Great weekend but need some groundwork help from NR!

squidsin

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Feb 16, 2013
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Had a fantastic Mother's Day weekend - had a jumping lesson on Sat and we jumped an 85cm spread which I was very happy about, then took Angel XC at Rosehill yesterday and she was amazing. Jumped everything, including some 80cm rollers and barrels. Wasn't at all sure about the ditch or steps and took a lot of coaxing to gt her over - including her standing IN the ditch at one point - but she's happy to pop over anything straightftorward and we can work on the rest. I've got loads of videos which I'll attempt to upload later.

She definitely enjoyed herself - to the point where she was a complete PITA in the trailer park when I was trying to get her untacked and loaded. She was fine until I got off, then she evidently wanted a gallop around and a roll, and proceeded to drag me and my friend, and stood on my friend's foot as she spun round and snorted. In the end, I shoved her onto the trailer and took her bridle off once she was safely inside. She loads fine, it's just she won't stand nicely while I get her ready. She's done this a few times now - been bolshy on the ground, through excitement I think. She obviously had a great time doing XC and didn't massively want to stop or go home! So anyway, I have never been big on groundwork but I clearly need to do some! Can anyone point me in the direction of helpful books or YouTube videos? Thank you!
 
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Your weekend sounds fab!
Don't have any useful experience to offer, but would suggest Kelly Marks Perfect Manners. I have the book, but no doubt there will be videos too. She comes over as very sensible and has a readable style.
 
Your weekend sounds fab!
Don't have any useful experience to offer, but would suggest Kelly Marks Perfect Manners. I have the book, but no doubt there will be videos too. She comes over as very sensible and has a readable style.
Oooh I've got that somewhere! I'll dig it out. Thanks Calluna (and yes it was a brilliant weekend, I am still buzzing! Love my horse!)
 
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Looks like you had a fab time.

For the groundwork, I would suggest a dually. I used to be very anti them, but as long as you use them properly they can be very useful to stop a bargy horse. When Ben is on box rest he always has a complete personality transplant and when I walk him I need a dually to hold him as he will literally barge through me. He is fine when he is turned out overnight, but really does hate being stabled for 24 hours. I think that the trick with them is to release at the appropriate time, mine came with a very useful video which explained how to use it.
 
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Looks like you had a fab time.

For the groundwork, I would suggest a dually. I used to be very anti them, but as long as you use them properly they can be very useful to stop a bargy horse. When Ben is on box rest he always has a complete personality transplant and when I walk him I need a dually to hold him as he will literally barge through me. He is fine when he is turned out overnight, but really does hate being stabled for 24 hours. I think that the trick with them is to release at the appropriate time, mine came with a very useful video which explained how to use it.

That's a good idea. I'm going to need something I can use at shows to stop her trying to tank and generally being a pain. A dually make sense.
 
Sounds fab, and great videos to prove it! My horse is off work having a rest at the moment so I'm very envious.

I watched a x-country master class thingy on TV with Lucinda Prior-Palmer (is that her name?) once, where she was training riders on young horses at ditches. She encouraged them to walk into the shallow ditches first before trying to jump them, because that way the horses could see there was nothing to be scared of. Of course I wouldn't like to be caught out trying to walk my horse into a ditch and it take a huge leap over like that one that was doing the rounds on FB a little while ago! Been there (not quite so dramatically lol) and didn't like it!

Looks like you're going to have a great summer with Angel :)
 
I'd be sure to take plenty of time to cool out her body and brain after something exciting, get her switched back to calm listening and not ready for the next round, lots of walk/halt transitions, maybe a little lateral work in walk, you know, the kinds of focussing stuff you would do before schooling :)
You could also do some trailer training at home, just easy stuff like standing quietly eating hay, being brushed etc so the trailer becomes a restful place, wherever it is :)
 
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