Any just backed 4 y/o's?

Persephone

Persephone

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Just wondering how much work your just backed 4 y/o are doing?

Mine is having 45 mins twice a week in the school, walking and trotting. A couple of half hour lunge sessions (warm up for 10 mins, then side reins, walking, trotting and small amount of cantering. Then hacking 4 times last week entirely in walk for up to 40 mins.

That all sounds a lot but she is a mare who needs to be kept very, very busy!

What are yours doing?
 
Mine was backed six weeks ago then had four weeks off due to a runny nose and the riders uni exams two weeks ago we got her going properly she is schooled walk trot and canter three times a week by an experienced rider and is hacked out twice by a novice rider. Yesterday she jumped her first group of 5 fences including a double at about 55 cm high.
She needs to be kept entertained so we do a little bit of a lot of things because she gets bored very quickly
 
Wow, sounds like yours is going great guns :D

Unfortunately mine keeps throwing curve balls :p

I don't want to get carried away with the hacking, she has taken to it so happily I don't want to overdo it!
 
Yes really pleased with her progress we took last sunday to have a nosy round the local show she was so good we entered her for the M&M class she did a foot perfect show minus the gallop and was second so We were gobsmacked and so proud of her
 
She sounds like a big girl mine is a square leg at each corner highland pony who is very balanced to start with which makes life easier for her I am sure your big girl will be fine as she matures into her frame. It is great when they are easy
 
Backed at Easter, is now out hacking a few days a week to introduce him to as many new things as possible. We then school or lesson once a week with the odd session of groundwork if things need working on
 
Mine was backed earlier this year and she has just had 3 months off and I just rode her for the first time after that time today and she was AMAZING! Hadn't forgotten anything and went like a dream. She felt so much stronger as well which is great.

I am planning on schooling twice a week for max 1/2 hour and hack twice a week building it up slowly to 30mins- 1 hour.
 
Went away to be backed at the end of March, proved receptive and tractable and came home at the end of May (I rode him at the backers quite a few times). I don't have a school or flat field so we're hacking out, trying to do three days on one day off, breaking that into one solo hack of about 30 mins, then an hour or so mainly walk with my husband on my other horse, and a longer hack with a friend with more trotting and building up to cantering this week. He was hacking a lot where he was backed, and riding out with eventers and pointers so his level of fitness is pretty good. He's very chilled about everything and seems to enjoy it - we did a pub ride on Thursday!

The plan is to carry on throughout the summer, a few local shows, maybe a pleasure ride at the end of the summer, few lessons and I'd love to do a walk & trot test before winter. I expect that he'll have the winter off due to my work level generally being pretty heavy then.
 
My 4 year old is literally just backed, as in the last two weeks. So far, we're doing groundwork 3-4 days a week for 20 mins or so and 1-2 days a week just walking around the school or around the block (with company) under saddle, working on go, stop, and step over to let a car pass. She's a big girl and still growing, so we're going very slowly. She has at least 1 day off a week, sometimes 2, depending on how shattered she seems and how busy I am with the older mare. The plan is to be walk, trotting and cantering under saddle in the school and hacking out alone and in company by the end of the summer, then turn away again for the winter.
 
My sec d is about 5 weeks backed, he's hacking out walk trot and canter about 3 times a week, and in the school once or twice.
I believe in lots of hacking for young horses to get them thinking forwards.
 
Mine has been back about a month now - was backed by Jason Webb who is just down the road. He is hacking 2-3 times a week, schooling once or twice and maybe a lunge session as well if he is only schooled once. Has 2 days off when I'm busy at work.

My hacking routes are all fairly long, so today we did 11 miles, mainly walk with a little trot around the orchard and some canter on a nice straight across a field. He copes well with the distance and gets far more tired doing half hour in the school!
 
My boy was lightly backed end of last year, given the winter off, and hes now 6 weeks under saddle. Hes still at the trainers, and will stay for a bit. Hes walk, trot, cantering and popped a jump. So far so good, hes very happy where he is and coming on a treat:D
 
Sent to us just backed from Ireland, my project and I'm smitten :) . She's just hacking 5 times a week for 30mins to 1hr. second time in the school tonight and can now trot round the edge in a relatively straight line, go overpoles that were out on the floor and trot a big circle. She's only been with us a week but coming on in leaps and bounds. Lunging next!
 
Oooh, I think my mare has been a lot slower than all yours!

She is rather "awkward" though to say the least!

She will do some beautiful walk and trot work in the school, but is having a paddy about it ATM/ She has discovered hacking is way more fun I think!

On the upside while out hacking she has learned to pass other horses (strange and known), cope with cars and vans in motion, open and close a gate , seen a full size union flag and a large nylon bat :p. Also met cows and shared a drink from their trough, had a helicopter and a jet fly over and the odd hang glider overhead :D she takes everything (except puddles!) in her stride so far. I am very proud of her :)
 
Backed mine very lightly last spring and then turned him away for a year. I picked him up at the beginning of may, started long reining and lunging a few times a week and have now progressed to ridden work. We're hacking out 3 times a week and lunging or schooling once or twice. I'm conscious I need to keep things slow as he's very tall - 17.2ish.

He's proving to be absolutely lovely :)

image-8_zps833309b3.jpg
 
My 4yr old backed at xmas and well has had a few issuesvthe past week so back to basics he hacks out and now trots around the school hes very stubborn and wont be bullied doing some inhand shows then turnin him away the end of jlyvbefore going off to get schoolec, hes currrently 17hh and bum high pure bred drayght and has got a hell of a lot of growing to do so dont want to rush him
 
bliss87 said:
My 4yr old backed at xmas and well has had a few issuesvthe past week so back to basics he hacks out and now trots around the school hes very stubborn and wont be bullied doing some inhand shows then turnin him away the end of jlyvbefore going off to get schoolec, hes currrently 17hh and bum high pure bred drayght and has got a hell of a lot of growing to do so dont want to rush him
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Are you finding yours preferring hacking to school work?

Mine is at present rather sullen in the school, I wonder if it's something to do with ID?!!
 
Mines much more forward hacking out - think its much better for babies minds to hack rather than spend too much time in an arena.
 
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