Training

[Parkranger]

Hoping the experienced among you can help me!

I'm currently reschooling my boy (very green and unbalanced) and he's slowly starting to get fitter - we actually carry our head as if we're interested now!

I've started making him trot down slight inclines to build up his confidence (he's had a nasty fall on his shoulder in the past) and that seems to be going well but what else can I do to get him confident in a cross country type environment (apart from jumping everything in sight!) I'm resisting the urge to canter and gallop everywhere now and we have a large common out the back that's very hilly so we're doing lots of trotting work out there to build him up.

We're going to have to leave showjumping at the moment as he is so unbalanced but I'm hopiing that with lots of hard work we'll be ready for next year.

Any advice much appreciated!

 

[Parkranger]

come on I need help! haa haa x

 

[AmyMay]

Take him hunting. You'll both thoroughly enjoy it, and it will be really beneficial for him.

And if you're not in to hunting - you could perhaps drag hunt instead. (Although that's what we all do now anyway

)

 

[Kelly1982]

What about taking him XC schooling and just taking him over the small jumps that you know he will be confident over.

Think last time i went it was £15 for as long as you liked, there was quite a few other people there too but not too many that would blow a horses mind if you get what i mean and everyone was off doing there own thing.

We took my friends youngster and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He is very highly strung as well so we thought we may have trouble but he was as good as gold. He even went in the water.

 

[goeslikestink]

can do sponsored rides with and with out jumps good start then go onto h/t x/c ode etc

 

[pottamus]

My boys balance, concentration and general way of going has improved no end since I started doing pleasure/endurance rides...see if you can find a few to go on as they are on varied terrain, up hill and down dale and the horse has to learn to cross bridges, streams, rocky paths, grassy banks...the works!
Look on www.endurancegb.co.uk and www.sportendurance.co.uk for details as the season has not yet ended...worth a try!
Other than that carry on with the trotting up and down hills and try to get him on different surfaces so he learns to pick his feet up and work around obstables etc...

 

[Parkranger]

Thanks guys - some good advice here. I was thinking of pleasure rides actually. We kind of went on one the other day - as we got into the jumps he did an almighty buck. I know it's naughty but I couldn't stop laughing - don't think that was the right message to give out though!