Schooling livery

H

Hillpark

Member
Joined
24 May 2010
Messages
26
Visit site
After some advice / experience from those of you who may have sent horses to schooling livery.

Long story short I've got a tricky welsh D who I've owned for 3 years but who has been challenging in every sense of the word. When he arrived it took six weeks to catch him again and he is incredibly sharp. I've backed and broken him myself and he generally seems to enjoy his work but is very spooky and does not like you to have your leg on him at all. We are struggling with the canter, which he rushes A LOT in and then panics when back to trot. He's got a lot of power but doesn't know what to do with himself.

So I'm considering sending him away for a few weeks schooling. I have a trainer I know and trust, but I'm worried he goes away and improves, but goes backwards again with me. I work full time and simply don't have huge amounts of time or the desire to battle with him after work.

Has anyone else had experience of schooling livery and if so, how did you find it when they came home / did it make a long term difference?
 
I haven't sent any of mine away but I have had other people's for schooling and this is exactly the kind of thing that schooling livery can help with. I think it's most effective if you go and ride a few times before he is ready to come home so you can see what they have been doing with him. That gives you a head start when he gets home, and the best chance of continuing the good work.
 
I haven't had an real experience of this but something I have thought about it a lot. I think that it is a good idea if you have chosen your schooling yard well but I am also sure though that it makes sense for the rider/owner to be closely involved as you would want to know what they are doing and why and to make sure that the schooling is going the way that you want it to go. Only looking at the horse is just addressing half of the team.
 
I think it’s probably a great idea but would suggest you do some research first, not all schooling livery are competent unfortunately. Try and find someone local enough that you can go over there for lessons and then when horse ready to come home can still support you by coming to you to help school & teach
 
Don't worry about what might happen afterwards. Accept that positive changes will occur whilst on schooling livery and be involved as much as you can to understand the processes. Watch your trainer ride and ask questions. Have a lesson prior to coming home and then be prepared to go through the process again in the future. A few weeks will make a positive difference but you are likely to need to do it again. I use it around every 6 months and for holiday cover. Has worked wonders for me and the horse!
 
Thanks for the replies. It would be with someone who has already taught the horse and I so knows both his issues and more importantly mine. She actually said she wouldn't let him come home without me riding him at least twice at hers, which I think is probably positive by the sounds of things.
 
I am a huge fan of schooling livery when it is with a trainer who knows you and your horse. I have sent my horse away on a number of occasions, sometimes just because I am away myself and sometimes because there is something in particular that I need help with. Rose went away over the Christmas period and I had a lesson on her when I picked her up, I could feel an immediate improvement and this was in just a few days! It was also very helpful as the trainer understood why I was struggling to maintain canter and was able to reassure me that it wasn't my rubbish riding and gave me a number of exercises to help improve it.
 
Hillpark said:
Thanks for the replies. It would be with someone who has already taught the horse and I so knows both his issues and more importantly mine. She actually said she wouldn't let him come home without me riding him at least twice at hers, which I think is probably positive by the sounds of things.
Click to expand...

It should make a great difference, the fact it is your trainer that is having him and that they know the issues is very important, all too often horses are sent away but the trainer does not really know why so misses the purpose and sends back a horse that may be going better but the main issue has not been addressed.
Have several lessons while he is there and don't take him home until you are fairly confident the buttons are in place and consider the trainer riding once a week for a few weeks once he is home if that is possible just to keep on top of things.
 
I'm thinking of asking my trainer to school my horse too while I'm away on holiday. It would be more to keep him ticking along than to sort out a particular issue though.
Horse is already stabled where he is based so it wouldn't be schooling livery as such but can anyone give me an idea of what I should expect to pay per schooling session? The same as a lesson? More? Less?
 
TWMD said:
I'm thinking of asking my trainer to school my horse too while I'm away on holiday. It would be more to keep him ticking along than to sort out a particular issue though.
Horse is already stabled where he is based so it wouldn't be schooling livery as such but can anyone give me an idea of what I should expect to pay per schooling session? The same as a lesson? More? Less?
Click to expand...

It’s generally the same as a lesson.
Maybe they will do you a little discount if riding a number of times - I suppose it depends how much they are riding.
 
ihatework said:
It’s generally the same as a lesson.
Maybe they will do you a little discount if riding a number of times - I suppose it depends how much they are riding.
Click to expand...

I think it depends if they have to fetch in / groom / tack up / untack at your yard? If so if you pay an hourly rate, it may only be 30 minutes of them actually working your horse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top