what gadget to help with short schooling sessions?

[lisa_lou]

Only gettin to ride for 20 mins at a type cos my kids find it too cold to hang around up the yard but my 7 yr old mare takes a lot of working in, up to 30 mins sometimes before she will come down and work nicely and i want my 20 mins sessions to be spent working properly and not head up resisting so can anyone suggest a gadget for me to use to encourage her to work from when i get on. Will obviously do lots of walk, bending, cirlcle work first with it on to warm her up. Many thanks

 

[ThePony]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad new, but while there are a host of different gadgets, none of them can warm up her muscles allowing her to work properly any more quickly than the walk/bending work you are currently doing. No magic 'quick warm up' device unfortunatly!

If you are stuck for time then perhaps view your warm up as suficient as it will have loosened her muscles (I give OH mare a morning stretch session every now and again which is just stretches and lateral work in walk which really helps her loosen, but is hard for her - 20/30 mins is the length of time we would usually spend on it!). You could also do some groundwork exercises with her too instead? Or things like carrot stretches (Gillian Higgins does an ace book of streches - Pilates work out http://www.horsesinsideout.com/booksanddvd.html) as a workout? Obv is you have anything fancy like a walker then you could use that to get some of her warm up done.

Alternatively, wrap your kids up and stick them in the car with drawing books/magazines etc and tell them to learn patience! Unless they are v young then it is reasnoble for you to expect them to wait a few mins for you!

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

You'll do her damage if you strap her down before her muscles are ready to hold an outline. As above, wrap kids up, food and play things and stick em in the car.

 

[ISHmad]

Spend the 20 mins doing some in hand work. The Oliver Hillberger book is good. Don't strap her down with anything, like the other posters have said she won't be warmed up enough to hold an outline. This time of year is the pits, not long until the shortest day now though

 

[AmyMay]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad new, but while there are a host of different gadgets, none of them can warm up her muscles allowing her to work properly any more quickly than the walk/bending work you are currently doing. No magic 'quick warm up' device unfortunatly!

This.

Leave the kids at home, then you can work the horse properly.