Dukes Ridden Education (From the beginning!)

[Biggerside Benwell]

I purchased Duke from Karen as he was just turning 2 (D.O.B 25/4/2003), he had had some halter training from Karen and Colin and had lovely manners thanks to them in the short time they had him. This is him when I went to see him.



A few weeks later he travelled from Karens to Northumberland via Eric Gillies which he walked on no bother dispite never having been in a waggon before.

This is his first day here.



He was just left to settle in with his new field companions then came in from the field 2-3 times a week to be groomed, working particularly on having his feet picked out and him standing still without snapping the leadrope by pulling back as he snapped 2 in the first week and just generally learning to quietly do as he is asked.

This is him 6 weeks after I got him.



Continues in next post as dont want to loose it all!

[Biggerside Benwell]

He spend the summer of 2005 (2yrs old) just growing up and enjoying being young out in the field with his friends.

I started doing a once a week session with him in the school, in-hand just teaching him to walk, trot and halt on command.

He also had the regular things of his first hoof trim and first dentist visit all of which he was very well mannered about.

July 2005, very bum high!



He then wintered out with his pal Jimmy, fed everyday and with adlib haylage, coming in once a week for a good wash/brush as he likes to roll!

1st November 2005, before and after grooming and chilling out!

[Biggerside Benwell]

He came out of the winter a bit poorer than I would have liked as he had another growth spurt in March 2006.



He then had to spend a month (April) stabled on a night time as his field companion was injured so had no one to live out with. This did him the world of good in a regular rountine of being handled daily and being able to have a breakfast also. He had become a little bit of a tearaway, bucking his height when he was bought in as he didn't like being wet! A controller headcollar soon stopped that!

Continued tomorrow as Britain's next top model final is on, sorry, lol!

[admin]

Gahhhhhhhhh that's MEAN!!!! I wanna see the rest NOW

Meanie

Olivia

[Biggerside Benwell]

Sorry Olivia

In May all of the horses were turned out for the summer so with no mucking out to do I started doing things with Duke again, now 3 years old.

I went back to doing a few in-hand sessions with Duke, then started playing the parelli games with him, which are all about them yielding to pressure. It took him a little while to get the hang of it as all he wanted to do was be as close to me as possible so the games allowed me to get his respect for my space by being able to move his quarters over or him back without touching him.

We steadily worked through the 7 games until we could do them all. The one that gave him the most trouble was the circling game on the right rein. You have to send the horse back to the end of the 12ft rope, point in the direction of travel and send them out. At this point we had running backwards and him planting his feet. After quiet repetition over 3 days I soon had him happy to circle in both directions.

Leading on from that I built a raised tunnel of poles (at Dukes shoulder height) to start trailer training, that I sent him through with me staying at the back. Then procressing to it having a front bar and him having to stand and then back out, all with me standing to the side at the back. This meant when we put him in the trailer he just bounded up the ramp and stood like an angel for everything to be done up.

Unfortunately don't have any pics of that lot but this is him in May this year after having 2-3 parelli sessions a week for 4 weeks and losing his winter coat!



He then was bitted. I used a myler 32-3 mullen mouth bit for this after speaking to bitting expert Hilary Vernon as at this stage he still was very mouthy with the leadrope etc and this being eggbutt ringed and staright bar meant that he wasn't encouraged to fiddle with it too much.

He had his bridle put on with his headcollar over the top, tied up out on the yard for 10 mins while he was groomed. This period of time was then built up over a week, introducing a lunge roller and side reins, very loosly to show him the beginings of a contact.

[sammy]

More please!!!
Barbara

[Biggerside Benwell]

In June we had a young lad doing some stable work with us and as he was only about 7 stone, I popped him up onto Duke who was as good as gold. Took him for a little walk along the yard and back, gave him a big pat and some pony nuts then he got off.



Then after he was bitted, I put the lunge roller and long lines on and took him in the school, doing walk, trot and halt transitions. The steering was hilarious to start with as we have pillars in our school! After 3 10 minute sessions he was much better. I do mean to repeat this around our fields also but haven't got around to that yet.

Didn't do a lot with him through June, July and August other than let him chill out in the field and the occasional Parelli games session, I also led him out in-hand along the road with Donna riding her bike infront of us, with Dukes bridle on and a headcollar over the top so I didn't have to pull on his mouth. Its quiet a quiet country road out from the yard, but the few cars that did pass us I just halted him and let him have a good look then walked on again.

We repeated this a few days later with Donna riding Danny and me leading Duke. We had Danny in the front first then put Duke in the front, along the road also. Then we turned up a farm track back to the stables so I decided to give Duke to Donna to see if we could do ride and lead. Once Duke realised that he couldn't keep on trying to cut Danny's head off by going in front of him, then he was fine and they even tried a little trot. So once every few weeks we went out for a little 30 min walk either on our own or in company.

[Biggerside Benwell]

At the end of August, I put bridle, boots and lunge roller on and took him into the school to start lunging him. I have left this process until he is 3 1/2 years old to try not to put too much pressure on his joints as the distance between the pillars in our school is only 18 meters. I started on the left rein as this is the one he finds preferable. He was very attentive to my voice from the in-hand work and the long reining so transitions were not a problem. I just did 5 mins on the left rein, then changed rein expecting a battle like I had with the parelli circling on the right rein but there wasn't. I think the circling game had sorted out any issues he had with it. He is less balanced on the right rein especially in trot but he is really willing.

Dressed ready for lunging outside the indoor school



A few days later I lunged him again exactly the same.

The next time I lunged him after a few minutes of warming up I put the side reins on very loosley. He reacted very well to them just dropping into a shape, very naturally. Again I didn't lunge him for very long only 15 mins altogether letting him stretch forwards again after taking the side reins off.

[Biggerside Benwell]

Sorry this is from my PMG post instead of me writing it again.

At the beginning of September I had an in-hand session with Peter Maddison-Greenwell, who is a classical dressage trainer.

The first thing Peter got me to do was change my bit from a myler to a fairly chunky loose ring french link as the independant side action of the myler in Peters opinion doesn't help when you are starting off a younster and the width is too thin and puts too much pressure directly onto the bars unless the horse is constantly round.

Then with me standing just behind his left shoulder with the reins as if I was riding him, left rein 4-5 inches from the bit in my left hand and right rein being held over the top of his wither on the left hand side near the buckle end with a schooling whip sticking up vertically out of my right hand. If you are still following all of this huge well done
I will get a picture after I am back from Burghley.

Then using voice commands asked I him to walk on, keeping an even conatct on both reins with a slight inside bend. To stop I moved slightly ahead of his shoulder and said whoa whilst increasing the contact on his mouth, then stepped back towards his shoulder again to walk on.

I then changed sides and repeated it on the right rein, which is supposed to be harder as most people are right handed therefore tend to have a stronger right rein, meaning a tendancy to let the left rein which is now the outside rein go, thus not maintaining a consistent contact. So it was slightly harder that way and I had to have the stick horizontal to encourage him forwards more and keep his quarters out.

Then I made him circle around me moving his quarters out so he was crossing his back legs and progressed to leg yielding by coming off the 10 meter circle at the top of the school and walking towards his middle, which moved him sideways.

He was an absolute star and Peter said he isn't generally able to get them so far in the first session but he already had really good basics which was lovely to hear.

Then I went to Burghley for a week, so Duke just enjoyed himself in the field.

When I got back still full of enthusiasim from Peter and inspired by Burghley I had another go. I was more confident of where my hands were this time and Duke definately had the idea.

I have done it 3-4 times since.

[Biggerside Benwell]

Handsome boy, showing off his new fringe. Sorry tradionalists but the huge fuzzy forelock had to be thinned out!


Then continued the lunging.

The next time I lunged him I put a saddle on. Now being a saddle fitter I obviously could have had pretty much anything I wanted and what I went for is a second hand 17" Wintec 2000 with cair. It has a wide plate in and has a little bit of flock over the front 2 air bags to stop it dropping down onto his wither as he isn't fully muscled yet. I went for it firstly beacuse it fits really nicely, its a good tree shape and has enough knee roll to feel secure on a younster without restricting his shoulder and its lighter than something like my wow would be, which I am concious of when he is so young still.

He didn't bat an eye that he had a saddle on his back so after 5 mins each way on the lunge I put some stirrups leathers and irons on run up securely.

Again wasn't bothered. So did another few mins with the side reins on also and then finished.

The next time I lunged him, which was only the 5th time and was last week I put the stirrups down onto the top hole at the beginning of the session, again no fireworks.

I then put them onto the hole that I would ride on and asked him to canter for the first time to see if I could prevoke a reaction. Again just very polite and obedient. Very pleased with him

[Biggerside Benwell]

This is my most recent picture of him, taken at the beginning of this month. He has changed form this and hopefully will get some new pics this week.



Very excitingly on Sunday I rode Duke for the first time, yipee!!!

I changed his bit to a Sprenger KK training bit which he seems to prefer to the myler or the french link, so will have to get one as it is my bosses!

I lunged him for 10 minutes, then stood beside him on our little step stool mounting block and bounced up and down no reaction, then we decided just puting my foot into the stirrup and getting on was the best idea, so Carolyn held my stirrup firmly and him and on I got, very gently putting my weight on him. I was beaming as soon as I was up there apparently. ;D ;D ;D.

I slowly put my weight onto his back instead of into my stirrups, chattering away to him the whole time and patting him. Then not even leading him Carolyn walked off in front of him and Duke followed. We walked once around the outside of the school, changed the rein across the middle onto the right rein, walked a circuit and then Carolyn went to stand in the middle. We continued walking round trying to get a hang of the steering and the brakes. The only issue we had was after 3 halt walk transitions he decided he wanted to plant his feet so Carolyn had to come and rescue him and lead us for a few paces but the next transition was fine. So after 10 mins of riding him around I dismounted

Lets hope the next time is just as uneventful!

I am so pleased with the boy though, thank you Karen and Colin for finding such a wonderful Dales pony!!!

[Biggerside Benwell]

Thats it up to date so I shall continue to log his progress, if you have got to here thanks for reading. No doubt people will disagree with what I have done at some point along the way but it is very much each horse is an individual and I have done whats right for him as I am such that some horses will need a lot more lunging etc before they are ridden but this is just my story of how we have got on.

A great book that i have found helps is the Pippa Funnell Training the Young Horse which I got from Amazon.

Thank you

[zeldalithgow]

Great reading Kirsty, isn't Duke a star I'm looking forward to hear more about Duke's transition to a working pony

[admin]

That's been really interesting to read Kirsty. If only all horses where started as sympathetically and gently as Duke has the horses in this world would be much happier.

I LOVE the sprenger training bits. Tilly is still ridden in one and she LOVES it.

I hope it all continues to go as smoothly.

Olivia

[loopylou]

That was a really interesting read and great to hear all the progress happening, please, please keep posting. What a great start he has had and a brilliant way off going about teaching a youngster.