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Post by clara81 on Jan 30, 2013 13:34:18 GMT 1
Hiya, I'm struggling to get my pony going forward and I thought of getting a wip-wop but I had a look at one at a demo and it seemed really long. My pony is only 12.2 so it would be a bit like a hunting whip! Does anyone with a small pony use one? Also how "scary" is it? As although my pony is generally lazy, she is an Exmoor and if she does get a fright she takes A LOT of calming down! Thanks ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by portugalfriend on Jan 30, 2013 15:32:03 GMT 1
Are you saying she is dead to the leg? She may benefit from some in hand and long rein work, an d clicker training too ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Is her saddle ok too? May be tight on her restricting movement, and check that you are not inhibiting her movement too. Loosen your thighs and squeeze left calf, right calf etc etc right by the girth. I find that is much more encouraging than the riding school taught kick kick both legs.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2013 15:50:37 GMT 1
I haven't used one but when introducing it to any horse it's a good idea to coil most of it in your hand to begin with and give a minimal waggle to test the reaction before going for a full on flip flop either side ;D
You could probably just tie a knot in it to make it shorter, or make your own from some soft white rope.
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Post by marychick on Jan 30, 2013 17:16:17 GMT 1
I've used it on a pony that size but I tend to use them to hit my coat and make a noise rather than hit the horse so is folded up anyway. Obviously wouldn't hurt the horse to hit them with it but I've just found making a sound is alot more helpful to get a horse jumping off the leg. It may be a bit long if you held it at the very end but you can hold it about halfway down if you needed? The key think is you really do need to find out why they don't want to go forward in the 1st place. Tools like this can be great to re-train the leg aid but if the cause of the problem isn't addressed they'll tend to work for a little bit and then just become another thing the horse is desensitised too. If you're going to use one you need to try to only use it a couple of times and then find some way of making going forward really enjoyable for the horse so they want to do it again! ;D I'm probably just telling you things you already know but it's just worth baring in mind ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by mandal on Jan 30, 2013 17:49:31 GMT 1
I think that's a great post marychick. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by clara81 on Jan 30, 2013 18:02:10 GMT 1
Thanks guys! She's just backed so I'm trying to get her to go forward WITHOUT making her dead to the leg. She's ok walking out, in front or behind, it's just in the school she won't go. To be fair this morning it was VERY windy and there were lots of distractions and she had been getting better until then. Maybe she just wants to hack and doesn't want to go round in circles- suits me! I have been trying to not go in circles by doing figure-eights, wobbly serpentines etc and halting and reining back but clearly it's not as exciting as nosying into people's gardens lol! I might see if I can find something like a bit of rope I could just hit my coat with to try gee her up a bit.
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Post by mags on Jan 30, 2013 19:13:34 GMT 1
Another alternative is to hold your whip upside down (i.e. sticking up in front of your body) and wiggle/swish it to make a noise and/or move within the horse's field of view. Similar effect to slapping the wip wop around your body/on your jacket.
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Post by sned on Jan 30, 2013 22:33:00 GMT 1
They r great u can wrap it round ur hand a bit if its too long and if its not scary enough i have tied pladtic to it
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Post by Hannah on Jan 30, 2013 23:17:55 GMT 1
Try following another horse in the school. If she is just backed, she should be going off voice aids.
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midgey
Olympic Poster
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Post by midgey on Jan 31, 2013 7:42:19 GMT 1
Do minimal work in the school ,stick to hacking and school on hacks if you find a suitable place. There is plenty of time to shool in a school ,she needs to enjoy going out and going forwards.
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Post by arabiangem on Jan 31, 2013 8:56:17 GMT 1
When I first had Marjorie as a very green pony, I didn't go anywhere near a school for the 1st 18 months. She was VERY nappy (she can still be at times) and until she was consistently going forwards willingly (a few endurance and fun rides helped with this!) I felt asking her to school would have been a recipe for disaster.
The wipwop may help you but really it would better to get her thinking forwards first so you can channel it.
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Post by clara81 on Jan 31, 2013 9:34:13 GMT 1
Thanks everyone, it's as I thought really, I shouldn't take her in the school. Problem is I'm off work this week so thought it would be nice to actually do something with her but everyone else on the yard is still at work and I don't want to take her out on the roads on my own. I'll just have to stick to weekends until the clocks go forward. I've never been on a yard with a school before so it's something of a novelty but the ponies just think it's boring lol! We're not allowed to ride in the field though Also my other pony goes MENTAL if I split them up so it's easier for me to just tie her up to the school fence so she can she where we are. Suppose I need to address this properly but there just aren't enough horsey hours in a day!
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Post by marychick on Jan 31, 2013 10:46:18 GMT 1
It may not have to be as cut and dry as don't take her in the school ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) I had exactly the same issue and pony really wasn't a fan of the school when I got her and was incredibly switched of a bored. It's all about finding a way to make the school interesting! ;D people seem to get stuck in a trap of when your in the school you have to be serious and do "proper" work. Rather than avoiding the "boring" area one of the most beneficial things for a horse like this can be to make the school fun! Forget about formal flat work for a bit and play some games. You can set up trec sort of obsticals, poles, spooky objects or anything you can think of to get her engaged and keep her interested. You can also pick parts of the school to ride faster in for a few strides (not just around the edge- in random places) and praise her like crazy after woulds. Once she's realised she doesn't have to go for long and she gets lots of lovely praise after she'll be more willing and it can gradually be built up ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) you can still fit short bits of schooling inbetween obsticals if you like but keep it short.
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Post by mags on Jan 31, 2013 11:52:14 GMT 1
I've had the exact same experience as marychick. My boy also really switches off during "proper" schoolwork, but very much enjoys obstacles (whether ridden or in-hand). I also try to do more point-to-point riding, and less circling. I try to pick a place (or obstacle) to ride towards, then do something with it. That's much more motivating for him, as he is going "somewhere", rather than aimlessly going round and round. I've also experimented with putting empty buckets in the school corners, purposefully trotting towards them, stop and throw a treat in the bucket. Eventually, don't stop and treat at each corner, but every second or third etc. until I'm riding full circles. Not sure yet if this will eventually give me a pony that does more energetic circling (or one that stops at each corner!), but he sure goes off the leg nicely to reach his goal!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2013 12:02:59 GMT 1
I agree with marychick about making it more interesting in the school, obstacles, poles etc all help to give the horse more to think about and distract from the "round and round" boredom. I think something that's often missing from schooling is teh BIG rewards - making a huge fuss of them, giving a full on neck rub or getting off for a cuddle. A small rub on the withers is fine occasionally if you need to keep going but I think often the really big rewards are forgotten.
Generally though, like arabiangem, I'd be aiming to get forwards well established out hacking before taking to the school, hacking seems much better for encouraging forwards.
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