@Callum hunt; Yeah its a super fun training method! I taught Reggie spanish walk using a target-based method =D Targeting spooky objects can also be very useful in desensitizing, I do find it often makes the horses more curious and likely to approach an object they'd usually find frightening.
@Kestrell; We're sorta starting to wind down our showing season, but I had hope to maybe do a few more eventing comps before the season finished. Might not get the chance as Reggie seems to be a little funny in the hind legs atm, but to get them comp ready I usually do a fair amount of hacking out and fitness work. The thoroughbreds don't really need so much of this, but being a draft cross, Reggie takes a decent amount of time to get fit
So in an ideal world, you'd do 2-3 dressage sessions, 1 hack and then one set of speed/hill work per week after I'm legged him up and gotten to a base level of fitness. Every other week he might have a jump session in place of a dressage if I think he needs a tune up, but I don't tend to jump all that often. Reg doesn't need a ton of jumping coming up to a comp anyway.
That's really exciting you might get to show up in Kentucky or Wisconsin! If you keep working hard I'm sure it will be no problem
Keep us all posted!
@Mehingan; Your horse looks very sweet
I'm not familar with any of his breeding, but he seems like a nice little horse.
@Luna; It really depends on the use of the whip and/or spurs. You can certainly hurt and injure a horse using either of these tools, if they are used in a harsh manner. I would probably argue that any area on a horse is sensitive, hence why the use of these tools is so important. A spur can be used on a trained horse to limit the amount the leg needs to move about, as the pressure is concentrated in a smaller area; but because the pressure is concentrated in a smaller area, they must be used gently or they will cause pain. Whips can be used to reinforce a leg aid on an untrained horse or one that needs a bit of backup for the leg, but again, it concentrates the pressure to a smaller area. So you don't need nearly as much force to get the same (or a greater) effect. The flanks/hindquarters of a horse are still extremely sensitive (think, they can feel a fly land anywhere on their body) so we, as riders, have to take that into account and make sure we don't misuse our tools.
@SilverTongue_11; If you stick with it, I'm sure you'll end up with a pony one day. Just got to put in the hard yards first, cause having horses is not easy in any way shape or form
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I don't have too much to update on, Reggie still seems a little funny behind but I can't pinpoint exactly what. I rode him today to test and he was pretty good in all the trot and walk work, but he was still unable to pick up the canter lead nicely on one rein. He did in the start, but as you go on he gets choppy and ends up changing leads, so I'll put him back out into the paddock for a little longer and reassess. I would keep doing some trot work in the long lines but if its his stifle being a bit funny, don't really want him doing more than he has to on that. Went up and visited Cleo and Miles again since we had a public holiday. He's gotten so much bigger but still as friendly as ever. His favourite thing is to stand behind you and rest his head on your shoulder
I've got to buy a new halter for him too (which I knew I would) so i took a few spares to try on for sizing- he only just barely squeezed into the largest one I had, which was a shetland
I might have to try a pony halter for him, but that sounds ridiculous for a barely 4 month old foal. The STB foals didn't usually have to move out of their foal halters until they were nearly if-not-already weaned.
Miles in the shetland halter. The cheek pieces and poll strap seem to be problem areas for fit.Doing some desensitizing. Not phased at all