Just wondering whether anyone else run into the same issue. Looks like Jemma is EXTREMELY bored when I work in ring. Yes, I tried to use poles, and bridge, and barrels, and instructor (lol!) to keep her entertain but she doesn't care about any obstacles and obviously hates the ring work (from the expression on her face ). She hates to even walk there, trot, forget about the lope. If I go on trail though she's all different. Should I just stick with trails? (I'm not gonna show her anyway may be except some team penning later on road, and I'm sure she'll love chasing cows anyway).
if you have tried everything, then im sure shes just not the horse for ring work. if she loves trials and out in big open spaces, then spend most of your time there
i dont do western, im only english. so not sure what else to do.
explain how shes getting bored, is she really slow and dopey, and then a different horse when shes in open spaces? thats my quarter horse is like.
when he was young, he was kept in a small area for a long time. (nothing like neglect or anything, but he grew up in a small area.)
so whenever he saw big open spaces, he would get soo excited! just bursting with energy, he is still like it now.
maybe just let your horse go for a nice canter around the ring to loosen up, and then try texas barrels, or something you would do out on the trails.
have a go at bareback, vaulting on and off, have a tennis ball, and pick it off a big cone, then put it back on there.
have fun
I never ride in rings because I get even more bored than the horse does. Trails only for me--just love being with my horse out in the woods and fields, even if 75% of the time, I'm taking the same ride on property for an hour and a half, mixing it up this way or that way when I can. For me riding is about being in the zone--just communicating, feeling peaceful, or feeling good and ripping it up with a gallop. I'm just in a different world where my job and the people in my life don't exist. Then I love job and the people in my life more when I'm done--I ride alone almost exclusively, just me and the horse. I could never be bored...well, except in a ring! :lol:
Actually she's not getting overexcited on trail, but she looks alert and trot whenever asked and canter nicely uphill/flat. In ring she looks like she gonna fall down right there. She also looks very annoyed when ask to do trot or lope. Actually she did much better in huge ring, but not as good in small one and the indoor arena (where I take lessons) she obviously hates. :shock:
One of my ex co-workers had a mare like that. She'd get downright ugly in the ring; pinning her ears and threatening to bite your legs or feet. Take her out on the trail and she was a completely different horse. I think she actually ended up selling the mare to a lady who only wanted to do trails (my friend was into jumping, polocrosse, play day stuff, etc.).
My friend's horse was like that too! She was really ugly and would either bolt before settling down into a gait, or refuse to go forward. A lot of it was my friend though, lol. She would get a bit scared, so wouldn't be firm with the mare. On trails she would get all alert and be great. Kids could ride her then. My friend sold the mare to someone who wanted a horse to go on trail rides w/ friends.
You can work a horse outside just the same as you would in the ring. You can work on collecting, body parts, etc. and if she likes it out and about better then you can always work on the same "arena" exercises as you can outside in a field or on a trail.
I have had a few mostly "trail horses" that we have converted into show and ring horses, and they got bored and didn't understand why they went around in a circle...ha ha. I used my large pastures staying next to the fence as if it was a monster arena, as well as worked all over the pasture with circles, etc. to teach them exactly what I would have in the arena and they did great. I then intermixed the outside and arena(covered) into the same training period. One I would warm up outside and ride harder outside and then let him relax and just cool off in the arena. He started to realize the arena was good for it meant "easy time." The other I would ask for easy stuff at first and then built on it, starting in the arena for about 15 mins at first and asked for easy exercises I knew she could do. Then her reward was after the 15 min. "work period" we would go outside to wander around. So each was different, but those are two ideas to help with using both outside and arena together so they enjoy them both.
We ride mostly trails. When we do ring work our teacher often throws obstacles in the ring. He has thrown in PVC tubing, swim noodles, etc.
Sometimes the noodles are placed like trees in the ground. Sometimes we play tag with them. These things help prepare them for the strange things we might encounter out in the woods and help make ring time more interesting.
My pony can get a little bored in the arena so I do ground work for 10 min jumping for 20.(she loves jumping) and games for 20(loves it to) walk and trot round the arena to cool of then go on a hack on the rode for 20 mins
If you enjoy schooling and don't want to give up on it entirely, try keeping the sessions short and sweet and then take the horse on a nice trail ride immediately afterwards.
See..mine hates ring work and trails xD She does as asked but you can tell she has no interest in it. She needs a specific job. A to B destinations.
She loved team penning when I took her. I'm hoping barrels will be enough for her to not be bored and annoyed, lol. Sadly enough though, I think she's going to pitch a fit with english pleasure, but if she'll place in it, she's going to be showing in the classes, lol.
I just want her to actually like barrels, because her turns are absolutely beautiful at a trot. Posted via Mobile Device
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