# How long can your horse have off and not forget EVERYTHING??



## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

So, Fella had the flu virus and was snotting and coughing for two weeks. He was one of the last of all the horses at the barn to get it (spread like wildfire)...**** auction mini-horse brought it into the barn! Sort of reminded me of daycare!

Anyways, he did two weeks of nothing! I would bring him out of stall rest to brush him, pick feet, and give him some fresh air outside just walking on a daily basis. The last couple of days he was feeling better, I put him in the round pen then arena to kick up his heels a little. Free lunged in round pen night before last (we took it easy). Last night my instructor said she felt as though he was ready to start getting back into work (no more mucus and cough had disappeared). We were in the round pen working at walk and trot and I think he had forgotten everything he learned. Five months of work was forgotten. NO WHOA (was his fave word)! And rushing the walk, rushing the trot (what happened to my uber-lazy horse!!!). We spent our short time working on "easy" to slow it down and whoa without pushing our nose as far as we can! Granted he is young at just five, but I had no idea he would regress so much!

So, tell us how long your horse can go without work before you have to reintroduce yourself to each other!


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

well at only 2 weeks i doubt he forgot it, he probably just got lazy . when thunder was out for a week, and then i brought him back to working, we had to do a refresher and work on manners again for awhile...he's only 2. but for a horse that's 5 and been in consistent training for months, he's probably just got very comfortable at not having to work


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## mell (Sep 5, 2007)

horses are like elephants, they remember everything. lol


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## Bitless (Jan 11, 2008)

Hehe hmm Banjos had 5 months off in one go this christmas holidays, and begginning of the year :lol: , thats the longest hes has had off ever, due to lameness then me going away to uni for 2 months :roll: 

But he was great when i rode him in the holidays after having his time off. Lol. suppose the 6 years of work before hand has made it stick :wink:


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## FledgeOfNarnia (Apr 18, 2008)

My gelding has gone about a month or more without doing anything. When I take him out, he's spunky, but he remembers the stuff that I drilled into him.


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

Your gelding is just feeling a little spunky. Run him really good and hard in the round pen... I promise you he'll 'remember' what whoa means! :wink: 
My horse sat for almost two years when I was at college... he came out riding just as good when i put him away, only he didn't have the muscle to do some of what I asked him.


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## AKPaintLover (May 26, 2007)

He didn't forget...just playing dumb  

My boy gets punky after two weeks off, but after I tune him up and help him remember what behavior is acceptable, he actually seems to make strides in his training coming into everything fresh.


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

I like that AK! Playing dumb! We were convinced for the last week after his nose cleared up that he was still (psuedo) coughing because he knew he could get more time off!


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## Cheval (Jan 1, 2008)

Yeah, horses will remember, so he's just being a jerk and is really hyper.
I didn't ride Sunny for two weeks then lunged him. That was a mistake. He kept dropping his outside shoulder and falling out, then started taking off. God, I got my hands really ripped up.


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

i say a horse never forgets his training if he knows it down pat. but he will become spunky and will probably act up if he hasn't been ridden in a long while. my mare use to try and run me over in the beginning of the yr and now that shes being worked shes amazing!


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

If your horse was stalled for 2 weeks with only some hand walking, I'm thinking that he hasn't forgotten everything, he just sounds fresh! When they're feeling good "whoa" isn't always on their minds, even if it is in their vocabulary. I say give him a few more days of work and as he settles down to his new work routine I think you'll find your 'uber-lazy' horse again.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

LOL, I wouldnt worry about 2 weeks. When I first started reading the post I was expecting months not days 

The amount of time off a horse gets and what he/she will actually forget really depends on the horse. I think the breed has a lot to do with it to. For years I owned thoroughbred and those things I swear never remembered what he had worked on the day before. Always had to start from scratch. 
The other horses I had on the other hand always remembered what they were taught no matter the amount of time off they had. I rode this little quarter horse who was fantastic that way. It didnt matter how long he was out for, all you had to do is get on and he remember everything every time. Great animal.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Our qh's were pastured for a whole YEAR without ANY contact..no brushing, lovings, nadda, zip, zero! They were fed over the fence and saw a new bale of hay once a month thru winter. Then we got them...And saddled them up and rode the 1st weekend after getting them. They were spunky but they didn't forget squat. 8)


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

Follow up:

This past Thursday was first time I rode my gelding after his vacation and he OBVIOUSLY didn't do well, hence my original post. Unfortunately I didn't get to follow up at all this weekend due to family, 4-H, etc.....SOOOOO, I figured today when I went to the barn after work that I would find the same gelding from Thursday...playing dumb. Lucky me, he decided it would be best to remember all those things he had pretended to forget. He had whoa and easy down pat again. And good for him had an easy workout! Yeah, he is back!


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## EquiSoup (Dec 20, 2007)

Humph. My OTTB forgets everything in a matter of days, or so it seems. Omagod! A pole on the ground! I have to JUMP it! The next day...his brain is usually back. Forgetting? I've never had a horse forget. Usually just need a reminding.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Dumas'_Grrrl said:


> Our qh's were pastured for a whole YEAR without ANY contact..no brushing, lovings, nadda, zip, zero! They were fed over the fence and saw a new bale of hay once a month thru winter. Then we got them...And saddled them up and rode the 1st weekend after getting them. They were spunky but they didn't forget squat. 8)


When we bought our girls it was the same story. We jumped on them and took off down the road. They were great  No goofyness at all. 
I think it depends on the age of the horse. The younger they are the faster they forget. The training hasn't had a chance to sink in if their young. 
Vida had 3 months off this winter. She was a little fresh the first time out but I don't think she forgot anything.


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