'Training' over winter for 2.5 yr old?

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GeorgeyGal

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Just a brief overview, I've spent all summer doing inhand walks around the hay fields a few times a week, transitions, working on ground manners as a matter of course, spook busting, introducing equipment, touched upon long lining around the fields with extra person at head (as she can be quite reactive and hot hence not gone out on roads or taken to shows yet). I have taken her in the manege a few times just for her to get the feel of it and done some work over ground poles with yielding etc, she really enjoyed the pole work as was something to concentrate her mind on rather than looking whats going on around her, she has been down the driveway and watched traffic as well recently.

I am just a bit in two minds what to do over winter... The hay fields will soon be off bounds so I was thinking should I start lessons (I am new to long lining so will get help) long lining in the manège or wait until summer? She is very bright and loves learning I might add, she does get bored doing nothing and the first time I took her out of the farm down the drive she loved it and didnt want to go back in her field! She can be fizzy and reactive so I don't want to 'sour' her to do doing too much as she is still young. Or I could just take her down the drive to look at traffic and going past the neighbouring horses a few times a week and do a bit of 'fun' stuff in the manege once a week and leave it at that for now?

Toasting marshmallows and baileys for getting this far!
 
I think getting her used to traffic would be my aim.

I started off by driving the car into the field with the horses as the two mares are good with traffic, so the young gelding pretty much copied them. I then took the tractor in (previously I only harrowed when the horses weren't in the field) and then built up to being able to harrow with them in the field. Again the mares don't give a hoot about this and this gave him confidence. I meet a lot of tractors in my area, so he needs to be good with them.

Then, when out on an in-hand walk we met a tractor and hedge trimmer and he walked nicely by it (driver kindly stopped to let us past) so I was really pleased with him.

The only thing I've had to drill into him is standing in gateways to let traffic past. He doesn't like stopping when we are heading home, so I had to do further training to achieve this.
 
My 2 and a half year old has done things abit wrong way round really due to circumstances. He has to go on busy roads to get to and from some of the grazing so is already great with traffic. Over winter I will mainly be getting him used to roller and long lines, boots and rugs for when needed. He is a big lad and has done a fair bit of ground work but we will be keeping this up over winter until he gets turned back out on the summer fields in may.
 
Thank you, yes I will do more of that, she's already used to the farm tractors and spent the first 18 months next to a busy road so has always been good in that respect.

So save long lining in the school until summer just before being lightly backed all being well so it coincides with that?
 
We've been getting our 2yo's used to being brought in and tied up with the riding ponies. The process of standing still, being brushed / ignored for a bit / feet picked up / moved about a bit / ignored again is very good for them.

TBH I've had saddles and bridles on them already, just to see if they'd react - they don't! They're so quiet and confident we're not going to have any issues backing, but they can learn good manners from the other ponies before we start 'doing' things with them next year.
 
pennyturner said:
We've been getting our 2yo's used to being brought in and tied up with the riding ponies. The process of standing still, being brushed / ignored for a bit / feet picked up / moved about a bit / ignored again is very good for them.

TBH I've had saddles and bridles on them already, just to see if they'd react - they don't! They're so quiet and confident we're not going to have any issues backing, but they can learn good manners from the other ponies before we start 'doing' things with them next year.
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Sounds good, my girl has always been calm with roller, rug and saddle on so that is a confidence boost, she is rather high energy though hence thinking the long lining route, although I don't want to long line all winter for her to start getting fed up of it, so I'm thinking I should wait until nearer the backing stage so it kind of flows into that part of the training..
 
GeorgeyGal said:
Sounds good, my girl has always been calm with roller, rug and saddle on so that is a confidence boost, she is rather high energy though hence thinking the long lining route, although I don't want to long line all winter for her to start getting fed up of it, so I'm thinking I should wait until nearer the backing stage so it kind of flows into that part of the training..
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I like to long-rein out and about. It's great in busy residential areas, where there's loads to look at for horsey, and the traffic is light. Makes them focus on you and take their confidence from your instructions. Much better than the school :)
 
I'd love to but there are very busy narrow country lanes where I am so no can do. I guess keep things light this winter and pick it up in the summer with long lining. So will focus on traffic, spook busting and a little bit of work in the school with ground poles as she seems to enjoy that.
 
Faracat said:
The only thing I've had to drill into him is standing in gateways to let traffic past. He doesn't like stopping when we are heading home, so I had to do further training to achieve this.
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I've never brought on a youngster to be a riding horse but this! Having an older horse who couldn't stop, stand still and wait without being a spinning, rocking horse was a real (scary) pain to sort out and imho it is a major and much neglected aspect of training and safety, especially out and about.
 
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