Smart Red
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How are we doing with his weight (asks another weight challenged animal)?
Clip, clop, clip...
- Thread starter secuono
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Nyboy
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Ditto Red !
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- #33
That's why I'm trying to ride him, so he will move more and it will be interesting.
Leading him around bores him to heck, and me.
I've started lunging him 30min a day, however, he's decided to do it all at a fast walk or a trot. =/ The dumbbell! Lol. We do it on a 45ft lead, for a large circle that's easier on his joints than it would be in the small pen. But he wants to go with his buddies, so he's rushing it. He'll slow eventually, lol. I'll later up it to two separate 30min walks/trots and then further on, use the hills as well for part or half of the circle.
Fall is here, they're getting annoyed with the "old" grass, so that will help some. I may even switch them with the ram pasture, since it's much smaller, so they'll have less to pig out on.
Muzzles rub his face to heck if fitted right and can't get it off. Not going to sacrifice his face skin for loosing weight.
In late winter/early spring, I'll put up the paddock paradise fence and that should help a lot with them eating less, moving more and using the hills more.
Leading him around bores him to heck, and me.
I've started lunging him 30min a day, however, he's decided to do it all at a fast walk or a trot. =/ The dumbbell! Lol. We do it on a 45ft lead, for a large circle that's easier on his joints than it would be in the small pen. But he wants to go with his buddies, so he's rushing it. He'll slow eventually, lol. I'll later up it to two separate 30min walks/trots and then further on, use the hills as well for part or half of the circle.
Fall is here, they're getting annoyed with the "old" grass, so that will help some. I may even switch them with the ram pasture, since it's much smaller, so they'll have less to pig out on.
Muzzles rub his face to heck if fitted right and can't get it off. Not going to sacrifice his face skin for loosing weight.
In late winter/early spring, I'll put up the paddock paradise fence and that should help a lot with them eating less, moving more and using the hills more.
- Thread starter
- #34
Wethers are done mowing, so in with the ewes (friendlier than their past ram buddies.)
Had him lunge in the small pen. Kept going back n forth from slow walk up through quick trot. =/
Eventually, switched to moving off pressure instead. He needs more work on that.
Rode him bareback half way up the mountain yesterday. He does much better bareback than with that crazy, over stuffed thing! 4-5in fluff on each side between my leg and his side. =/
I really need to get a better treeless or a good adjustable treed saddle for him.
Had him lunge in the small pen. Kept going back n forth from slow walk up through quick trot. =/
Eventually, switched to moving off pressure instead. He needs more work on that.
Rode him bareback half way up the mountain yesterday. He does much better bareback than with that crazy, over stuffed thing! 4-5in fluff on each side between my leg and his side. =/
I really need to get a better treeless or a good adjustable treed saddle for him.
bobm
Garden Master
Before you buy a saddle, it would be wise to utilize the services of a professional that will fit you as well as your horse to a suitable saddle.
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- #36
Sunday he finally figured out how to move off light pressure. *teary eyes* My smart cookie!
His right shoulder sometimes he doesn't fully get.
Tonight's short ride. Walk over tarp, no saddle, no bridle. He has no issues with walking on tarps, but first time doing it mounted.
His right shoulder sometimes he doesn't fully get.
Tonight's short ride. Walk over tarp, no saddle, no bridle. He has no issues with walking on tarps, but first time doing it mounted.
journey11
Garden Master
That's really impressive, Secuono. What methods did you use to teach him to move off light pressure? My paint, Journey, needs work in that department. I've tried Parelli's "porcupine game" on pressure points, but no amount of poking seems to impress him. It always takes more pushing than I'd like to get him to move OVER from the ground.
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- #38
I tried for months on end with tapping, pressing, leaning and stronger and stronger force of fingers and a crop, not giving in for nearly 30min at a time. Months go by and still nothing. People told me to just keep at it, he will eventually get it. That didn't make sense to me to keep repeating the same thing and expect different results.
One day, I decided to try something different and I knew that he was wary of the lunging whip being real close to him. (This is a horse that spooks at his own farts, every single new thing and needs regular re-descentitizing to everything...Not a horse you can just leave for a week and expect him to remember squat! =/ ) So I got him used to the whip rubbing him again, so I could stand next to him without wiggling, and then used it's handle to tap (the whip vertical with the tip up in the air). He got it right away to move away from the stick in the air when it touched him. Repeated it for each leg 4-5 times and then called it a day.
I don't use a halter and lead to keep him standing still, had him free in the pen. Once he felt comfortable enough with the whip to stand willingly next to me while I ran around with it, that's when I started asking him to move with it.
Next day, I went back down to the riding crop, he moved just fine and I just had to get him to figure out where I wanted those front feet to go.
He backed up with a crop before this, but now he backs up with just a hand gesture and a word.
Day after that, I asked with just my fingers. I had to raise the pressure the first few times, but he figured out that he needs to move at a light tap or I'd start patting him harder and more firmly until he moved.
He just needed that one day of the iffy whip to get him moving and to connect the two.
One day, I decided to try something different and I knew that he was wary of the lunging whip being real close to him. (This is a horse that spooks at his own farts, every single new thing and needs regular re-descentitizing to everything...Not a horse you can just leave for a week and expect him to remember squat! =/ ) So I got him used to the whip rubbing him again, so I could stand next to him without wiggling, and then used it's handle to tap (the whip vertical with the tip up in the air). He got it right away to move away from the stick in the air when it touched him. Repeated it for each leg 4-5 times and then called it a day.
I don't use a halter and lead to keep him standing still, had him free in the pen. Once he felt comfortable enough with the whip to stand willingly next to me while I ran around with it, that's when I started asking him to move with it.
Next day, I went back down to the riding crop, he moved just fine and I just had to get him to figure out where I wanted those front feet to go.
He backed up with a crop before this, but now he backs up with just a hand gesture and a word.
Day after that, I asked with just my fingers. I had to raise the pressure the first few times, but he figured out that he needs to move at a light tap or I'd start patting him harder and more firmly until he moved.
He just needed that one day of the iffy whip to get him moving and to connect the two.
- Thread starter
- #40
