How can i exercise my ex-racer in the winter? Help

[Johanna&Yorkie:)]

I'm new as a member and to the discussion group, this might seem like a worthless question but it really is worrying me.

I've had my horse who is 4 years old (yorkie) since may 2009, and we have had great fun with him, his personality is amazing as being an ex-racer you'd think he would be fizzy and mad, but he's completely the opposite.

I think his laid back attitude is because of the fact that at the age of 2, he had only raced twice, wasn't good enough and was sold on.

His next owner had a few other thoroughbreds, who were kept in a field all year round. yorkie was the baby of the group and pushed around a lot and was very isolated from the other group of thoroughbreds, he was very under weight when we got him, as the other horses had been eating his feed, and during bad weather it is unknown whether yorkie was rugged up.
This owner had had him for 8 months and had hacked him out probably about once a week maybe once every two weeks.

when we purchased him, in the ridden work we took him right back to basics to get my confidence up and his, after weekly lessons with my teacher me and yorkie have come a long way.

Thats his story anyway, my worry is that now winters struck and even though he's got such a laid back attitude to life; I'm worried that the fact that he's not being worked regularly or being turned out every day because of the icy conditions, that he will become fizzy and UN-ride-able, and that we'll have to take him right back to the beginning.

we can not take him into the outdoor menage, or turn him out daily as the icy conditions make it too dangerous.

Is there any way that i can exercise my 4 year old thoroughbred, or keep him from getting fizzy?
Please help.

[flutterbye]

All I can suggest is cutting out his hardfeed while he can't go out and feeding abundant amounts of roughage, hay, chaff etc.

[sam1]

My 4yr old TB is turned out every day. Like yours he was too laid back to race. At the moment he isn't being ridden but that is only because it takes me so long to feed horses and sheep every day with they snow.

Last year I had a 6yr old TB and he was ridden everyday in the snow. He loved it. As long as the snow is deep enough
there is no reason not to ride in it. Here in Scotland the racehorses are still ridden out everyday in it. Look at Lucinda Russell's web site with the photos of the horses working

I have found out over the years that as long as they are turned out for a while every day they are fine but the minute you start keeping them in because of the weather the problems start. I know that when people are at work every day it isn't possible to do that but it works for mine

[june]

Have a read of this piece. At his age, it may be a good thing if you don't ride him much over the winter.

www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

[Johanna&Yorkie:)]

Im afraid its not snow its ice,the roads are far too dangerous for him to go out without him slipping.
We have a small paddock, that i could turn him out into everyday, but that isnt safe underfoot either.
Thankyou for your replies i really appreciate it, i suppose it would be a lot safer for us and our horses here, if it snowed a lot deeper than just a little and freezing over.

I will take your comments into consideration and see if i can sort out a way for him to be turned out into the small paddock if it is impossible for yorkie to go out in the field.
Thanks again

[jill]

If you really can't get him out of doors safely, then you can perhaps exercise his brain by teaching him some stuff by reinforcement training (think clicker training without the clicker). So, with some handy goodies or even just a quick hug or a pat if they mean a lot to him, you can teach him to stand, wait, lower his head raise his head, pick up feet in turn etc etc. - all that you can do in his box. If you can get him out of his box onto a concrete standing or something you can have him learn to stand to be mounted, flex to left and right, walk a step at a time, step backwards one step at a time, step over when asked - a whole range of things.
I have always found that concentrating takes more out of them than a lot of fast work, and as a side effect you will be enhancing your relationship with him. All it takes is time and ingenuity.

[laurac]

Jills idea is great, I have been doing some of that with my horse in his stable every evening ans it really gets his brain focussed as I cant do his physio pole work or longlining currently
I have also done some stretches with him every eve too, maybe you can do some carrot stretches as well?
Best of luck this icy ground is so frustrating!

[Johanna&Yorkie:)]

Isn't it just?!
Thanks Jill, i'll have to have a go at the carrot/apple stretches they look so fun!
We managed to get Yorkie out today, he had a good time galloping around with his friends.
The ice has started to melt here so hopefully if the ice and frost stays off i will be able to get him into the menage for a ride over the weekend.
I will definatley have to have a go at some of that gorund work! we have tried some of them, as we had the kelly marks book: perfect manners, out from the library, we just couldnt get him to move over to the side though!
Thanks again

[Deleted]

Dec 9, 2010 18:44:36 GMT 1 Johanna&Yorkie:) said:

Isn't it just?!
we just couldnt get him to move over to the side though!
Thanks again

Try walking him on a small circle around you and as he takes a step with his outside front leg, push on his shoulder and lift the inside rein, that should get him to start stepping out away from you.

My lad struggled with lateral movement, he just kept trying forwards and backwards and then would get really cross but this little exercise made all the difference

[Johanna&Yorkie:)]

Hehe thats what yorkie does, he just ends up getting angry and doesn't move at all.
Thanks for that i will have to try it

[suzirock]

Hopefully, fingers crossed (!) it won't be sub zero temps all winter and the icy conditions you are describing will only be a pain on and off during the next few months. If its really too dangerous to work your boy or turn him out then don't worry too much about not exercising him as its out of your hands! You can only do what you can do.
So, the only tips I can pass on from my own experiences with my own TB's is to turn out as MUCH as you can, even if its only for a few hours a day when temps rise mid-day then do it, as it will defo help his sanity! Also, make sure you are feeding more than enough hay/haylage to help him pass the time and keep warm, and also with his hard feed make sure its fibre and oil based as this will help keep the fizz off. (In my opinion stay away from most nuts and mixes on the market and stick to a high oil nugget &high oil chaff).
I also love Jills ideas to help keep him ticking over!!
Good luck.