Wanting to do more with my horse

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions for maximising time with my horse whilst he's on a full livery?

All of his care is done by the yard staff so all I do is groom, tack up, ride, give treats and leave and whilst he's an absolute sweetheart and we have bonded I just want to spend more time with him. Sometimes I bring him in/turn him out and I will take my time with grooming so I can spend more time with him and we will hack out at least once a week but I'd like to do more so he doesn't just see me as the pain in the arse that makes him do work lol!

He's on full livery as my shift work doesn't allow me to have a proper routine to provide full care, or even part as some days I can't see him at all, I'd love to be there every day otherwise!

Does anybody else with horses on full livery feel this way or just me?

 

[Lipglosspukka]

Carrot stretches? Teach him to do tricks?

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

Carrot stretches? Teach him to do tricks?

I've been thinking about teaching him some tricks! He'll do anything for a treat lol!

 

[splashgirl45]

why not do more hacking out, that way you can spend time without having to school

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

why not do more hacking out, that way you can spend time without having to school

I'd love to go more but I'll have to wait for the evenings to get a bit lighter, we have to ride on the road to go off road too and he doesn't do well on the road at the moment without company, we're working on it though! One of the girls at our yard has said she'll hack with me as much as I want when the evenings get lighter so I'm just waiting for that to happen!

 

[splashgirl45]

that sounds like a good plan, also have you thought of using one day when you would have ridden as an in hand day doing things like getting him used to balloons, reversing straight between poles getting him to walk over poles dotted randomly round the school..teaching him turn on the forehand etc .that sort of thing can be fun rather than work..

 

[Rumtytum]

And a massage, ‘my’ RS horse loves them ?

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

that sounds like a good plan, also have you thought of using one day when you would have ridden as an in hand day doing things like getting him used to balloons, reversing straight between poles getting him to walk over poles dotted randomly round the school..teaching him turn on the forehand etc .that sort of thing can be fun rather than work..

I've thought about doing a desensitisation session, he's not really spooky but it doesn't hurt to expose them to new things! I'll have to ask the YO if I can bring some equipment to the yard and put them in the school, she may think I'm bonkers haha! I'd also love to get a big exercise ball and play with him in the school but I don't think I would actually be allowed to, it would sort of be taking the p if the other liveries want to use the school haha!

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

And a massage, ‘my’ RS horse loves them ?

That's a good idea! I'll look up some massage techniques!

 

[Rumtytum]

That's a good idea! I'll look up some massage techniques!

When I do his special spots he’s off into a Transcendental State ?

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

When I do his special spots he’s off into a Transcendental State ?

I can imagine! ? Mine loves a good shoulder scratch, I’ll give the massage a try! Although I was trying to do belly lifts the other day and he very politely and softly cow kicked me as if to tell me to stop. ?

 

[Rumtytum]

I can imagine! ? Mine loves a good shoulder scratch, I’ll give the massage a try! Although I was trying to do belly lifts the other day and he very politely and softly cow kicked me as if to tell me to stop. ?

Did that and got the same response ???

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

Did that and got the same response ???

They’re such sh*ts sometimes. ? I dare not do any HQ tucks! ??

 

[Rumtytum]

Knew I had a pic of him in Transcendental State ???

 

[ScarlettRonan_xo]

Knew I had a pic of him in Transcendental State ???
View attachment 66555

I would love to be that relaxed! ?

 

[Rumtytum]

I would love to be that relaxed! ?

Don’t know about you but am sure you could get your lovely boy there ?

 

[Trinket12]

I have a day where we do some in-hand work and just hang out. There is a small tent/arena that we use, we do some basic lunging (working on her listening to my voice and better balance on the left) and then the rest of the time we just hang out! She will have a roll and a look out of the window and also do some very basic in hand stuff (and lots of scratches). Some days I don't even both with the lunge and just let her get some zoomies out and have a roll It's one of my favourite days.

 

[Leam_Carrie]

Click training is fun and useful. Or horse agility - I sometimes do bits with my mini Shetland.

 

[Sealine]

How about some horse agility type exercises? You can do them from the ground or mounted.

 

[JGC]

I do quite a bit of hand grazing with my (as with the horse in my avatar!). So quite often walk up the road, stop for a graze and then come back (they are the yard's summer fields or smaller patches of their land that aren't big enough to graze so everyone has express permission to do this btw!)