Would you loose school 3 at once?

Winters100

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Hi All,
I am trying to figure out a good way to quickly exercise 3 horses without riding. 2 are very fit, 1 is in progress, and they are all turned out together.

Unfortunately I am off games with a broken hand, probably for 2 months, and since I will be reliant on getting lifts to the yard my time there will be considerably less than usual. Hence I am wondering is there a way to exercise 3 at once. They are used to working together as I often ride 1 and lead the others at all paces.

They can go to the carousel once a day, but they need to move twice, and it needs to be proper exercise, not just plodding along in hand.

Any good ideas for us? I was thinking to loose school the 3 together, but have never tried this. Good idea or not?

In 2 weeks it will be less crucial as one of the pros will be back and I can pay to have them ridden 3 or 4 times a week, and figure something out for the other days, but in the meantime I don't want them just wandering around the paddock eating!

Any suggestions gratefully received! Thank you!
 

tristar

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i have one horse who knows how to loose school over the poles, and changes direction etc to the voice, when my pony was alive i put here and him in together quite often the pony followed the horse then lost interest while the horse carried on, but they both loved it

i did this with the rescue horse when he was up here, after he met the horse after a couple of days, they loved it, the big horse showing the way the young horse learning.

but none have shoes, its an instinct for horse to move along together, but it depends how you go about it, it needs to be done calmly, you could lunge one , then add another later, but only two at a time,

the risks are only there if it becomes a wild free for all, if you go about it quietly its loads of fun
 

MidChristmasCrisis

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One bad winter two friends put their horses into the arena to “loose school aka chase em with a lunge whip” ..the horses got completely over excited , one double barrelled the other and caused damage to the horse and broke the friendship...awkward as they shared a field and would stand in for one another. Don’t think I would...even if they were my own, the potential for damage is huge.
 

L&M

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When I had liveries one owner did ask me to loose school her 2 horses at the same time. They were strongly pair bonded and always turned out together and they actually worked well together - they just saw it as extended playtime and only done on occasion when no other turnout/exercise options available in depths of winter.

It worked well for them, but in general wouldn't risk it with any other horses. Lunging or loose schooling individually would be far safer......
 

Winters100

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just turn them away.

I am thinking about it. My gelding would be fine with that, my mare is getting on though and I don't like the idea of bringing her back to fitness - could be hard on her. Plus I have one 'guest', who I have agreed to buy subject to vet, but he appears to be a very good doer. I have always preferred to give a good level of exercise rather than restricting food too much, so I would be sad to lose the progress that we have made. But I do accept that my initial idea is not safe, so I have to work something else out. But nothing is impossible, so for sure I will find a solution.
 

Mule

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I am thinking about it. My gelding would be fine with that, my mare is getting on though and I don't like the idea of bringing her back to fitness - could be hard on her. Plus I have one 'guest', who I have agreed to buy subject to vet, but he appears to be a very good doer. I have always preferred to give a good level of exercise rather than restricting food too much, so I would be sad to lose the progress that we have made. But I do accept that my initial idea is not safe, so I have to work something else out. But nothing is impossible, so for sure I will find a solution.
I've found that 2 weeks off really doesn't make a difference to their fitness.
 

CanteringCarrot

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I had to put my goodish doer on a short break before, roughly 2 weeks, and I just cut down his food. Kept his hay, but only gave him a vit/min with a handful of muesli to mix it together. Much less than he usually gets in work, but covered basic needs. He did fine.

If you're not comfortable with completely turning them away I would continue to have them put in the walker, turned out, and just alternate who you free school/prioritize if you think there is one that needs it more than the others.
 

ILuvCowparsely

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Hi All,
I am trying to figure out a good way to quickly exercise 3 horses without riding. 2 are very fit, 1 is in progress, and they are all turned out together.

Unfortunately I am off games with a broken hand, probably for 2 months, and since I will be reliant on getting lifts to the yard my time there will be considerably less than usual. Hence I am wondering is there a way to exercise 3 at once. They are used to working together as I often ride 1 and lead the others at all paces.

They can go to the carousel once a day, but they need to move twice, and it needs to be proper exercise, not just plodding along in hand.

Any good ideas for us? I was thinking to loose school the 3 together, but have never tried this. Good idea or not?

In 2 weeks it will be less crucial as one of the pros will be back and I can pay to have them ridden 3 or 4 times a week, and figure something out for the other days, but in the meantime I don't want them just wandering around the paddock eating!

Any suggestions gratefully received! Thank you!
have done with ponies but weary with horses
 

poiuytrewq

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We loose school a lot at work and do two ponies sometimes together. There have been occasions this has made me cringe a bit when one cuts the other up. I’d agree 3 would be unsafe
 

windand rain

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I have a video of my conie being lunged and the highland 2 year old joining in we only have a flat bit of field but I have never seen anything like it the filly followed the commands perfectly on the outside of the one being lunged
 

tristar

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I am thinking about it. My gelding would be fine with that, my mare is getting on though and I don't like the idea of bringing her back to fitness - could be hard on her. Plus I have one 'guest', who I have agreed to buy subject to vet, but he appears to be a very good doer. I have always preferred to give a good level of exercise rather than restricting food too much, so I would be sad to lose the progress that we have made. But I do accept that my initial idea is not safe, so I have to work something else out. But nothing is impossible, so for sure I will find a solution.

i prefer to exercise, and keep going, i did loose lunge two yesterday, separately, because one is entire, and i did`nt have the time to ride any more yesterday, its took about 25 minutes each, was great fun they did loads of trot, pole work, trotting large and loose canter circling around me

they are used it and its a good way to keep up fitness, control weight, le them work while thinking for themselves, maintain progress, ok it takes practice to get the best out it, and i would`nt do it with a horse that could`nt cope,

i like the idea of maintaining regular exercise of some sort
 

Cortez

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I've regularly loose schooled (well, exercised, really) two together with no problems at all, but they are turned out together, have no shoes and very, very used to loose exercise. I would have no qualms doing three, or more (liberty displays, anyone?), but would start slowly, adding one at a time. I also don't allow mad charging about or aggression towards each other - they know they are in the arena to work, not play.
 

tristar

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I've regularly loose schooled (well, exercised, really) two together with no problems at all, but they are turned out together, have no shoes and very, very used to loose exercise. I would have no qualms doing three, or more (liberty displays, anyone?), but would start slowly, adding one at a time. I also don't allow mad charging about or aggression towards each other - they know they are in the arena to work, not play.


better than i put it
 

tristar

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I've regularly loose schooled (well, exercised, really) two together with no problems at all, but they are turned out together, have no shoes and very, very used to loose exercise. I would have no qualms doing three, or more (liberty displays, anyone?), but would start slowly, adding one at a time. I also don't allow mad charging about or aggression towards each other - they know they are in the arena to work, not play.


hi cortez, would you mind me asking if you ever do pirouettes with the horse at liberty? cause last night one horse, when loose kept coming into the circle and cantering round me, how would i encourage him to piri, and would you encourage a horse that had not done it under saddle to piri, as another is cantering in possibly 10 metre circles but with collection and a lot of bend in the head and neck inside leg etc.

thanks
 

Cortez

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hi cortez, would you mind me asking if you ever do pirouettes with the horse at liberty? cause last night one horse, when loose kept coming into the circle and cantering round me, how would i encourage him to piri, and would you encourage a horse that had not done it under saddle to piri, as another is cantering in possibly 10 metre circles but with collection and a lot of bend in the head and neck inside leg etc.

thanks
Hmm, not sure you can do a real, proper pirouette loose, but you can use the corners to do a demi-pirouette (of the Spanish Doma Vaquera/roll back kind ) if you just ask for a change of direction there. Very small volté's are a doddle if the horse is cantering round you voluntarily.
 

tristar

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Hmm, not sure you can do a real, proper pirouette loose, but you can use the corners to do a demi-pirouette (of the Spanish Doma Vaquera/roll back kind ) if you just ask for a change of direction there. Very small volté's are a doddle if the horse is cantering round you voluntarily.

thanks.
if i hold him on the lunge line he will do a demi piri now, its just i feel i get in way of his movement and stop further progress! , i`ll experiment further
 

teddypops

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I have a video of my conie being lunged and the highland 2 year old joining in we only have a flat bit of field but I have never seen anything like it the filly followed the commands perfectly on the outside of the one being lunged
My sec a used to do this when I lunged the others in the field!
 

dogatemysalad

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I loose school a lot, but separately. Unless you train circus horses, it's difficult to focus on getting useful exercise in a large school with one person and multiple horses.
Loose schooling is really useful in winter when fields are under water and horses have to be stabled for long periods. I generally ride once, walk in hand once and loose school just to relieve monotony and keep them moving.
Currently loose schooling to rehab. Warm up walking large, then trot/ canter and then move on to ground poles or cavaletti in different sequences and arrangements each day.
With two horses, it's easier to do a mini 15 minute session each than 30 minutes together of mayhem.
 

BBP

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It all depends on the dynamic between them, how responsive they are to aids and what you as the handler class as loose schooling. Is it mad tearing about or are you asking them to work, do transitions etc. I do it with a couple of mine but success depends on how each is feeling on the day. If the black one is too feisty he gets too playful and annoying. If the little fat one is too lazy it doesn’t work as trying to motivate him winds the other one up too much. I like them to be responsive to me, not annoying each other. So it’s all about timing it right, I couldn’t do it successfully every day.
 
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