I have a horse coming over from Spain in a month/six weeks and the stables I was going to put him, which has a lovely round pen, is full and has no free stables. My other alternative is a lovely stables but has no round pen, just an outdoor manage. I was wondering if it is still possible to Join Up in this or whether you could give me a suggestions to make it a better environment for him? Thank you :) x.
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Hello
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You don't need a round pen to do join-up in. You need a yard that's not too big and not too small. I think Monty Roberts' round pen is 16 metres in diametre, so a retangular or square paddock about the same size would be fine.
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I did try join-up in a rectangular paddock once, and it worked, but the difficult thing was keeping the horse moving around me because the horse I was working with kept stopping in the corners and tried to turn around and go back the other way. It was quite a task to keep him moving in the direction I wanted. You can also "round off" the corners by putting a portable fence panel across them.
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Hope that helps, and good luck :-)
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See you later,
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Gen
Hi,
I don't have a round pen and reached join-ups with my horse in a 0.7 ha piece of land. During our "conversations", the horse kept moving most of the time in a circle around me as her attention was focused on me. I have now made a "round pen" of electric fence that works in my experience very well for exercises for which space should be limited.
good luck!
Depending on the type of surface the menage has, if it is fenced and if the stable manager agrees then perhaps you could use that. Main problem would be that your horse could damage the surface of the menage during the join up session. My menage is home made without the correct layers of surface so I have no problems using it for join up.
I just achieved join up in a outside school about 20m. X 40m. Not ideal but it worked I just had to work harder to keep him going. But feel the join up was good and I was happy and so was my horse. I intend to do a couple more and then move on, good luck to anyone who doesn't have a rou d pen it really is not necessary. Go for it.
Hi,
I have two ponies and i keep them in a place with two menages and a open sand school- and with my two ponies i have achieved join-Up in all three arenas.
It doesn't matter if you don't have a round pen, what matters most is that you and your new horse will be relaxed and comfortable.
Good Luck and i hope you have a great time with your new horse,
Ellie
As indicated earlier I have no round pen but have used my home made menage for join up - it has a fence around it but 10 metres or so beyond the menage area. I use this for join up and I have been surprised to note that my horses do not even attempt to go beyond the menage area. Yesterday my young mare (Tricka) decided she didn't wish to be with me. She was cranky with me as we had a fairly heavy day at adult riders the day before when an insttructor had me using my seat too much. Tricka and I were both sore afterwards. It is great now she knows about join up as when she gets in one of these cranky moods I can just chase her out in her paddock - she flies around me a few times and then once I turn my shoulder to her she submissively comes in to be caught - no more telling me to go away with ears back. At times like this I realize that she is definitely her mother's (Pie's) daughter!