advice on backing a youngster(open fields)

[1973horse]

hi i have a 3yrd who is ready for backing i would like to to it myself but i rent a place of my own with no area for schooling etc.(not sure how we managed years ago)he he.to it would be my daughter who would be the the main rider etc and shes really looking forward to bringing him on but shes not really comfortable with riding without the comfort blanket of a arena,and we are on a slope.as any one managed to do there horses without a arena or for safety reasons do you think it would be better to send him away.he is a 15.3 sports horse.any advice thanks

 

[Super_Kat]

I wouldn't, sounds lethal!
I've luckily got a round pen and an arena at my yard but I've just sent 2 youngsters away, one to just have a bit of training and the other that needs backing, last thing I'm willing to do is risk my neck, I'll pay somebody else to do that thanks

 

[cob&onion]

Hi, i backed my cob and did all the groundwork in a field with zero facilities, i just cordoned off a bit of field with rope and poles and made sure she was 100% with groundwork such as long reining in full tack and long reined around the lanes etc. I had someone help me on the ground with the leaning over and the first few times riding away i had someone lead her. Then had a week with a prof backer and used the local menage for this to establish the walk and trot and all the aids, however if i didnt have the arena to use then i would of still done the above but in my field instead. I then did alot of hacking with company

 

[kirinsam]

Hi , I did this in the past with a 14.2 sec D and am pondering having a go after christmas with a 14hh hairy . Different location but similar lack of facilities . Main difference is 30 years !!!! never even considered I could get hurt at 17 , miles from anyone , mobiles not even invented , now really worried even tho horses are now at home and phones everywhere. Not really an answer to your question apart from maybe let your daughter do it , she will bounce better and wont have dreamed up a thousand ways of being killed before she has started !

 

[Blitzen]

I will be breaking in my rising 3 gelding after he has turned 3, in the spring, and am in a similar situation to you. We have a large field divided up by hedges into smaller paddocks at the front and open pasture at the back, with a basic yard of 3 stables with hard standing. What I did when I started to long rein my boy was to use electric fencing and tape to fence off an area roughly the size of a school and work him in there. I leave it fenced off and now he seems to know that when we go in there it is to "work" and after a minute or 2 of high spirits will settle down and concentrate. I backed him lightly a few weeks ago, sitting on him for half a minute then jumping off, repeated a couple of times to get him used to me faffing around near/on him, and he has now been turned away for a couple of months. I'll keep him ticking over with a bit of long reining and hacking in hand so he doesn't forget his manners! I think one of the reasons he took no notice of me flapping round him, sitting on him and jumping off with a thud is because he was in his "classroom", and knows to behave in there, lol. He's also very keen to learn and loves hacking in hand cos he's a nosy sod!
I think that fencing off somewhere with tape would be your best option, pick the flattest bit of land you have, and keep it as a place where she goes to learn. Obviously you won't have the softer landing of a school if your horse does object to something. Hence why I'm starting working my lad around April, when the ground will still be soft!
If you feel happier sending him away, its entirely up to you of course, you have to think about what your youngster is like and how he tends to behave. I personally will be breaking myself, as it will be less stressful for D to carry on his education at home than on a strange yard, where he would worry himself sick! x

 

[forestfantasy]

Hi, i backed my cob and did all the groundwork in a field with zero facilities, i just cordoned off a bit of field with rope and poles and made sure she was 100% with groundwork such as long reining in full tack and long reined around the lanes etc. I had someone help me on the ground with the leaning over and the first few times riding away i had someone lead her. Then had a week with a prof backer and used the local menage for this to establish the walk and trot and all the aids, however if i didnt have the arena to use then i would of still done the above but in my field instead. I then did alot of hacking with company

I did this! Minus the sending away to a professional.
I fenced a schooling area with electric fencing to lunge in then had my mum help me while i was leaning over etc.
Established all the basics in the field then started hacking out with a quiet older horse.
However i had my mare since a foal so we had a great degree of trust between us, i was off the lead rein by the second day and she was totally unconcerned.
I'd say it depends on the horse

 

[MrVelvet]

my 3 yr old has never been in an arena really unless it was to play over poles I began all his ground work in the field - however when hes backed Im sending him away so he can be done in an arena, but when hes home he'l be back to riding in the field with the possible use of an arena every now and again. Wouldnt like to back on in our huge field though! too many rabbit holes or ridges he may find...