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 Thick and Wavy
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Location: Nebraska | What are some good exercises for a horse who previously was in pain and refused the gate? The source of the pain was a strained suspensory and the horse has been off for 9 months. How long did it take your horse to go in quietly again? |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
 
| I used to ride them pretty good in the warm up pen or wherever I could and then get them in the alley way and let them catch their breath and relax, if they didn't want to do that, then back to work. It took one mare several times before she realized that the alley way was a good place to be. I have fed them cookies in the alley way, dismounted and loosened cinches and once we had to start on the ground in the alley way, just visiting during the drag with me on the ground and giving an occasional cookie. |
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 Member
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Location: Indiana | With every horse I ride I try to do a lot of gate work at a walk, trot, and lope. On my main horse that had gate problems I will walk two circles and then go walk around the third barrel, then come out and walk two circles the other way. We do that about 5 times each way then speed up to a trot and then a lope until he is calm and smooth going in the gate at each speed. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Not sure if you have the opportunity, I would walk mine in and out of the gate while they would drag between racers. After the run, I would get off by the gate area and loosen the cinch and let my horse sit for a few mins. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | I try not to jack with them at home in the "alley" area. I don't give it any attention. If I focus on it so will they.
If they get worked up, I ignore them and go on with whatever I want to do. Whether that's lope a circle in that area, or go on to pattern work. Eventually they learn to ignore the "alley" area as well.
At a rodeo, I do the same. I ignore the alley until we have to run down it. So we might stand right next to it. I've had to practically warm up in an alley before lol. The girls with alley sour horses were loping in the rocks. You will notice the LESS you pay attention to something, the less your horse will.
Now, when I point them towards it with a purpose, they are ready. Controlled, but fired up ready to run. Then we come out and make at least one pass near the alley on a loose rein, get off loosen and hand walk to cool down.
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| brlracerchick - 2016-03-10 8:45 AM
What are some good exercises for a horse who previously was in pain and refused the gate? The source of the pain was a strained suspensory and the horse has been off for 9 months. How long did it take your horse to go in quietly again?
No exhibitions, races or anything ... spend all day at races for several weeks just sitting on him and moving around the outside of the arena and go into the arena at a walk or trot and sit when there is no activity ...
9 months may not be enough time and rehabbing it has to be slow and easy with no round pen etc etc ... go trail and pasture riding to get everything back in shape and at the slightest misstep ... back to the pasture ... suspensory problems is one of the worst injuries a horse can have and very few can ever go back to working a barrel ..
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