What else to do when I can't ride?

[kirstie]

I had a my saddle checked the other day and it no longer fits my horse. Unfortunatley D) I need to buy a new saddle but the quickest appointment I could get is 10th August.
They have advised me not to ride until I have a new saddle as my current one is making her a bit sore.

I want to keep her fit and have been lunging every other day but what else can I do? I don't really want to lunge her everyday but she normally is in medium work. She has had quite a lot of time off due to an injury of mine and I am keen to keep her mind and body ticking over.
Even when they come out on the 10th, they may have to do work on the saddle, so I could be out of the saddle even longer.

I have to be careful as I am recovering from a broken back and am still not as strong or fit as I could be (it's going to take at least another year to be anything like I was.)

I am lunging every other day using the draw rein method, and have lunged her over a cross pole for some variety. I don't jump now and she is a dressage horse and sees little point in jumping.

I am going to do a little in hand with her later, pole work, leg yielding, turns on haunches etc, but she can get quite 'excitable' doing this.

Has anyone got any other ideas of what I could be doing, bearing in mind my slightly limited mobility and fitness and her excitability?

 

[HumBugsey]

Would you be able to walk her? Or long line her out? Good exersize for all involved

 

[soulfull]

pole work in hand is always fun

an inhand hack too

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

Hmm, when I was waiting for my saddle I did a mixture of lunging, long reining and a bit of bareback riding. However that's probably not possible if you have to be careful with your back, and even long reining can be quite tireing to do.

10th August is just over a week away, so not long. I would suggest you lunge every over day until then, and it will keep her ticking over nicely.

If they have to keep the saddle for any longer, ask if they have a saddle you could hire until yours is ready. Some saddlers offer this service if they have a suitable saddle in stock.

 

[Wheels]

ride bareback?

how about a bit of loose schooling rather than just lunging?

walk out in hand

 

[kirstie]

An in hand hack might be interesting! Tried that once and it didn't go so well!

I might give it a go and take my dogs, she is much more settled when they are around.

I can long rein in the menage but wouldn't dare out of it. She can be quite a sharp madam sometimes and I'm not quick or strong enough yet to hang on!!

She is a big girl and has lovely manners most of the time but when she gets set off, she is more than a handful. Typical Trakehner!!

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

Can you borrow another horse and try ride and lead hacking?

 

[kirstie]

ride bareback?

how about a bit of loose schooling rather than just lunging?

walk out in hand

I'm not a wuss but wouldn't dare ride her bareback now with my spine being the way it is. I don't think I'd cope well with a fall, physically or mentally so am trying to avoid it as much as I can.

We aren't allowed to loose school in our menage but we do have a round pen so I could go and have a play with her in there.

Am going to give the walking in hand a go I think.

 

[Samantha008]

With my mare, i lunge her frequently, but the stuff she enjoys most is long reinging out on a hack. she gets a bit strong when walking in hand and i feel much safer being pulled along behind her ( much less tiring for me too ;0) and is more like her being out by herslef which can only be goood for her confidence.

I dont know if this might be to your taste, but lexi loves it when we "play" in the school. ll let her off the rein and not really free school, but i can run away from her and she trots after me and we back up together and have a lot of fun people love watching it too! Ive also tried trick training to keep her mind active. Didnt have much luck there, as i dont think i know enough on how to do it but that was fun too