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Discussion on Sending Levi off for Training
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 - 3:30 pm:
Hi All, just need a vote of confidence from anyone who cares  I have decided to send Levi, my 4 year old qh off to have someone put some miles on the trail. We have only ridden in the round pen, and to be honest, I am just not confident enough to ride him out in the real world. I am worried that if I do and he gets frightened or refuses something, that I will not take the proper measures to be sure he does not learn a bad habit. ie: if I buck really hard when I don't want to go over the creek, mom will fall off and I win ! I have raised him since he was 4 months, and it is like sending your kid off to boarding school, YIKES. The gal I found seems very nice, has ridden and competed in endurance riding, shown halter and western pleasure. She has access to 200 acres of timber and creeks by her farm. She only has her 2 other horses there, so he will get her undivided attention. I had him at a large barn for his first 30 day training, he came home with a sort of shipping sickness from horses the owner of the barn bought from sales. I just hope I am doing the right thing! Any advice about sending him off for a month???
Signed,
a worried horse mom
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Member:
Terrilyn
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 - 3:51 pm:
If you are thoroughly happy with your trainer and her facility, I would be fine with it. Have you been to her barn? Have you talked with others who have sent horses to her? Have you observed her working with horses? These are all things I would have checked before sending him.
You will need to be able to maintain consistency in enforcing and reinforcing the things he has learned when he comes home. If you have only been in the roundpen, you're still likely to be nervous when going out on trails after he comes home. Can you visit Levi while he's there and ride him along with your trainer to enhance YOUR comfort level and knowledge? That's going to be as important as what he learns while he's away at "school." Thirty days on trails is a good start, but you'll need lots of time and miles under saddle to get where you are trying to go. Have fun with it.
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Member:
Joy1151
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 - 4:00 pm:
Hi Susan
I would just like to give you a big vote of confidence. On your decision on having someone put miles on your Levi. I too, decided to have
my young gelding put into training, I would like
to think that someday I will be able to show him.
I decided that he need all the exposure that I could get for him, he is in a big show barn right
now, seeing how that side of the world lives. He was born and raised in my back yard. Now with around 2 months of ring riding, I will be taking him to another barn for just "trail riding".
I think the more places you can get him out too, the better he will be at trying to understand and
how he looks at his own world.
I think you did a very good thing for him, just my thoughts,
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Member:
Deggert
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 - 4:01 pm:
Susan
It sounds like a good idea and the fact you realize that you are not confident about doing it yourself is a good start. It's ok to be a worried mom. I have sent a couple horse off and my friends would make fun because my "kid" was going somewhere else. Just check on him, be there to learn stuff she might do in the arena or roundpen.(maybe not everyday, but a couple times a week) If she has a problem with that find someone else. You are paying and most good trainers don't mind if you observe her method. When you visit you will know if he is happy and content with his environment. Good Luck!
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 - 9:56 pm:
Thanks for all the support. I was referred to her by my farrier. she said her mom takes all of her horses to her for training. I have not talked to her mom, personally. She has another full time job, so this is not her only profession. The barn is small and homey, but very clean and huge stalls. She worked Levi, a bit in the round pen. I would have loved for her to oogle and smother my boy with smooches, but, alas, no one will ever be perfect, 'cept me of course! I will plan on visiting him often, she said when I asked if she cared if i visited him, "he's your horse, of course you should visit him". Also plans to have me come over towards the end of his month, and ride with her before she sends him home. I am just an over cautious mom, but Levi is mostly an accident waiting to happen! Tonight he knocked down a chain link gate, pawed at it and scratched up his knees. Then he went zooming around the pasture playing with his buddy, and did a sliding into homebase on his rump on the corner. He is entertaining to say the least. Thanks, I will have to check back to the posts for moral support while he is gone.
thanks
suz
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Member:
Lhenning
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 29, 2004 - 10:29 am:
This summer was the first year I started trail riding my three year old. Like you, I have a certain amount of nervousness myself and I also didn't want to pass it on to Cutter. From the beginning, I have worked with him in small, baby steps, gradually working toward going farther from home and looking for a relaxed response before trying to get distance. It helped to build up both our confidence levels. Once you get your horse back home, I recommend taking things slow. Let your horse tell you where his comfort level is and it will help make you feel more confident and relaxed. Happy trails.
Linda
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Monday, Aug 2, 2004 - 7:08 pm:
Hi all, Levi has been sent off to the trainer. I DrOpped him off on Saturday. She said she spent the first few days getting him comfy, and leading him around the acreage.
She got on him today for the first time. She said he did not really want to move out in any direction, and when she tried to get him to trot, he pinned his ears back, and then he reared on her. He has never reared on me, but, I have only ridden him at a walk in the round pen. He has pinned his ears back on me when I try to get him to trot, and has done a little crow hop, every time he has been asked to trot. He is a very lazy mover, and really prefers not to work, because I don't ask much from him. What would cause him to rear, and what is the proper response for rearing behavior?
thanks
suz
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Monday, Aug 2, 2004 - 7:17 pm:
sending him forward.. FORWARD.. they can't go up when moving forward...
most likely an evasion in getting out of work.. its amazing how hard a lazy horse can work trying not to work..
its a good thing he is at a trainers.. once you have a horse that is 'afraid' of moving forward you will have troubles the whole time..
good luck. .Ann
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Friday, Aug 6, 2004 - 12:54 pm:
Hi All, just an update on Levi. I was so confused as to why he was being so disagreeable, with the rearing thing, which he had never done. I talked to her, and she was going to put him back into a snaffle bit. I went over yesterday at her request and watched her work with him. He did perfect, mom was there, and turned, trotted, a little ear back, but trotted nicely. After much conversation about him not being ready for the bit I had left with her, we discovered the problem. The bit I had been using has short shanks, but I never used the shanks just the rings. she had misunderstood, and hooked him up with the shanks, this was the obvious reason for the rearing. He is working back to normal again. So Glad I do not have a nasty rearing horse on my hands.
Whew! Still have seperation anxiety, but he seems to be adjusting well.
suz
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