A few Questions......

[Frizzle's Gal]

I was just wondering how do you get a horses stomache nice and thin and tuck up without the ribs showing?

Also I just got a new 4 month old colt who WILL NOT trot. Any suggestions? This is the first time he is really being worked and he leads pretty well but when you ask him to trot he will plant himself and refuse to move.

 

[Leeana]

I have found that jumping helps trim up the tummy some, remember you still want them to be deep in the girth, but tucked as well. A good feeding program and a good conditioning program normally gives you a good base to work of off. Your weanling is to young to jump. Jumping is good for adult horses bc it makes the horse use their stomach muscles. They do have stomach sweats but i've never invested in them as i have heard from about 95% of the users that they dont work or do very little. A well known trainer/breeder i know works her weanlings 5 minutes everyday in a roundpen all out, full trot nonstop and her horses look nothing short of amaaaazing. Prob just 5 minutes working each day and trotting over poles (not jumping lol) will help him pick up those legs and stretch those belly muscles and use them.

As for the trotting, there are really two ways i could go upon this, actually a couple

. Remember use voice commands or clicking/kissing ext. Here are some simple ways to go about training him to trot on command.

1) Start off walking, something he knows. He needs to learn to move forward. Carry a dressage whip or crop with you in the left hand and when you ask for him to trot kiss and tap his butt. Keep doing that and then eventually just kiss and only use the crop when he doesnt trot at the kiss. He should learn that kiss means trot and if he doesnt trot he gets a smack on the butt.

2) Another option, agian this would be my second option bc it doesnt teach them to keep moving forward ...it kind of goes offward a little. Well walk and ask for him to trot, when he doesnt yank that lead and make him move back away from you or turn him in tight circles. Walk some more, ask to trot and if he doesnt make him back right then and there and pivot him a few times. Eventually he will learn, she wants me to move and if i dont she is going to make me back and turn. He will want to move forward and learn that there will be concequinces if he doesnt.

3) Have your mom or someone walk behind you w/ a lunge whip or can full of rocks or even just there to clap there hands or something. When you ask them to trot, have the person behind them make some noise to make them move forward. It works

. Eventually take away that person and your on your own.

Also, right now dont do any work on backing yet. You want him to learn to move forward right now. Save backing ext for later

. Dont want to send any mixed signals. Just teach him what that kiss means and what that pressure on his poll from the halter means.

ALSO, remember to reward every little thing. Even if its just something small, make it seem like he is the smartest horse ever and make sure he knows he did that right. He should have a clearly painted black/white picture of what he is doing wrong and what he is doing right.

 

[Jill]

I have found that jumping helps trim up the tummy some, remember you still want them to be deep in the girth, but tucked as well.

I have to say I would never recommend jumping a horse as young as this one (4mos -- NO WAY!).

Can you post pictures of your colt? That will help us give advice on what may help him along.

Is he UTD on deworming? If not, that can cause (worms can cause) a bloated look.

Too little protein in the diet also can cause it.

Something I think contributes too is too coarse hay.

Pictures would really help.

For my own horses, I really don't think I'd work a weanling much, but yearlings and on, I do work and what I find te best to tuck up a stomach is just simply lunging them at a trot in the round pen. I do it 15 minutes every other day for yearlings. Older horses, 20 - 25 minutes every other day. That, and a good feeding program, has made me happy with how my horses look (see them in the avatar).

 

[Leeana]

Jill if you read on in my post you will see that i stated the horse is to young to jump.

 

[Jill]

I see that but didn't take time to read all of your further advice. She's asking about a 4mos old foal, and the first sentence addressed jumping, which is kind of like if someone asked how do you get a tail white, why post how to darken a sunbleached mane.

Truly, it's hard to give any specific advice without seeing the horse, but I'm sure jumping is not in his best interest for a couple - few more years.

Additionally, if it's that you're trying to trot him on the line and he won't, that is typical

Most horses have to be taught. If you have someone who can help you, the easiest way is to get a helper.

Hold the horse not tightly but at your side and look straight ahead, not over / down at the horse. Cluck and start stepping forward ready for you yourself to trot and have your helper clap or even pop a whip at the ground to get your colt to go. He will probably go to run but just do this several times for several days. Don't do it for 30 minutes at a time over and over -- more like 5-10 minutes max, but do it for several days. That should do the trick.

 

[disneyhorse]

I think lots of babies (weanling and yearling) get a little pot bellied. As long as he is wormed and fed right, I really wouldn't worry about conditioning him a ton. It's not worth it in the long run. Make sure he has plenty of turn out time, colts will usually play pretty hard on their own and run around plenty. Again, I can't stress enough worming him (daily wormer added to a regular 8 week paste worming program helps bellies a ton) and making sure he has enough food. Don't cut back on the food just because he looks like he has a belly.

One top breeder/showman told me they simply don't wean until after nationals, because they will stay in much better condition on the mare and then really get the belly after they are weaned.

As for leading, don't worry about trotting and behaving. With weanlings anything goes! Usually they won't be good till this coming winter, and even then it is going to be a challenge! Some weanlings are good and some are not. Just use patience and short sessions.

Just make sure he's mentally stable and healthy above all else, so you have a good show horse in the future.

Most of the other weanlings you compete against have the same conditioning/behavior challenges you do, and weanlings ALMOST never stack up against the older horses in the grand classes so just take him as a learning experience.

Andrea

 

[Frizzle's Gal]

Thanks everyone! Well I forgot to say that it's my 6 year old gelding that I need to get his stomache looking better. Thanks again for all the help! Heres the most recent pic of the gelding it's kind of blurry but.

 

[wade3504]

Have you considered driving? That's how I kept my 7 year old gelding in shape. That and jumping. I can't stand lunging as it's too boring. I also free lunge in a small pasture.

With the weanling you can take the end of your lead in your left hand and kind of swing it behind you towards his hind end. That will sometimes drive them forward.

Also, the younger the horse the more physical damage done when lunging in a circle.

Amanda

 

[Leeana]

I see Chiefs butt in that picture :bgrin

He is old enough to jump, the gelding pictured. I think you once told me thought that he is kind of lazy lol. Its worth a shot though. Like i said, even trotting over poles will help you out imo.

 

[Keri]

To help with the tummy, put him on Beet Pulp. It helps keep the weight on them (especially their back) and keep it off their stomachs. You can cut his hay back lots this way. I had a mare that was pot bellied. I had to exercise her in the round pen for about 15-20 minutes a day and watch her diet. A diet is the most important. Make sure you keep him off pasture during the show season. That always makes them go pot bellied.

Then just exercise him. If he doesn't like lounging (too boring), jumping or lunging him over ground poles like others suggested above.

For getting the foal to trot, a whip is the best. Ask him to walk and then pick up the speed, kissing at him. If he doesn't go and plants his feet, take the whip and swat him on the butt. Never turn around to do it. That way, he can't figure out you're the one whapping him. He'll start to connect the two. That if he doesn't trot, something hits him and hurts a little. He might fight at first, but it definately works. I had a 7 year old gelding that wouldn't trot next to me (or at all). I used the whip and within a week, he was trotting next to me with just a command. Oh and be sure to hold on. He might try to bolt on you for the first few times.

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