as often as I can with a lovely trainer to help us, not as many or as frequently as I would like. (££)

we have been out and about a bit as well which he does seem to enjoy, xc schooling, show jump training etc - all very low key nothing bigger than 80cmish and no pressure, he has a great attitude a huge jump and is very enthusiastic about it all, sometimes a little to much

I am hoping to get crack the canter transitions with his flat work and get out to do some dressage later this summer all being well.

will try and post some pictures below for anyone interested. CC more than welcome ;-)

 

[TheSylv007]

No advice from me (I don't feel qualified enough on here!) but just wanted to say your boy is gorgeous!!

 

[Firewell]

Aw he's beautiful! He's quite big, that's probably what it boils down to. You know what it's like if you find something hard, you will try and take the path of least resistance! It sounds like you are doing great though, I think you should carry on as you are. Things will fall into place. I don't think you are behind in his education at all, it sounds like he started proper work later than usual (I.e 5 instead of 4) but being a more slow maturing irish chap that's a good thing. I actually think you have done super to get him where he is in a few months and he will mature as he gets more life exposure.

 

[monte1]

thanks Firewell and good luck on your impending new arrival, by the way ;-)

he is actually only about 16hh but big boned . although maybe has grown a bit since he arrived as well - must get around to measuring him!

I think you have hit the nail on the head regarding his education beign ayear behind, so I will keep plugging along

 

[monte1]

No advice from me (I don't feel qualified enough on here!) but just wanted to say your boy is gorgeous!!

Oh thank you so much, I am loving him but am a tiny bit biased ;-)

 

[CrazyEquestrian]

No advice from me. But he looks absolutely lovely!

 

[PorkChop]

I remember your posts when you bought him - he is looking amazing, you are doing a super job

 

[TheHairyOne]

He is even more lovely in the flesh! I was on the ground at the clinic with the walking backwards huge black horse.

From the sounds of it you are well on the way to sucess. But as above take his age out of the equation and just look at how long hes been working for. You have the advantage in that hes not a weak 4 year old starting out so you can just crack on. My lad is a very late foal who is 6 now. He has only just grown into himself (and out of his saddles!) this year.

 

[Bernster]

Glad you posted an update. I'm on a similar journey so it's great to hear how others are doing, although I'm nowhere near your level! He looks very sweet and sounds like he's coming on well.

No tips as, like someone else said above, I don't feel qualified. However, if he is still finding his balance and strength, then I can def sympathise there, mine has a tendency to lose rhythm and rush a little and that seems to be down to strength and balance, so I have to bring him back with a half halt or downward transition, rebalance and try again.

 

[monte1]

hi there, )
thank you ;-) am loving him and his enthusiasm. i just need to be patient and keep plugging away i guess .

your boy is lovely to and huge, you did have your work cut out that evening, but he can certainly jump!

hopefully see you at another clinic soon, you are certainly a very friendly lot up there and made us feel welcome

He is even more lovely in the flesh! I was on the ground at the clinic with the walking backwards huge black horse.

From the sounds of it you are well on the way to sucess. But as above take his age out of the equation and just look at how long hes been working for. You have the advantage in that hes not a weak 4 year old starting out so you can just crack on. My lad is a very late foal who is 6 now. He has only just grown into himself (and out of his saddles!) this year.

 

[Doormouse]

As I was reading your thread I actually thought you might have stolen my horse!!!! Apart from mine being fine on his own but bad in traffic, you might have been describing my 6 yo ISH.

Am virtually at the same stage as you although I hunted mine all winter and he has had the summer off to fill out and grow, which he duely has and is now a whooping 16.3hh so far too big for me! He gets rather tense schooling and has taken ages to realise that putting my leg on doesn't mean go faster and canter transitions are great now but much better from walk, in trot he is inclined to run and panic.

He is very enthusiastic jumping, so much so that he generally likes to remove at least one stride before every fence.

 

[TheHairyOne]

hi there, )
thank you ;-) am loving him and his enthusiasm. i just need to be patient and keep plugging away i guess .

your boy is lovely to and huge, you did have your work cut out that evening, but he can certainly jump!

hopefully see you at another clinic soon, you are certainly a very friendly lot up there and made us feel welcome

Thankfully thats my sisters horse! I was taking the pictures! Sadly i am in the 'my horse needs too much washing club' with you. On the plus side he is no where near as difficult as the talented body, tiny tb brain beast.

Obviously you are local to us so please come say hello if you see us out and about.

Kat

 

[monte1]

LOL oh how funny.. ;-)

16.3hh is HUGE mine is about 16HH or so ( I think..must get around to measuring him!) and has lots of bone but pretty compact.
we also have had issues with understanding "leg on" not meaning go up a gear, but we are getting there ;-)

got to say am loving my boy, irish horses are FAB !

No advice from me (I don't feel qualified enough on here!) but just wanted to say your boy is gorgeous!!

As I was reading your thread I actually thought you might have stolen my horse!!!! Apart from mine being fine on his own but bad in traffic, you might have been describing my 6 yo ISH.

Am virtually at the same stage as you although I hunted mine all winter and he has had the summer off to fill out and grow, which he duely has and is now a whooping 16.3hh so far too big for me! He gets rather tense schooling and has taken ages to realise that putting my leg on doesn't mean go faster and canter transitions are great now but much better from walk, in trot he is inclined to run and panic.

He is very enthusiastic jumping, so much so that he generally likes to remove at least one stride before every fence.

 

[monte1]

oh your chap is lovely - ( was that at Mattingley by any chance ??

totally understand the need for washing comment, I am learning to love shampoo - fly rugs and suncream......LOL

ah i see , yes he was a bit of a handful, didnt envy her dealing with his antics that evening ;-)

will keep my eye out for you both !

Thankfully thats my sisters horse! I was taking the pictures! Sadly i am in the 'my horse needs too much washing club' with you. On the plus side he is no where near as difficult as the talented body, tiny tb brain beast.

Obviously you are local to us so please come say hello if you see us out and about.

Kat

 

[monte1]

thank you, i do just love him ;-) he is such fun.

new update this week is that we seem to have more or less cracked the cantering now.

we managed some quite decent 20m circles and across the diagonal work in our lesson last week and I have even managed to replicate them last night as well- out on the field. so, am tentatively planning a low key dressage test outing to see how we get on.!!

I remember your posts when you bought him - he is looking amazing, you are doing a super job

 

[ljohnsonsj]

No help to add but he is beautiful!

 

[PaddyMonty]

but I often feel we have to have a little bit of a battle over what I would like him to do and what he wants to do and now I know him better and know he understands my outside leg aids etc, I am inclined to feel he is trying it on a bit and ignoring me rather than not understanding.

I've been involved in the early training of 3 IDs an the two things they all had in common were 1) you had to convince them you were serious about what you wanted. None of them really got subtly until well in to their training. 2) they all continued to grow until around 7 when they then started to fill out and muscle properly.
The stage you are at seems fine to me, particularly with this breed, slower at the start is better.

 

[monte1]

I've been involved in the early training of 3 IDs an the two things they all had in common were 1) you had to convince them you were serious about what you wanted. None of them really got subtly until well in to their training. 2) they all continued to grow until around 7 when they then started to fill out and muscle properly.
The stage you are at seems fine to me, particularly with this breed, slower at the start is better.

thank you for that, I do agree about his "irish" attitude , I have now learned that he can be quite strong minded and gets almost frustrated when he doesn't get his own way, not at all in a dangerous way but you can tell he is not happy when I insist we are going in a particular direction or at a particular speed..LOL I will certainly need to be sure to convince him that what i want is what he wants as well

actually, hoping we are getting there and he is starting to trust me now, as we went XC schooling last week and he just couldnt figure out and/or wasnt brave enough to jump down into the water, so cue me getting off, sticking him on a lunge line and jumping in out and with him following me on foot for about 5 minutes with me getting very wet chaps and boots .... (yuck!) but it worked a treat, got back onboard and lightbulb moment he popped straight in ;-)


I was very proud of him

 

[Dusty85]

Hahah again it sounds like you are describing my irish one too!

He can be a bit nervous of his own shadow at times and takes some time to relax, but once he's there he seems desperate to please. Mine is only 4yo though, so plenty of time.


All of my expectations have been adjusted, and now I will do nothing but little short sessions getting him to relax and trust me, a bit of ground work (he's HUGE at 17hh+) and just letting him mature with as little pressure from me as possible. I would hope to get him to very baby things in the winter, but we will just see how he's going. He will also have a 2month break over christmas to give him some chill out time.

I look forward to following your progress!!

 

[kassieg]

He is beautiful !!

the last schooling pic is much better he looks a lot softer & more relaxed, he certainly doesn't have an issue with that xc fence, cracking pop on him !!

I wouldn't say you were going too slowly at all, about right at the end of the day its different for different horses & if he feels happy with things you are going at the right pace for him !

 

[monte1]

He is beautiful !!

the last schooling pic is much better he looks a lot softer & more relaxed, he certainly doesn't have an issue with that xc fence, cracking pop on him !!

thank you, yes, he is getting there and that photo was about 4 weeks ago so he is getting even more relaxed now.
LOL yes he has a decent pop in him, took him XC schooling again last week and he is not over-jumping them quite so much now, thankfully


I

Hahah again it sounds like you are describing my irish one too!

He can be a bit nervous of his own shadow at times and takes some time to relax, but once he's there he seems desperate to please. Mine is only 4yo though, so plenty of time.

All of my expectations have been adjusted, and now I will do nothing but little short sessions getting him to relax and trust me, a bit of ground work (he's HUGE at 17hh+) and just letting him mature with as little pressure from me as possible. I would hope to get him to very baby things in the winter, but we will just see how he's going. He will also have a 2month break over christmas to give him some chill out time.

I look forward to following your progress!!

thank you, your boy sounds lovely as well and huge!

 

[blood_magik]

He's lovely.
He sounds very similar to my Clover Hill boy. Mine used to be a bit overenthusiastic when it came to jumping too but thankfully he seems to have grown out of it.

Good luck with him.