young horse to gallops?

[SEL]

Baby cob (now 5 so more teenage cob) needs to do some canter work outside of an arena. He also needs to go somewhere he considers fun - which arenas are not. We had a bit of a napping, grump this morning at the local arena and I feel he's just a bit bored of the dressage stuff. Its not that he's being drilled - far from it - but he's got the attention span of a toddler and as far as he's concerned we have Done Dressage.

We were supposed to be at Cholsey Farm today but they had to postpone due to road closures. They can't rearrange an escorted ride for a few weeks due to holidays and he's not quite at the point where I'd want to take him further afield on his own. Confidence has been hard won hacking alone and I think it could easily be lost if he gets worried.

The gallops aren't far away and are an easier environment if I can arrange to go when its quiet. But he's not a plod and does not need to liven up away from home. We are currently spending the first 10 minutes of any group session (clinic, competition etc) being a prat. I can still sit a bronc it appears but I'm getting too old for that.

Am I mad or can I genuinely use gallops as a schooling session to sharpen up canter transitions without arena walls, arena boredom or tanking off? I'll be on my own after persuading OH to come to my lesson last Sat and boring him senseless.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I'd go, even if it's just for 'hacking trotting' your 1st time.
Which gallops,one of us might be near enough to come with you as escort?

 

[Roxylola]

Is it an "around" gallops? Or an up and back gallops? If its a loop I'd say go for it.
Alternatively, what about a farm ride?

 

[SEL]

I'd go, even if it's just for 'hacking trotting' your 1st time.
Which gallops,one of us might be near enough to come with you as escort?

Attington - I'm not sure that he wouldn't be worse with a friend!!

He gets himself into such a paddy around other horses if we're away from home. I've learnt that I need to get on him, get him moving and sit the acrobatics. Cholsey Farm laughed and said they'd find me a nanny horse who would ignore him but I wouldn't want to wind anyone else up.

Fortunately clinic last weekend was with two teenage mares who literally rolled their eyes and blanked him.

@Roxylola it's a full circuit I think. I'll check because it's under different ownership since Attington was sold. I don't think we've got farm rides round here. Cholsey is great but I want a babysitter.

I keep getting asked if he was cut late - he wasn't, just getting over excited. (think small child who ate all the blue smarties)

It's not expensive to book so I guess if it looks like it's blowing his mind I come home..

 

[ihatework]

Attington is perfect and yes I’d definitely go - assuming it hasn’t change go counter clockwise, and when you start the canter work you then have a nice steep climb to start with. Will modify any acrobatics nicely and he will soon shut up!

 

[Michen]

Absolutely! I used them lots for Boggle as a youngster. I found it useful actually to be able to send him forward up a steep ish hill when I felt like he was about to explode.

It made other things less exciting too, and just seemed to really help all round.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Attington - I'm not sure that he wouldn't be worse with a friend!!

He gets himself into such a paddy around other horses if we're away from home. I've learnt that I need to get on him, get him moving and sit the acrobatics. Cholsey Farm laughed and said they'd find me a nanny horse who would ignore him but I wouldn't want to wind anyone else up.

Fortunately clinic last weekend was with two teenage mares who literally rolled their eyes and blanked him.

@Roxylola it's a full circuit I think. I'll check because it's under different ownership since Attington was sold. I don't think we've got farm rides round here. Cholsey is great but I want a babysitter.

I keep getting asked if he was cut late - he wasn't, just getting over excited. (think small child who ate all the blue smarties)

It's not expensive to book so I guess if it looks like it's blowing his mind I come home..

Are you doing just you and nanny horse at Cholsey farm, rather than the standard group of 6 on their escorted rides? I went and was a group of 6 riders, taken by owner who hunts, and six horses cantering as a group on open ground was pretty exciting at times. Wasnt IMO for the young horses / faint hearted. Or maybe I am just a wuss.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Attington - I'm not sure that he wouldn't be worse with a friend!!

He gets himself into such a paddy around other horses if we're away from home. I've learnt that I need to get on him, get him moving and sit the acrobatics. Cholsey Farm laughed and said they'd find me a nanny horse who would ignore him but I wouldn't want to wind anyone else up.

Fortunately clinic last weekend was with two teenage mares who literally rolled their eyes and blanked him.

@Roxylola it's a full circuit I think. I'll check because it's under different ownership since Attington was sold. I don't think we've got farm rides round here. Cholsey is great but I want a babysitter.

I keep getting asked if he was cut late - he wasn't, just getting over excited. (think small child who ate all the blue smarties)

It's not expensive to book so I guess if it looks like it's blowing his mind I come home..

Do you have sole use? I can book various gallops and some are sole use and some are shared usage. And are there other horses turned out next to the gallops to possibly excite him. Or XC right next to gallops? If it solo use and not in an exciting environment. I would go and teach him he can walk, trot and finally slow canter on gallops. He wont know are for galloping if hasnt been before.

I am sedate, but I always expect horses to walk, trot and canter warm up on gallops and build up to gallops, rather than turning up and galloping.

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes definitely go.

 

[SEL]

Attington is perfect and yes I’d definitely go - assuming it hasn’t change go counter clockwise, and when you start the canter work you then have a nice steep climb to start with. Will modify any acrobatics nicely and he will soon shut up!

Great. I never went when I was nearby because the Appy wasn't sound enough but our canter transitions have gone bleugh recently. It's either trotting at power cob speed or a canter which isn't moving forward or cob rodeo. I need a decent footing and decent space to get us back on track.

Uphill is good!

@Michen it's the sending forward with enough space that I'm missing on my hacking routes. The microcob is bad enough at anticipating where we canter and she's rock solid. If baby cob starts to lighten in front I know he's about to get silly and I just don't have to space to kick him on before I'm having to pull up again.

 

[SEL]

Do you have sole use? I can book various gallops and some are sole use and some are shared usage. And are there other horses turned out next to the gallops to possibly excite him. Or XC right next to gallops? If it solo use and not in an exciting environment. I would go and teach him he can walk, trot and finally slow canter on gallops. He wont know are for galloping if hasnt been before.

I am sedate, but I always expect horses to walk, trot and canter warm up on gallops and build up to gallops, rather than turning up and galloping.

I'm not sure about sole use but I definitely don't want to rock up with the eventers. I'll do a drive by but it used to be away from the horses and it's the other side of the road from the xc.

I may check in with his producer to check she never took him though - good point!

 

[bouncing_ball]

I'm not sure about sole use but I definitely don't want to rock up with the eventers. I'll do a drive by but it used to be away from the horses and it's the other side of the road from the xc.

I may check in with his producer to check she never took him though - good point!

One of my local gallops, is not sole use, is two way (meant to gallop up and come back down slowly), has bends and blind spots, surrounds a XC schooling field, and horses turnout fields, and a lorry park. I have nearly been head on crashed into using it (cant remember which way I was travelling but wasnt very happy).

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Attington - I'm not sure that he wouldn't be worse with a friend!!

He gets himself into such a paddy around other horses if we're away from home. I've learnt that I need to get on him, get him moving and sit the acrobatics. Cholsey Farm laughed and said they'd find me a nanny horse who would ignore him but I wouldn't want to wind anyone else up.

Fortunately clinic last weekend was with two teenage mares who literally rolled their eyes and blanked him.

@Roxylola it's a full circuit I think. I'll check because it's under different ownership since Attington was sold. I don't think we've got farm rides round here. Cholsey is great but I want a babysitter.

I keep getting asked if he was cut late - he wasn't, just getting over excited. (think small child who ate all the blue smarties)

It's not expensive to book so I guess if it looks like it's blowing his mind I come home..

Bit of a trek for me, sorry. But if you ever venture further south just shout, am v happy to nanny on a 121 basis as you sound like your head is on the right way (there is one local I dodge as she really ought to not ride at all, whatever she is on turns itself inside out after 20 mins or so, she just doesnt stop squeaking, climbing up the reins and clamping her legs on!)

 

[poiuytrewq]

We took my daughters baby. The first time he went down happily but napped at the bottom. I ended up running with him
After that he was fine. It was great actually because he was happy to trot it or walk half way and never turned into a nightmare at the bottom.
I think it did him good, and being a young partnership gave them both confidence.

 

[SpotsandBays]

If you want a big spotty companion to come with who also needs to practice cantering, let me know!

 

[SpotsandBays]

Also if you want a Cholsey hacking buddy, we’re up for that too!

 

[SEL]

Bit of a trek for me, sorry. But if you ever venture further south just shout, am v happy to nanny on a 121 basis as you sound like your head is on the right way (there is one local I dodge as she really ought to not ride at all, whatever she is on turns itself inside out after 20 mins or so, she just doesnt stop squeaking, climbing up the reins and clamping her legs on!)

Thank you!

He makes me laugh when I'm not growling at him to get his head up. He'll plod around our short routes at home and does solo arena hire brilliantly (even with horses grazing alongside it). Take him to a party though and I'm suddenly hanging onto a fire breathing cob shaped dragon remembering I'm not 25 any more

 

[SEL]

If you want a big spotty companion to come with who also needs to practice cantering, let me know!

Good! Come with me and enjoy the entertainment. At least big spots has seen the drama before and couldn't work out what all the fuss was about.

Although you might change your mind after dressage on Sunday if I can't get all 4 legs on the ground in the warm up again. It's like sitting on a bouncing tigger.

He'll grow out of it.......