At what age do you think is acceptable to lightly back??

how long a piece of string??

depends on the maturity of the horse,mentaly and physically.
 
2 1/2 at the earliest for work in hand and 'bitting' - definitely not lunging.

Preferably 3 years old, bitting, long reining, saddle and maybe even being sat on and ridden in walk. Then turned away for a few months, to mature further and then starting with the bitting and long reining and saddle and taking things from there from about 3 1/2.

I prefer the slowly slowly approach for youngsters.

I am sure not everybody will agree with me.
 
depends on size and build (and attitude) of horse, and weight and experience of rider.
a strongly-built, well-put together, strong-through-back horse: 3 years (to the month of birth), as long as the rider is experienced and no more than 10 stone. (obv a lot less for a pony or small horse)
a weaker-built, later developer, or heavy rider: 4 years.
just mho though. i take them slowly too, can't stand seeing young horses rushed and wrecked.
 
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2 1/2 at the earliest for work in hand and 'bitting' - definitely not lunging.

Preferably 3 years old, bitting, long reining, saddle and maybe even being sat on and ridden in walk. Then turned away for a few months, to mature further and then starting with the bitting and long reining and saddle and taking things from there from about 3 1/2.

I prefer the slowly slowly approach for youngsters.

I am sure not everybody will agree with me.

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I agree, although i dont see a problem in bitting and lots of inhand work around 2, i think it makes a hell of a difference in the future. But i wouldnt do more than this before at least 3. Some leave them longer, like above post states, depends on the mental and physical maturity (sp?) of the horse.
 
Mine are bitted as yearlings, as we show them in hand. I also get them used to long lines, although these are attached to the headcollar, rather than to a bit. I find this helps to give a youngster confidence to 'go it alone'.

I get them used to things on their backs, saddles, surcingles etc from 2yo - they are not lunged, ridden or long lined with these on, they are simply placed on and taken off again, and probably no more than four or five times over the course of the year. I also get my horse used to me jumping up and down by his shoulder, on both sides.

As a three year old I will introduce longlining with a bit, mainly on tracks around the farm. I do not like lungeing youngsters at all. In the summer of their 3rd year I will lightly back them, that is sit on them at walk, hack out, walking all the time. Just get them used to everything. Then they will be turned away for the winter months, and brough back in about February of their 4th year to start a proper riding education.

I do not agree with flooding a horse with things to do, ie, waiting until it is 3 before showing it a bit and saddle for the first time, then a few weeks later also expecting it to longline, accept a rider and everything else. If you gradually introduce things over the preceeding years, when it comes to getting on, there is minimal stress involved, as the horse is already well used to saddle, bridle, walking out alone, and everything other than the person now sat 'up there'.

I also like the Richard Maxwell school of thought, that leading a youngster from another horse is a good way of getting the youngster to see you 'up there' without actually being on his/her back.
 
Depends on the horse and rider - a light rider on a mature horse 2 1/2 onwards but that would just be getting on and off, nothing else. Otherwise 3 - 4. I've always found that as long as the ground work is in place the actual backing etc isn't that big a deal
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So many people will have different views.

After having Chancer (sturdy gypsy cob) checked by vet and physio, he was sat on for 10 minutes every other week at 2 1/4 to 2 1/2. We did walk, halt and turns and things like having girth done up, adjusting stirrups, walking over bags, swinging arms and legs, having a leg up etc - nothing very physically but more mental training.

He then started teething and went very bum up so back to ground work until nearly 3. Spent next 6 months doing a bit of hacking and walk and trot in school finalising at 3 1/2 with a few strides of canter.

Back to ground work for 3 months as bum up and teething again.

Now just 4 and has started showing under saddle, done a couple of walk and trot dressage tests, in the school we are doing more canter work and a tiny X pole and now schools for 30 minutes or hacks out. He is worked four times a week.

I bitted at 18 months, saddle at 20 months and led out from Cairo from 20 months. Long reined at 20 months and also did loose schooling from 20 months. He was fairly well muscled when I sat on him.

Started a lunging but using whole school with occasional circle from 2 1/2 but only very short sessions.

Have done everything very slowly which I personally feel if you have the luxury of time is the best way rather than two months of intensive backing and turning away to recover.
 
Ours is only a yearling, but she has already had a bit in her mouth and a numnah attached with an elastic martingale (couldn't care less about any of it).

We lean over her to pat her from the 'other' side a lot, use our hands to push on her back ie not much pressure, prod her where our legs will go. She has proved immune to all of this. We will break her when she's ready, little and not too often will be the process!
 
Again depends on the breed, maturity, At the minute my 2 and a half year old has been bitted, long reined and had a saddle sat on her back, she will happily long rein out on a country road with a pony to the front of her or she will happily lead the way . Shes an ISH .

Ive also leaned over her back and nothing phases her .
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Ive done everything basicallly on missys say so .

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2 1/4 Dolly had a saddle, then me. Just really slowly, getting on from a huge mounting blocking, and getting off again.

I agree with the horse having to get used to seeing a person "up top", this is something she still gets a little wary of (for about half second), but then nothing much is taller than her.

She's now just over 3 and I would only still called her backed rather than broken. -I really ought to get on with it.
 
I backed one at 2 1/2. He had to be barned 24/7 with really bad mud fever, so got the tack on him , led him round the school, lunged very very lightly, just for something to do with him as he was in for 6 weeks. Also leant over him and sat on him in the barn. He was a big strong warmblood, and I only weigh about 9 stone including tack though! He was then turned away when the ground had dried up enough for him to go out, and rebacked properly a year later.
 
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