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Teaching a horse to open up?

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Last activity 2015-03-10 7:28 PM
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GiveYourAll
Reg. Oct 2011
Posted 2015-03-10 3:01 PM
Subject: Teaching a horse to open up?


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What are some things you can do to actually get your horse to run... She will NOT open up indoors. Outdoors no problem. Bigger mare but not so big that she should feel uncomfortable opening up. I have taken her down to the beach and just breezed her and let her run multiple times.

Is it something that might just come in time? Hasn't been on the pattern super long, 8 months or a little less..so she isn't finished but would like her to add a little more speed inside and get comfortable with it... 2d times outside, 4d times inside.

TIA! :-)
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Ashlen1515
Reg. Jun 2014
Posted 2015-03-10 3:07 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?



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How old is your mare? Because if shes young her gears may have not completely kicked In yet. and indoor arenas in a horses mind are kinda scary and not sure about it. has she had any terrible accidents in a indoor arena? anything that would make her unsure of it? also does she have any alley issues in indoor arenas?
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GiveYourAll
Reg. Oct 2011
Posted 2015-03-10 3:35 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?


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She is 7 this year. No alley issues. No bad experiences that I know of inside... I have owned her since she was 2 with an exception of 1 year and then I bought her back and nobody really did anything with her in that 1 year (her 5 y/o year). Might just be something that'll take time :-)
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babiemox
Reg. Dec 2004
Posted 2015-03-10 3:46 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?



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I ride in a square field/pasture if I'm wanting to get one to fire when I'm loping them around the field as soon as I finish my corner I will lean forward ask them to accerlate for a few quick stride (using a whip if needed) and then sit and them to gather for the corner approaching...round the corner and ask them again. I normally only have to use the whip a couple of times and they get the point :)
When you get to your pattern...set up a small pattern outside and really push her out of the barrel to get her to accelerate (use whip if needed) and then take her back indoors.
If you have access to an indoor I would also do the quick sprints in the arena...round the end of it, ask her to sprint for a few strides and collect her back up round the end and ask again. 
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Ashlen1515
Reg. Jun 2014
Posted 2015-03-10 3:53 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?



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Posts: 133
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Location: texas
babiemox - 2015-03-10 3:46 PM

I ride in a square field/pasture if I'm wanting to get one to fire when I'm loping them around the field as soon as I finish my corner I will lean forward ask them to accerlate for a few quick stride (using a whip if needed) and then sit and them to gather for the corner approaching...round the corner and ask them again. I normally only have to use the whip a couple of times and they get the point :)
When you get to your pattern...set up a small pattern outside and really push her out of the barrel to get her to accelerate (use whip if needed) and then take her back indoors.
If you have access to an indoor I would also do the quick sprints in the arena...round the end of it, ask her to sprint for a few strides and collect her back up round the end and ask again. 

Be careful though. don't run her too much...makes them get hot headed and crazy
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FlyingHigh1454
Reg. Oct 2013
Posted 2015-03-10 5:03 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?


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babiemox - 2015-03-10 4:46 PM

I ride in a square field/pasture if I'm wanting to get one to fire when I'm loping them around the field as soon as I finish my corner I will lean forward ask them to accerlate for a few quick stride (using a whip if needed) and then sit and them to gather for the corner approaching...round the corner and ask them again. I normally only have to use the whip a couple of times and they get the point :)
When you get to your pattern...set up a small pattern outside and really push her out of the barrel to get her to accelerate (use whip if needed) and then take her back indoors.
If you have access to an indoor I would also do the quick sprints in the arena...round the end of it, ask her to sprint for a few strides and collect her back up round the end and ask again. 

This is a good exercise to do, but less is more with it. Like it was said, don't run them a lot or they will get really hyped up, and that isn't usually a good thing.

My mare loved it when I would take her out to the track and breeze her, it really helped her loosen up and just run without thinking about having to turn.
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babiemox
Reg. Dec 2004
Posted 2015-03-10 5:49 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?



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Posts: 5624
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FlyingHigh1454 - 2015-03-10 4:03 PM
babiemox - 2015-03-10 4:46 PM I ride in a square field/pasture if I'm wanting to get one to fire when I'm loping them around the field as soon as I finish my corner I will lean forward ask them to accerlate for a few quick stride (using a whip if needed) and then sit and them to gather for the corner approaching...round the corner and ask them again. I normally only have to use the whip a couple of times and they get the point :)

When you get to your pattern...set up a small pattern outside and really push her out of the barrel to get her to accelerate (use whip if needed) and then take her back indoors.

If you have access to an indoor I would also do the quick sprints in the arena...round the end of it, ask her to sprint for a few strides and collect her back up round the end and ask again. 
This is a good exercise to do, but less is more with it. Like it was said, don't run them a lot or they will get really hyped up, and that isn't usually a good thing. My mare loved it when I would take her out to the track and breeze her, it really helped her loosen up and just run without thinking about having to turn.

I will do this maybe once a week until they start firing on the pattern. Once they fire I only do this when they need a refresher....by no means do I do this every time I ride.  
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GiveYourAll
Reg. Oct 2011
Posted 2015-03-10 7:28 PM
Subject: RE: Teaching a horse to open up?


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Posts: 67
2525
Thank you! I've been doing my best to keep her calm thus far, she's still walking in the arena and out and would like to keep her that way! But I will definitely have to try it in a indoor arena at some point to see if she will open up a bit :-)
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