Schooling Tips for fitness, bum build up & interest please!

[sophiabell]

Hi,

My boy has just got back up to a good weight and is feeling good in himself after being very skinny and quite depressed and I'm now trying to bring him back up to fitness etc ready for Equifest

I've moved him to my Aunt's where there is lots of nice hacking (didn't have that luxury before) but as he will only really go with another one I'm stuck to only being able to hack when someone is free to come with me.



He got so bored of schooling before that he was completely dead to my leg, really slow and reluctant to go forward, I don't want him to go back to that so would appreciate any schooling tips that keep I can do to keep him interested and also to help him get a nice bum again....


I'm not a fan of jumping so, other than a couple to pop over every so often, I will be sticking to flat work.


I'm hoping to book a lesson soon with someone a friend has had who apparently is into dressage so hopefully will pick up a few things there, in the mean time any tips would be very much appreciated!!!

Also, how long do you think is optimum for a good schooling session? I started of with just doing 15 minutes to bring him back into work but am starting to increase that, I want to make sure I'm pushing his fitness enough but not too much (obviously I will know by how much he sweats etc) but just wondered how long you all school for generally?

Thank you!!!

[Karen, garrettponies]

I'll bring a pony out for a walk with you Soph, keep burning off the calories (me and pony!!)

[sophiabell]

brill idea!!!!!

[GinaGeo]

My typical schooling sessions, when I'm by myself last for about 35minutes. I do have to hack up to the school though, so he's warmed up when we get there and he cools off again on the walk home.

I start on a long rein, I don't mean skipping ropes, I mean working long and low. Starting in walk, lots of moving him around the school, various circles around the school of various sizes, serpentines etc. I'll do some halt, walk transitions get him off my leg a little, ensuring he stays straight. Then I'll pop him up in to trot, again low and low - pretty much repeating what I did in the walk. Depending on how he's feeling, I might ride some squares if he's drifting and I want more control of the shoulders, or I might do lots of suppling spirals. Again plenty of transitions to get him snappy off my leg, he's been a lazy pony in the past, so the transitions are very important to keep him in front of me. I've started introducing a little sitting trot, so I'll sit for ten strides then go rising again, this seems to encourage him to work softly over his back.

Sometimes, I'll give him a canter on a long rein, depends how he feels. We'll come back down to walk and he'll get a stretch. Then I'd pick him up properly, it depends how he feels really. If he's being a bit backward he'll get sent on and brought back within the pace. If he's not as through as I'd like, I'll do a bit more stretching whilst incorporating leg yielding to really get him soft and "squidgy" into the hand. If he's a bit tired as starts trying to drop behind the contact we'll do Shoulder in, walk, shoulder in, trot, shoulder in, medium trot, etc. If that doesn't work we'll have a canter, practise getting his bum underneath him. Lots of working canter, medium canter, canter on a long rein, a more collected canter. If the canter transitions not as I'd like then I'll ride it from a 10m circle, this gets his bum under him and means he can't run through it.

I also use 5m loops which are really useful for suppling and for control. Both in trot and canter - these I find very useful. Also use Leg Yield on the diagonal, sometimes he gets this sometimes he doesn't, so we go back to walk and do it that way.

This is increasing his strength, as long as you vary their frame frequently and keep them really soft and supple you'll build a nice topline.

As for other fittening work, hacking's always good like you've mentioned. I'd also use pole work, raised is a good work out and you could build this up to grid work if you felt like it. This is good for athleticism and is very useful for improving the strength in canter.

I've also started riding in my field, which is on a hill and am doing lateral work up the hill. I'm including transitions as well. He's finding this really hard work at the moment, but he's getting a lot stronger due to it. It's also improving his balance quite a lot.

[sophiabell]

A lot for me to have a go with there, thanks

[sarahp]

I think he needs to learn to hack out alone!

[masonjones5711]

It's great to hear that your boy is doing better and getting back into shape for Equifest! For keeping him engaged in schooling, have you tried incorporating some fun activities like pole work or dressage exercises? Also, consider adding HGH supplements from www.hghworld.top to his routine; they've really helped boost my horse's energy and muscle development during training sessions. As for the duration of schooling sessions, I usually aim for around 30-45 minutes, focusing on quality over quantity to keep my horse motivated and attentive. Good luck with your preparations!

[sariboard]

I think he needs to learn to hack out alone!

 Tutuapp