Second Chance Horse Rescue Discussion Boards

SecondChance · Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:42 pm Post subject: Lucky's Training Blog

I thought I would share Lucky's under-saddle work with everyone via a training blog! I'll post it both here and on SC's Facebook page so people can see some of the work that goes into getting a horse ready for a new home.

SC's Irish Luck came to us in January after he'd gashed both hindlegs to the bone and had gone over 24 hours without vet treatment. His owners at the time had no money to vet him yet would not put him to sleep. Eventually he was surrendered and taken straight to Belvoir Horse Hospital and given surgery to debride the legs. He then spent a week in the hospital to get the necessary treatment to fight off the infection that had set in due to the delay in getting treatment.

Fast forward to July this year, and Lucky's legs have healed beautifully. He's put on weight and is ready for work.

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Day #1 - Sunday 2nd August

Lucky has a very upside-down neck, or ewed neck as it is commonly known. This can sometimes be conformational but most commonly from poor riding which causes the horse to throw up and/or hold up its head and hollow through the back in resistance to the rider. Often found in ex racehorses too where they spend all their time galloping around on the forehand with a heavy hand on the reins. Lucky also has muscle wastage all through his topline which indicates always having worked 'hollow' and most likely a poor fitting saddle too.

I lunged Lucky in sidereins today, just to get a feel for him on the ground and for him to get his brain into work mode after a long time off.

He worked as I expected with his head up and nose out but does not stargaze thankfully! I had the sidereins on quite loose so he could develop a feel for them and not be panicked in a tighter rein if he got a fright. I lunged him for approximately 20 minutes only, 10 on either side and mostly at the walk with very little trotting as lunging is very hard work for a horse, especially one as unfit as Lucky.

He lunged very well, responded instantly to all verbal commands and was clearly not interested in taking off and hooting around and around as some horses will do.

He had a bath afterwards too! I chose the hottest part of the day and gave him a good scrub, he looks much nicer now but his tail is still really stained so I will have a crack at that with the special stuff so it goes back to silver instead of the filthy pee-yellow colour it is now!
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SecondChance · Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:49 pm Post subject:

DAY #2 - Tuesday Aug 4th

Today I got on Lucky for the first time. After saddling him up I took him out to my riding 'arena' (ie paddock, we don't have a real arena yet!) and before I got on I did some one-rein flexion work on either side to ensure Lucky was going to respond to rein-aids once I got up and although he was a little resistant at first he very quickly gave nice and softly to the pressure on both reins.

I mounted up and he stood very nicely (yay one less thing to teach him!) and then I asked him to do his one-rein flexion a few more times. He decided he didn't like that idea with me up and spun around in circles a couple of times until he decided to remember the first lesson and give. He picks things up very quickly, does Lucky.

Then I spent a whole 20 min just walking Lucky around on a completely loose rein (the buckle!) and pushing him forward into the bridle with my seat and legs. I have to be really careful to remind myself not to nag at a horse with my legs but I think I did pretty well today.

I worked Lucky at the walk only until he was reaching forward and had his poll level with his wither. I stopped here because he really has NO idea how to carry himself but this is a really good start for a very green and unbalanced horse who's already developed bad habits through his past riders.

I will post photos when I get a chance to work him when there's somebody around to take them!
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shadowkat · Joined: 21 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: perth, wa

I'm so excited that I'll get to meet Lucky on Saturday!
Jess, if you come home and there's a grey horse missing from your paddock, I've taken him with me, and he'll now be roaming my apartment as an honorary third member of my pack of cats Very Happy

SecondChance · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

Day #3 - Wednesday Aug 5th

Today was more or less a repeat of yesterday. Just 20 min at the walk encouraging him forward and to stretch down. I managed to get his poll level with his wither for some of the ride which is a good effort from him.

I will keep this up for a week or so, until I can ride him forward right into the bridle at the walk, so he can stretch his nose right down and hopefully on the vertical and get some of that muscle building up! Poor chap has none at all.

It will be a busy week for him, farrier due on the weekend and he is still not best pleased about picking up his feet (tends to snatch with the front and kick with the back) but gave them to me with very minimal fuss today so he's on the improve Smile

Lucky's typical way of going. No engagement at all, head in the air and just look at the ewed neck.

Giving no contact to resist, instead just driving him forward to find the contact.

Getting there!

Aah better!

And you can see starting to step through a bit more from behind Smile

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Wacky Hacker · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 50 Location: Pinjarra

Great pictures and explanation. Looking forewards to seeing Luckys progress.
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Playin With Fire · Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 51

Great updates!!

SecondChance · Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:40 am Post subject:

Day #4 - Thurs Aug 7th

Progress today! Lucky really strode out, stepping under himself properly for one or two strides at a time and all on his own, on a loose rein dropped his nose right down to knee level! I was so excited. We will keep working on this little by little until he can comfortably keep it up for most of the ride instead of just a step here and there Smile

More photos to come next week!
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Muso · Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 630

Excellent Jess, that's great progress Smile

Great idea - training blog! Looking fwd to more pics and updates.
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Playin With Fire · Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 51

Any updates on the boy?

SecondChance · Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

Lucky had a short work-out on Friday, and then had his hooves done on Saturday.

Friday's workout was a repeat of Thursday, with him dropping his head down to knee level again a couple of times and the workout being ended on that good note.

Saturday he was a bit snatchy with his hooves but certainly improved on what he used to be like! All four were trimmed with not too much fuss.

Then of course I went away and as always when I go away for a couple of days I spend another couple of days playing catch-up so I haven't ridden since Friday. I am hoping to get on him again today for his next workout. Unfortunately there won't be anyone around to take photos until the weekend.
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SecondChance · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:13 am Post subject:

Lucky's training has been put on hold - first because of that really awful wet 2 weeks we had and then I was concerned about his teeth so got Mick to come and check them and sure enough, there's a wolf tooth still present and he's got some sharpies up the back.

So he's getting them done this coming Monday and then he'll be back in work and the training blog will continue!
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SecondChance · Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:45 pm Post subject:

OK back in the saddle and Lucky's back in work. He's feeling much better and has started trying me out to see what he can get away with.

He is incredibly impatient about being tied up out of sight of his buddies and frets and fusses and will swing his body round to shove you out of his way when he's too busy looking around.

I have been employing some tactics I learned at the last Lou Francis clinic and Lucky has a choice - he can stand quietly and politely for me to groom, do feet, rug or de-rug etc OR he can trot around and around me in small circles. He's very quickly learning that its much nicer to respect my personal space and stand quietly.

Today's under-saddle exercise included a couple of spread-legged spooks, trying to walk incredibly slowly away from his mates and then turning too tightly (instead of moving off my leg and executing a nice rounded turn) and trying to trot back to them without being asked to do so! (with his nose in the air the whole time)

At the moment I am still riding him very long with next to no contact and working on getting him to step under himself and lift his back. Of course he doesn't have the muscle strength to work well just yet but of course a long rein is an invitation to take advantage to trot off to his buddies when we loop back in that direction.

And so we circle. And circle and circle at the trot as much as he likes until he's tired of that game and willing to walk out nicely. All on a nice long rein that I always invite him to stretch down into and of course there is no pulling at his mouth whatsoever.

I've also started teaching Lucky to halt to seat aids which he's picking up quite well and to rein-back again with seat aids. My whole aim is to do as much by seat as possible so that it is not necessary for any form of hard contact or pulling to get him to do something.

Lucky is very quickly learning that his cute "dopey off the track TB" moves don't work with me and is settling down again... which I am sure it will last as long as it takes him to think up a new evasion!
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