[Rosemary]

Not an expert, but is that not a lungeing line - to exercise and school the horse/pony in a circle round the handler?

No, it's not a lunge line, although you could use it as one if you wanted to. It's just a way of connecting you to your pony but is longer than a "normal" lead rope. It is also heavier than a cotton lead rope so gives a firmer connection. The length and weight allow you to communicate better with your pony to move it around. It also means that you cen get it further out of your space if safety demands that.

Lungeing is useful but often overused IMHO, so it simply becomes making your horse run in circles. You can end up with a mentally bored but physically very fit horse - not always a good combination!!

[egglady]

agree with rosemary - much prefer using long lines, better for pony as much more variety.....and less boring for the user too!

[faith0504]

im a long reining fan, horse are not designed to go round and round in circles, it doesnt do there joints any good, for an over all fitness longreining is alot better for them 

[Rosemary]

I agree totally - but LR is much more work for the handler. You can text while you're lunging, and have a fag 

[mab]

OK, I see that I need to research training / working methods - at the moment I'm just walking her when I walk the dog, and now trying to move her around whilst grooming. 

Thx

M

[Rosemary]

When you are trying to move her, be VERY focussed on the part of her body you want her to move. If you want her to move her hindquarters away from you (always a good one to start with as ponies are usually better at moving the hindquarters than their forehand), look at the back leg nearest you, focus on it and kind of project your energy at it. Horses pick up on where you are focussed - so if you are, say, pushing her shoulder and looking at her ears, she probably won't be clear about what you are asking her to do.
You can lightly tap her leg or her hindquarters to reinforce - as soon as she tries to do the right thing, even if she only shifts her weight in preparation to lift the leg you want to move, immediately stop and look away - taking the pressure off is her reward. Then try again - try for one step, then quit to reward her. If she doesn't try, incrase the frequency of the tapping - NOT the force. But quit as soon as she tries. She'll soon get the hang of it.

But be clear what you want her to do - if you aren't, she can't be.

Nothing wrong with walking her with the dogs - you can build lots of learning into that. Just don't let her decide when she's going to graze. If you want to let her graze, give her a cue to say it's OK. I use "Easy" for my two, then relax my body, then when I want to go, I raise my body, focus on where I want to go and ask them to "walk on" - if they don't, the 12 ft rope is long enough to swing behind me and give them a tap on the bum, without me having to change my focus. It works much better that battling about grass.

[Fliss7]

I tether my Shetland on short grass 8-9 hours a day, drive him barefoot on gravel and Tarmac about 1-2 miles 2 or 3 times a week. He has two gorgeous goats as company and certainly doesn't need another pony. He has a bare paddock at night but ryegrass and cocksfoot hay in a small haynet for comfort and peristalsis. His hooves are professionally trimmed and he wears boots when out driving for a week after. He lives on a lush dairy farm! But he is now 12 and I've had him all his life and he is fit, happy and stays constantly at 140kg on this regime.

[jackiec43]

Hello I have just joined & am looking for some advice, I have a mini Shetland he is 5 years old & for the last 10 weeks he has had strangles we don't know where he got it from because he goes in a paddock on his own, the bigger ponies won't take to him, He was really poorly at first but has picked up &:HD seems to be coming to the end of the illness, The ptoblem I have is he is in a barn on his own away from the other ponies n his normal stable, he is bring very fussy with his feed he will eat it for a few days them leaves it, he is eating small amounts of nuts n having carrots n hay, I have been feeding him 3 meals a day to build him back but recently he won't eat his breakfast, bug when I give him fresh nuts HD munchies on them, A girl on the yard has told me I'm not looking after him properly because he isn't eating, he seems fine in himself now apart from the strangles , Does anyone have any ideas I've given him a bottle with treats in to play with ,

[honeyend]

 Hi, I think you need vet advice and even if he is over the worst, he may still be a carrier. You need to buy a weigh tape and condition score him because under the fur he could be getting thinner.
  I have never seen a small pony be anything but a food hoover so if he is not eating there could be another cause, teeth and or an abscess.
https://www.aht.org.uk/skins/Default/pdfs/steps.pdf

I can remember when strangles was not worried about too much, its a virus in the environment like a cold and the best prevention is not letting you horse touch another and people washing their hands, We had one on a yard many years ago that apart from not being touched, the box he was in was enclosed,there were no special precautions and no other animals caught it.

Good luck.

[jackiec43]

Thank you I am in touch with vet on a regular basis & he has said if he is eating he will be fine, he is having 3 meals a day & hay, he is & has always been very fussy with his food, I will check him tomorrow & ring the vet, he has been isolated from the other ponies for 10 weeks but two younger ones have caught it but how no one knows because I haven't been out of his barn near them,;Thank you for your advice

[CarolineJ]

Thank you I am in touch with vet on a regular basis & he has said if he is eating he will be fine, he is having 3 meals a day & hay, he is & has always been very fussy with his food, I will check him tomorrow & ring the vet, he has been isolated from the other ponies for 10 weeks but two younger ones have caught it but how no one knows because I haven't been out of his barn near them,;Thank you for your advice

Is there any sharing of yard equipment, e.g. mucking out forks and barrows or something like that?  Strangles bacteria can be transferred between horses on people's clothes, equipment and tack.  I'm surprised the whole yard hasn't been put on lockdown with no horses allowed in or out.

[Buttermilk]

He may also be suffering mentally due to lack of contact with other equines.  While he was feeling really poorly this would not have as much impact on him.