See, now last winter I still rode 3-4 times a week and/or did groundwork... :smoke:
Not sure if that makes me sound good or just a bit over the top though lol. :mstickle:
Turning Away the Riding Club/Leisure Horse?
- Thread starter laceyfreckle
- Start date
See, now last winter I still rode 3-4 times a week and/or did groundwork... :smoke:
Not sure if that makes me sound good or just a bit over the top though lol. :mstickle:
Would you ride up here??:cold: The ice in places was 2 inches thick! I've never seen a lane like it.. when it rains a lot, it turns into a river.. that river goes back to a stream, and when it's really cold, it becomes a sheet of ice.. deadly... and I'm in for my second winter up there... wish me luck:mstickle:
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I would say give Harvey a holiday and see how he copes/finds it :smile:
My arab Indie is 15yrs old a is very sharp to ride most of the time and very spooky. If he has a few days off he can be a bit of a git to ride but if he has anything from 3 weeks off he tends to be much more chilled.
Admittedly he normally has a holiday from Nov/Dec til end of Feb - or once the snow and ice is gone and he seems to enjoy it! The only downside is he does loose muscle tone and is not so cuddly when on holiday :redface:
However when he does come back into work he seems to enjoy schooling more and has a real spark without the sillyness! Also in 8-10 weeks you go from scraggy looking unfit pony to fit nicely muscled pretty pony :wavespin:
My arab Indie is 15yrs old a is very sharp to ride most of the time and very spooky. If he has a few days off he can be a bit of a git to ride but if he has anything from 3 weeks off he tends to be much more chilled.
Admittedly he normally has a holiday from Nov/Dec til end of Feb - or once the snow and ice is gone and he seems to enjoy it! The only downside is he does loose muscle tone and is not so cuddly when on holiday :redface:
However when he does come back into work he seems to enjoy schooling more and has a real spark without the sillyness! Also in 8-10 weeks you go from scraggy looking unfit pony to fit nicely muscled pretty pony :wavespin:
Good luck! lol
We had a fair amount of snow, but I just rode in the field (which never ever gets muddy) or did groundwork. I wasn't hacking last winter anyway but did find it amusing trying to walk to the yard lol (I couldn't drive then) without falling over.
Harvey is barefoot so I don't have to worry so much about snow balling either which is nice.
This was our field last winter -
Decision in next post.....
Decision! - or not!
I have had a think, thanks for all the replies....they have ALL been really really helpful.
It think, from what I can tell....He doesn't probably work hard enough to 'NEED' a holiday in the full sense of the word but likwise those of you who have turned away have found them a little brighter and keener when brought back up.
I don't think Harvey is 'sour' as such but he has got less enthusiasm for his work then he did have, that could be because we are working on things we both find boring and difficult though....fustrating!
Saying that today, and I'm not sure but he seemed a little 'off' on one of his hinds so that may be the reason.
I'm going to sit on the fence. I think I will carry on working him (assuming hind is ok) until 17th November and then make a decision then. If he does get turned away it will only be until after xmas/end Dec.
I think some of the problem is I'm competitive and always like to 'work towards something'. I'm not very good at just riding or just schooling without a end purpose. It makes me at a bit of a lost end as to what to do. I have been re-reading some books for inspiration though!
ETA: Will also depend on test results as, as much as I'd like to deny it's a problem doctors are sending me for further liver tests. Plus my dog is going to the vets if not better by thursday so quite aware if his age is getting in his way I will be less then happy which may affect how much I want to do with the ponies (could go either way!)
I have had a think, thanks for all the replies....they have ALL been really really helpful.
It think, from what I can tell....He doesn't probably work hard enough to 'NEED' a holiday in the full sense of the word but likwise those of you who have turned away have found them a little brighter and keener when brought back up.
I don't think Harvey is 'sour' as such but he has got less enthusiasm for his work then he did have, that could be because we are working on things we both find boring and difficult though....fustrating!
Saying that today, and I'm not sure but he seemed a little 'off' on one of his hinds so that may be the reason.
I'm going to sit on the fence. I think I will carry on working him (assuming hind is ok) until 17th November and then make a decision then. If he does get turned away it will only be until after xmas/end Dec.
I think some of the problem is I'm competitive and always like to 'work towards something'. I'm not very good at just riding or just schooling without a end purpose. It makes me at a bit of a lost end as to what to do. I have been re-reading some books for inspiration though!
ETA: Will also depend on test results as, as much as I'd like to deny it's a problem doctors are sending me for further liver tests. Plus my dog is going to the vets if not better by thursday so quite aware if his age is getting in his way I will be less then happy which may affect how much I want to do with the ponies (could go either way!)
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Yeah dito that.
I personally see it as my job not to let my pony go stagnant anyway but she's a leisure pony and not a competition horse. If she were only working in a school and doing things she didn't enjoy with little variance her exercise then turning away could well be beneficial - it never gets to that stage though and I wouldn;t want that sort of a life for her.
Joy is always effectively turnrned away during the summer hols anyway as I can't ride and supervise my little girl at the same time so riding takes a back seat.
Not sure what's happening with Harvey.
I phoned vet for advice as he must have overheard me whispering about some time off and seems a bit unlevel behind. Farrier has been out. Vet said to give him 2 weeks rest and see how he is, so that's what we're doing at the moment :unsure:
I phoned vet for advice as he must have overheard me whispering about some time off and seems a bit unlevel behind. Farrier has been out. Vet said to give him 2 weeks rest and see how he is, so that's what we're doing at the moment :unsure:
From what I can gather I don't think now would be the right time for a holiday, why don't you keep him ticking over for the winter and give him mid-August to mid October off?
You mention that he has a tendency to lose weight so he may struggle living out having been clipped and also will lose muscle tone which isn't likely help his overall condition. If the aim is to get him feeling like a horse, the summer months may be better for him as there's plenty of grub so he'll enjoy it a bit more rather than feeling a bit cold and a bit hungry which he may struggle with if he's an emotional character.
As has been mentioned he'll have a bit of a rest when the weather prevents riding so he may end up with a short break in January anyway!!
You mention that he has a tendency to lose weight so he may struggle living out having been clipped and also will lose muscle tone which isn't likely help his overall condition. If the aim is to get him feeling like a horse, the summer months may be better for him as there's plenty of grub so he'll enjoy it a bit more rather than feeling a bit cold and a bit hungry which he may struggle with if he's an emotional character.
As has been mentioned he'll have a bit of a rest when the weather prevents riding so he may end up with a short break in January anyway!!
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