Strengthening and conditioning

[BiologyBrain]

I'm definitely a noob about minis, so please gently guide me to older posts if this has already been discussed ad nauseum...

I've got two drivable minis (both about 37" maybe) that are terribly out of shape. I've been very slowly working on refreshing their driving skills. So far I've had them both put to the cart individually a handful of times for very short driving excursions on the flattest portion of ground. Both are years of out shape and have allergies, but otherwise are healthy.

If they were big horses, I'd just do a lot of slow progressively longer drives with lots of transitions. Or I'd ride them long and low up and down all kinds of hills (plentiful here). However, with these little guys I'm completely paranoid of over-facing or hurting them. The area near their barn is very hilly, with their barn on the top of a fairly steep one. If I walk behind the cart down their home hill (because I'm afraid I'll push them down the hill with my weight & the cart on hybrid breeching), I can be on flat pavement (county road) for about a mile or so. I worry about that because of the concussion on their feet and legs -- especially since they've been exclusively pastured on soft grass for the majority of their lives.

I also don't want to lunge them very much because they a) have a tendency to over extend themselves (I don't know if they were ever actually taught to lunge until I started a little while ago) and b) I worry about the wear and tear on their little joints. I don't have access to a round pen either.

The eldest (I'm unsure of his age) is a crotchety old man with pretty badly toed out front feet/legs (could be the trim job, but more on that another time). He also sometimes seems to have difficulty bending his hind legs (like for hoof cleaning). He'll pick it up but stretches it behind him with the toe pointed. If I give him time, he'll eventually bend at the hock and let me lift his feet normally. He doesn't have any signs of lameness though. He's also either sway backed or so out of shape he looks sway backed.

The long and short of it is that I want to gently condition these guys without risking injury to them. I'm not opposed to hand walking them (or even ground driving them like I have been), but would like to be able to alternate (partly for my own sake) between exercises. I need the eldest one to collect a lot (that's what the hills & transitions are for). The other guy is definitely not collected, but he has more of an engine naturally than his friend.

Any suggestions, advice, or reassurances you can give me?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The 20 year old retired brood mare that I got this spring was out of shape. Her spine stuck up so I could not run a curry comb down it. Her rump was flaccid. She had just stood around and had no muscle tone. We do 2 mile walks regularly (she trots). I ponied her behind my other horse for a while and it was amazing that she wasn't winded after a 2 mile jaunt. She was in great shape, just out of condition. Now that she is working in harness, I see a significant improvement in her topline! I can run the curry comb down her back and she is solid and sturdy. At first she just worked in the light sulky, but I recently put her in the regular Jerald runabout and she did great. We only went about a mile, but I don't think she will have any problem with its weight. I've avoided going down steep places, but we have gone UP them. She digs in and "pushes" us up. Going down steep inclines is our next goal.

As for concussion after being in a soft pasture, I'm not sure about that. Mine go on pavement, gravel, and dirt. I worry a little about too much pavement, but it doesn't seem to affect them. I have both of mine on a joint supplement. The farrier says their hooves are in good shape and did not think 2 miles on pavement was too much. My new girl seems to have no problem with the pavement.

My hroses are 16 and 20.

I don't lunge mine. I, too, worry about going in a circle. I prefer straight work, or serpentines in cart.

They are tough little horses. I still walk mine (it's good for me!) and I'm sure it has helped. But cart work is a wonderful way to build them up. Don't be afraid to put yours to work.

 

[BiologyBrain]

Thank you. The only other horses I have access to are two laminitic minis and a big Belgian. I working on getting the Belgian to pull his cart, but he's got some attitude issues. He also intimidates me a bit because if he decides to go crazy I'm SOL.

The mini with the sway back doesn't have an obvious spine sticking up or anything. His back is very sensitive to touch - he twitches even for my hand on his back. I have his harness saddle padded very well. I try to be sure not to tighten his girth too much or anything. I'm hoping to get him to round up and use his back by challenging him gently with hills and transitions. It's difficult though because he's also crotchety and shakes his head incessantly with pressure on his nose (halter) or mouth. I'm trying to figure out why...

I feel more like a detective with these little guys than an equestrian. Heck, I feel like more of a detective with these little guys than I did when I worked for the state police! ;-)

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Sway Back sounds like he is in pain. Try giving a dose of banamine and seeing if it makes a difference. A chiropractor might give you some insight. Have their teeth been checked? Teeth issues can cause all kinds of problems. I had an equine dentist out for my mare. She had points so long they were stabbing into her top jaw. No doubt one of the reasons she is looking more fit is because she can eat better.

 

[studiowvw]

Hand walking or line driving is good for conditioning. Even a mile out and a mile back made a difference for mine (and me!) I think half a mile out and half back does not give enough exercise to make a difference. Walking is not hard on them. They would walk more than that in a pasture (hopefully!!).

The LSD (long slow distance conditioning) article I read is short and sweet.

I looked it up - it is at this link:

http://www.eopds.ca/Downloads/eopds-newsletter-may2012.pdf

It is on page 4 of the newsletter.

 

[MiniNHF]

I do alot of long lining and I take my boy up and down alot of hills (not to mention it keeps me in shape haha) but I do mostly walking when I do the hills because he has to engage himself more then with a trot where his forward motion helps especially getting up the hills. . Kind of the same concept I use to do with my eventing horse.

 

[BiologyBrain]

Thanks. I've been ground driving the minis together up and down some big hills as well as going out on the road/fallow fields for a good walk. I also lunge them using hills to help build up collection as well as wind. Sundance's allergies are really causing him to blow hard after very little work. He's also mincing along on his feet - not really limping, but walking like he's footsore on gravel (but not actually walking on gravel). His mincing seems to go away after a little work, but the. He starts blowing. :-/ Cody is doing well except for some attitude still. However, he was really good the other day when I took them for a ground drive down the road & through a fallow field. Sundance, on the other hand, was an absolute beast. I don't know if he doesn't feel well or if he's just figured I won't work him very hard if he acts like he can't work (sorry for a little anthropomorphizing).

I'm hoping to eventually be able to pony them behind the Belgian for more exercise. I've finally driven the Belgian 4 times. It's so awesome!!! He's being really good too. Wouldn't it be hilarious (but probably inadvisable) to do a reverse unicorn hitch with the two minis in the front and King as the wheeler?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

How would you be able to see what they were up to??

 

[BiologyBrain]

Rabbit -- are you asking how I'd see them if i it'd it huge reverse unicorn or if I pony them behind the cart?

I don't think the reverse unicorn is feasible or advisable, so I won't be trying that.

However, ponying them behind the cart isn't that hard - especially if I have a passenger. I've ponied a full-sized horse behind the cart pulled by another full sized horse with no problem. I looped (not tied) the lead line on the backrest of the seat. My passenger kept the end of the lead line in hand so the ponied horse wouldn't break loose. In a pinch, I did it once (my non-driving mare broke through the fence while I was driving her daughter) by myself. I did the same loop around the backrest of the cart and sat on the end of it, if the mare stopped I felt the rope tighten and try to slide out from under me. Since my mare was well-broke on the lead I didn't have any trouble.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

No, the first option, I know ponying is pretty straightforward- I use a bungee to tie them to, it takes the "snap" out of it if the driven horse lurches!!!

 

[happy appy]

. . . . Sundance's allergies are really causing him to blow hard after very little work. He's also mincing along on his feet - not really limping, but walking like he's footsore on gravel (but not actually walking on gravel). His mincing seems to go away after a little work, but the. He starts blowing. :-/ . . . .. Sundance, on the other hand, was an absolute beast. I don't know if he doesn't feel well or if he's just figured I won't work him very hard if he acts like he can't work (sorry for a little anthropomorphizing).

From what you are saying about Sundance, I would wonder why you are still training him to drive. He seems to be in pain. Have you gotten xrays of his feet to make sure that his Coffin bone isn't rotated? And that his breathing issue is something that you should be working him with? Without getting these 2 things checked I don't think I would be working him any further just out of compassion.

 

[diamond c]

I use an old tire innertube for times like that or when tieing a young horse for the first few times. it workes very well and is inexpensive.