R
RoxR
Guest
Just to add again that there are more of us poor souls out here with no facilities and baby horses! I am trying to keep Roxy's mind on the job although I can only really ride at weekends. My biggest problem is that my only flat area ( I live in Wales!) has shrunk due to mud and flooding! She is only four herself and I'm not in a rush to push on, but I want to keep her busy through the winter, so I mix lungeing with in hand work and working at walk. I am starting western training with her (I'm new to this myself) and so there have been a number of exercises for her to learn - for example she can back carefully through a three foot wise zig zag of poles without (sometimes!) touching a pole! She can walk sideways with her front feet on one side of a pole and back feet on the other. We do this in hand and ridden. She enjoys thinking, so twenty minutes to half an hour of this, combined with speeding up and slowing down at walk, changing direction with very little rein contact - it all becomes a bit of a game as we try to out guess each other!!
Occasionally I take her to a local school which I can hire, and last time we were able to progress from walk into trot and even canter (not safe to do at home!)
Basically just doing anything that asks for concentration and working together can only improve your relationship, which forms a good basis for further lessons once the fine weather (!!!) and light nights arrives!
When she gets a little too big for her boots, a simple reminder in join up usually resolves the situation! This helps with your own confidence too.
Hopefully over this coming year we will all be able to compare notes as our little darlings progress!!
Best wishes!
Occasionally I take her to a local school which I can hire, and last time we were able to progress from walk into trot and even canter (not safe to do at home!)
Basically just doing anything that asks for concentration and working together can only improve your relationship, which forms a good basis for further lessons once the fine weather (!!!) and light nights arrives!
When she gets a little too big for her boots, a simple reminder in join up usually resolves the situation! This helps with your own confidence too.
Hopefully over this coming year we will all be able to compare notes as our little darlings progress!!
Best wishes!