Author Topic: Show Prep  (Read 2423 times)

Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2017, 12:18:06 PM »
It's coming along. Although the show I was thinking about being is no longer going to work. So I am keeping my eyes open for another one. One thing I'm having trouble with is keeping a horse standing still. They just want to keep moving.
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Offline Ryan

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2017, 09:51:04 PM »
Hopefully you are able to find one shortly. They sure do like to keep moving. Are you having trouble with getting him to stand "Square" or getting him to stand still in general ?

Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2017, 10:01:01 PM »
Well I haven't even been able to try getting him square yet 😂. He is so fidgety if I try to make him stand still. But we are slowly making progress.
http://www.marewatchers.com/camera/cam/1309

Stallion-
RHA Redis Loaded Dice

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Rocky Top Aristocratic Belle Star
Aristocratic Big City Rhapsody
Aristocratic Big City Flower Power


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Little Americas Secrets Crescendo

Offline Chanda

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2017, 10:14:06 PM »
Does he lunge?  If so, perhaps trying asking him to stand still after a bit of a work out on the lunge line (or free lunge), so that he wants to stand as he's a little bit tired and work from there to him standing when ever you ask him.
Chanda
HC Minis

Stallions: Little Kings Cat on Top, Paper Mache`
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Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2017, 10:38:48 PM »
I've tried that. I'll lunge him at a good trot for mayby 15 minutes. It's pretty hot here so I want to be careful. I'll give him a couple minutes rest and then lunge again for another 10 minutes and so on and on. He just never gets tired enough. I think I'll just have to make him lunge longer. I just bought a neck sweat that I've been using as well.
http://www.marewatchers.com/camera/cam/1309

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RHA Redis Loaded Dice

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Rocky Top Aristocratic Belle Star
Aristocratic Big City Rhapsody
Aristocratic Big City Flower Power


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Little Americas Secrets Crescendo

Offline Ryan

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2017, 11:54:26 PM »
I had a pony years ago that was the absolute worst at standing still , grooming to mounting and riding  etc.  I used to tie him up for quite long periods of time and he seemed to learn fairly quickly. The only thing he had in front of him was a bucket of water . My riding teacher made me tie him for 6 hours the first time. It works really well after you have lunged a horse or ridden them or even just after grooming.

One of the other reasons I was told to do this is when I used to take my pony out on trails he would try to dump me whenever and whenever he could because he was more interested in what was at the end of a days session "His dinner" .

Horses are very intelligent (well most of them) and they will quickly work their owners routine out.  Check out the below link when you can theres some more info on it and when you read it and think about it , it really makes sense.



 http://www.horsedigests.com/tying-problems-practice-is-the-key-to-patience-by-clinton-anderson/






Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #21 on: June 21, 2017, 09:30:46 AM »
I'll try that for sure. Sounds like another good idea.
http://www.marewatchers.com/camera/cam/1309

Stallion-
RHA Redis Loaded Dice

Mares-
Rocky Top Aristocratic Belle Star
Aristocratic Big City Rhapsody
Aristocratic Big City Flower Power


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Little Americas Secrets Crescendo

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2017, 01:01:03 AM »
Another thing that helps while lounging is literally changing directions - a lot.  If you follow any of Clinton Anderson's teachings -it is one of the tips he passes along.  Every couple of strides - switch directions.  It is tiring!  Then when tired, you can work with posing your horse as he gets "his air back". 

Changing directions every few strides can also be hard on a young horse, so you do want to watch out for them.  You don't want to injure their legs, but you can certainly do the direction changing in moderation.

Also, you can do direction changes while leading your horse.  If he/she gets to jumping around (something that seems to be expected and/or allowed with minis/shetlands/arabians), you can change directions and expect them to be right at your side/shoulder.  So he starts jumping excitedly, you turn 90* to the left and stride off.  If he doesn't join you, he'll get a pretty sharp reminder - just from your halter and lead line.  If you are working with a whip, reach behind you and tap him on either butt or lower legs - encouraging him to stay right up there with you.  You can even change directions by doing a complete 180*. 

As your horse learns where he is supposed to be, when he gets excited/jumping around - turn into him - moving him away from you in a turn.  I have bumped them on the head between the eye/nostril and on the neck between the ear and the withers to encourage the turning away.  Soon, they would rather do a "simple" straight line than be constantly jumping around.  You could even associate your turn away/turn into with a "growl" or some other easy to remember noise that you make and utilize that at a show as a reminder and start to follow thru w/o then finishing your turn.  Hopefully that helps to keep those feet on the ground.

This worked for us with the Shetland Xs that were shown in open shows at halter similar to a Sport Horse or Warm Blood breed (no acting up really allowed and very frowned upon).  Foals/weanlings/yearlings were given some leeway, but not a lot - still affected final score which then affected placement in the ribbons. 

Since I didn't train our Shetlands that went to the breed shows, I can't tell you how each was trained.  But I know that the one stallion with a trainer in TX was allowed to be an idiot and I was most unhappy with that (at the Spooktacular show in TX in Oct 2012 and at Shetland Congress in July 2013).  When he came home and still acted that way, we got into several "knock down, drag out" fights - in which he ended up upside down on the ground in a hurry.  He soon learned to keep his front hooves on the ground - regardless of who was going by or what was going on.  He also spent a lot of time with a "5th leg" (dropped & erect) and several times he had that "leg" tapped quite forcibly with a dressage whip.  Not hard enough to injure him (he was a stallion and I did plan on some foals), but sure got his attention!!!!  Again, didn't take long and he wasn't running circles around me with "5 legs"...  He even learned VERY WELL to keep his mouth shut!  He learned that all in less than a month as a breeding 2 yr old stallion - after his short show career.  Wish he'd been taught that BEFORE his short show career - he may have done better, who knows?    :)
Paula Hoffman
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Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2017, 09:19:12 AM »
Wow! That is great!! He can get pretty nippy but it's much better then a few months ago when it was actual biting. I love the Clinton Anderson videos. Som of his techniques are awesome! I actually was considering my stallion a few months ago because he was acting so badly. And I mean BADLY. He has come so far...except with his crazy fidgeting.
http://www.marewatchers.com/camera/cam/1309

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RHA Redis Loaded Dice

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Rocky Top Aristocratic Belle Star
Aristocratic Big City Rhapsody
Aristocratic Big City Flower Power


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Little Americas Secrets Crescendo

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2017, 11:09:09 AM »
How old is he again?  If he's a long yearling or 2 now, you can incorporate ground driving into your training and literally "give him a job".  Once going - "drive" him down to your mail box, along your drive way, around the barn.  There's nothing anywhere that says he has to wear a bit, you can use a halter.  Or get his teeth checked and then introduce a bit and then go on to teach him to ground drive.  Lounge and ground drive him over obstacles... 

Here's a pic of a weanling 1/2 shetland wearing mini harness.  He IS bitted BUT the lines are not attached to the bit but to the halter.  It gave him something to do besides run around us fidgeting and screaming for his dam (didn't do that much, tho).  He is 5 months old here.



lounge/drive over a tarp in front of the barn





crossing a bridge between the barn and the drive way.  Leading first as he didn't like the "bridge".







Jumping the ditch next to the bridge



and finally crossing the bridge



Sorry our daughter is barefoot.  She often worked with ponies barefoot (still does) when on the ground once she hit "teenagerhood".  Unless riding or at an event, getting her in boots became quite difficult...

Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2017, 11:23:15 AM »
Here are the only pics of a yearling that we did the ground driving with.  Same daughter, she later had him "hitched" to a laundry basket then had him pull around while picking weeds out of the pasture...





Well, I caught Sierra going over the bridge.  Look, she's wearing her boots!!!







Back up by the barn.  The other yearlings are in the round pen in background.



He learned to not nip and to stand still.  It did take a while.  He is still a stallion in these pics, but was gelded later in 2010.  Another post showing him almost a year later - still lounging/ground driving w/o a bit...
Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #26 on: June 24, 2017, 11:36:25 AM »
Vicki is ground driving him here...  Later, she would purchase him and as a 2 yr old she started him to driving.  Honestly, he is still a "go-get 'im" pony and standing still is not his forte'.  BUT he will stand for short periods, especially when enforced by constant direction changing while working.  If working in a field while hitched now, he HAS learned to stand still when he is asked because otherwise he is literally working his now, rather large, bum off!

circle driving -





Moving into straight ground driving -



Then around the burn pile and weaving into/thru trees





Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #27 on: June 24, 2017, 11:47:43 AM »
Great!!!! He is a little over two now. I have been working him a bit with the harness. He just isn't so sure about it. Long term I want to focus on driving with him. His grand sore won a lot as well as his sire.
http://www.marewatchers.com/camera/cam/1309

Stallion-
RHA Redis Loaded Dice

Mares-
Rocky Top Aristocratic Belle Star
Aristocratic Big City Rhapsody
Aristocratic Big City Flower Power


Gelding-
Little Americas Secrets Crescendo

Offline elizabeth.conder

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #28 on: June 24, 2017, 12:45:55 PM »
Also, I completely understand your daughter being barefoot. I was always barefoot until I broke so many bones that my mom said I HAD to wear shoes.
http://www.marewatchers.com/camera/cam/1309

Stallion-
RHA Redis Loaded Dice

Mares-
Rocky Top Aristocratic Belle Star
Aristocratic Big City Rhapsody
Aristocratic Big City Flower Power


Gelding-
Little Americas Secrets Crescendo

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: Show Prep
« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2017, 02:49:01 PM »
Raising my hand here too!  Almost always was barefoot around the horses.  Usually only wore clogs if I had to do a lot of pasture work in the hot sun, and since my pastures were just "dry-lot-sand", that sand would get hot, and even calluses could keep my feet cool enough to work long.  So, out came my clogs for pasture work.  But in the barn and aisles, barefoot I was!
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