What do you do with your youngsters?

beehorses

beehorses

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I have a 2 year old filly TB x Trakehner she is very inquisitive. I bought her 3 months ago she has been in a field all her life has been handled a small amount but nothing much.

I also have my 16 year old TB who I ride out on at least 4 time a week and do small amounts of competing. The filly was getting a bit full of it so I decided to take her out on a short walk with my old one round the farm one day. She loved it! Now I take her out at least once a week with old mac boots on we go round the fields to the village in the stream up and down the banks and she loves it. Nothing bothers her she even marches out the lane faster than me and old boy can keep up with.

Just interested to see what everyone else does with their youngsters and if she is just a special case.:D
 
Mine isn't really a youngster any more (she is nearly 3 and a half now, where does time go) but she has always been very bold and will lead BH about quite happily. However, what I mostly do with her is ferry her back and forth to the vets she she can be mended! Grr
 
I think they get themselves into sticky situation when they are forward and bold, and although we have not been to the vets yet she has had some interesting marks when she has come in from the field. My mum watched her gallop down the field couldn't stop and practically slid under the fence but managed to take out the whole lot of fencing in one swipe. More work!!
 
Yep. That sounds like mine :D She gallops about a lot and then falls over. Sometimes she'll fall over and then commando roll under the fence for good measure! She isn't small either so how she fits I don't quite know! She's a minx but I think she'll be great fun to ride if I survive backing her. She'll definitely go anywhere, do anything. The horse knows no fear!
 
I used to take my youngsters out for walks in hand as well as the daily training and handling. They used to really enjoy their walks out and I think it is great to get them used to the sights and sounds of the world
 
At the yard I am at their is a very small 12 year old who is fearless. She has sat on my filly (see what she does) and honestly she didn't care one bit! I am anticipating a good backing with her going by this.

Also done the tarpoline and plastic bag attack and again no reaction, super.
 
My 3yr old welsh cob Nico goes for walks both in company and alone. He will follow me over anything on the ground, My daughters sometimes camp in the field so he is well used to tents and flapping things. We have also shown him cows, dogs and sheep. He has seen different jumps although he only does poles and very tiny jumps now hes growing up. At christmas i dressed him in tinsle. He wears all sorts of different tack and rugs. He is also used to things like flags, footballs and bikes.
 
Mine was laid over last winter. Didn't bat an eyelid. I do like a nice bold filly :)

Do you ride and lead or walk on foot? She'd probably long reign out quite happily too. I like long reigning. Always good to have the brakes established before you get on I think :)
 
I ride and lead, she is a pro. We have had a canter up the field a few times side by side and she comes right back to voice command (I whistle). I have not lunged or long reined her yet as I wanted her to be a bit older for the mental side of things having to think on her own rather than follow the one beside her. Although she does have tack on to go for her hacks with stirrups down.
 
I'd long reign for literally ten minutes at a time. She's probably a bright button by the sound of it and wouldn't struggle with it. Not in circles, in nice straight lines. Nitty learnt to go in straight lines just in walk when she was about two, we'd just long reign up to the top of the yard turn round and come back. She quite likes 'work' as it means she gets all the fuss for a while.

I don't know how but lots of people here teach tricks. That would probably be quite fun too. I think I might try and teach Nits to stand still whilst I walk off (like 'stay' for dogs).

I don't think I'd dare canter her ride and lead mind you, I reckon she'd be off. Trotting is quite exciting so I think cantering would blow her mind!
 
Bunny is not the most energetic sort even though she is forward (no way she would run off or explod). The other day I threw the lead rein over her neck and she followed me all the way in the lane on her own about 2 strides behind us. I think I will try the long reining out the lane on sunday if the weather is good, thanks.
 
You mean like me, Jess? This is my yearling bowing in the field. He also kneels down and strikes out on command and does a sort of Spanish walk. He also does usual training things like basic lateral work and backing up on hand signals. I'm also riding and leading occasionally - mostly I'm riding and leading the the two in work horses to save time at the moment, but the yearling gets out now and then :)

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eta- all mine are taught "Stay" - very useful command and easy marks in TREC competitions!
 
Yep. And the other loverly lady with the horse that does tricks. Her horse is black? Is she maybe Kat something? Useless brain.

How do I teach 'stay'. BH is too thick to learn it but Nits should be ok :)
 
Ah yes, KatP/KatBP or something? She thinks she met me at Burgley, but I've never been :p Unless I've mixed two people up (in which case I'm as bad :D) Her boy is loooooovely.

My old cob is too laid back to be trainable, but even he understands "stay" - but he is an overgrown dog :eek:

It depends on the horse really. I tend to teach it just by body language - tell them to stay, take a step back and put my hands up in the buffer position standing up straight and not looking like I want them to follow (if you know what I mean) then step back in after a few moments, reward, repeat, increase distance, decrease signal, etc.

But its also possible to teach a broken horse to stand by tying the reins up and hooking through the run-up stirrup so they have contact and understand that means stay - but I can see some people might consider that hazardous. There's bound to be other ways...

eta - "Stay like the dog you are"

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Never been to Burghley?! Shocking!

Right, that is what me and Nits are doing tomorrow I reckon. She'll like that game. She is clever that one. I think she'd be a good trick pony. BH is a retard and can't even remember 'back' or 'move over' unless I physically push him. Durrr!
 
Good stuff - she'll enjoy it :)

I always miss the boat with Burgley. I think "ooh I might go to Burley... what do you mean it was last week?" :confused:
 
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