Help With Horse?

Question

just getting my Tb X arab mare back into work shes very crazy when i take her out can i lung her before to calm her down a little

Answer 1

With the Tb X Arab, you have the best in the world when it comes to endurance, but if you aren't careful, your lunging routine is only going to build up your mare's endurance, requiring more and more lunging...Lunging is fine if you are teaching specific tasks in the process, but for getting out the extra energy, I would rather see you turn her out for free exercise., then proceed to the round pen for some line driving and teaching.   You didn't mention the feed that she is on, but good quality grass hay, a free choice salt block and  a free choice mineral block( one of each, not the combination kind) and very little hard grain.  Corn oil on what little grain that you do give her will also be beneficial.  It will help keep her weight stable and the energy derived from the corn oil is the reserve kind, it won't necessarily hop her up.  Bottom line, the more free exercise you can provide for your mare, the better, just don't use the round pen to attempt to tire her out before riding,  eventually her endurance is just going to get higher.

Answer 2

you can lunge her. try lunging over ground poles and jumps and just change everything so that way she has to pay attention to you. Make her do stuff in hand so shes paying attention to you and not playing.. My friend has a TB and sometimes lunging just makes it worse.. Do lots of stuff in hand. like just basic walk halt. trot, halt.. and circles and just lots of BOARING stuff dont make riding fun for her until she settles down.. ride on the rail doing circles changing direction until she realizes that once she calms down she can do the fun stuff.

Answer 3

Yea lungeing seems to burn of their energy a bit.

Answer 4

Yes lunge her. If you do it all the time then you will learn how long you need to lunge for, to suit your horse, because you don't want her crazy but you don't want her too tired to be ridden. I'd stop lunging when her paces look steady and she is less springy in her step, usually only about 15 minutes. Then see how she feels and change the time next time depending on how she feels.

Answer 5

i have worked with a full Arab and found that lunging her before really got calmed her down and got her brain going, this forced her to really listen to your body and voice so not only would it let her burn off some energy but it causes you to gain respect, also lunging a horse is exactly like riding it, the lunge line is your hand (i even hold the line like i would english reins) and the whip is your leg. both can be soft but firm. anyways hope this helps

Answer 6

You can certainly lunge her, and the suggestion to keep her turned out is good too...

Another suggestion I'd add would be to establish a routine.  Horses are creatures of habit, and having a repetitious set of events leading up to the work time will help the horse prepare for "business."

Answer 7

Sure, lunging before you ride is always good if your horse is cooped up in a stall.  You can also try turning her out for an hour or so before you ride and let her get all that vinegar out of her system.  Sometimes a good turn out lets them stretch their legs at their lesiure and makes them more willing to work for you afterwards.

Answer 8

sure. and when you are done lunging her give her a treat so that she will look forward to being ridden more and praise her. that will calm her down and make her want to please you even more!! remember praise not punish.

Answer 9

I am not sure of your question here but yes you can lunge her.  Here are some other tips.

First if it is possible pasture her 24/7.  This will allow her to burn off energy as she needs to.  Being couped up is something some horses have a hard time handling, especially arabs.

Second pull her off any feeds with molasses.

Third grain itself can give too much energy.  Try to avoid it where possible.  If she is stalled, her main food needs to be hay, preferably a grass hay.  Give her all the grass hay she wants but limit her other food.

Answer 10

yes lunging would help a lot.. but you did say shes an arab, just so you know, arabs have the most endurance. So its going to take a lot of hard work to calm this one down.