Baby pony question!! (Quite long - sorry!!)

S

suzi

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 January 2002
Messages
1,084
Location
Surrey / Hants border
Visit site
Last year I inherited a Dartmoor colt. He was gelded and then came to me in December when he was approx 18month old.

He'd never really been handled, wasn't approachable in the field, couldn't put headcollar on etc etc. I spent the winter getting him used to people and am now able to lead him (we've even been for the occasional walk on the road to see the world!!) headcollar etc fine, have started to get him used to having feet washed off etc and he's seen the farrier and the dentist.

My question is what next??? I've never had a baby before (am quite glad he's only little!!) and don't really know what I should do when.

I've out saddle pads on his back - not bothered him at al. When should I do saddle / bridle, how early could I put a bit in his mouth?

Then what - I'm quite little but not sure I'm little enough to back him next year (5ft3 approx 8 1/2 stone)? What about lunging?

Is long reining beneficial? I've never long reined - is it hard?

I'm also thinking of driving him - is there any thing extra / different I should do?

Would you do this yourself or get help / send him away?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you in advance for any suggestions.

He's being turned away for the winter so this is all stuff I'll be thinking of next spring when he's 3.
 
So he's 2 at the moment then? I don't think that would be too young for him to start having a bit in his mouth for a short while, just make sure you're around just in case. If you won't be doing it until next summer then 3 is definitley not too young to start bitting. If he's ok with a saddlecloth on his back you could try securing this with an elastic surcingle to imitate a girth until you start getting him used to a saddle. Again, make sure you're there though incase he panics at the pressure around the girth area or the cloth starts to slip. As a 3 year old next summer i would also start putting proper tack on, 3 isn't too young. You dont have to back him if you don't think he's strong enough but a bridle and light saddle won't hurt him.

As for lunging, i wouldn't begin until next year. I just don't like putting extra strain on young, developing limbs. Long reining is good though, it's a great way to go out and see the world and if you want to break him to drive will get him used to having something behind him. I wouldn't long rein him yourself though if you've not done it before though. Could you enlist the help of an experienced friend/instructor to teach you and get some experience over the winter so you would be more able to do it next year with your lad? It's not difficult once you know how and have had practice but i found the lines were a little tricky to handle at first (may just have been me though!)

You could also try some groundwork with him. Do you have any poles? You could start leading over these, raising alternate ends slightly so he learns about picking up feet? When my girly was 3 we did lots of spook-proof training too, leading her over blue tarpaulin, past flappy plastic bags, balloons, umbrellas, bikes etc... in preperation for ridden life and hacking.

Much of the groundwork i would think you could do yourself, maybe with the help of someone who's done it before? As for backing, if you have an instructor or experienced friend who could help and you are confident enough then great, i'd go for it. If you think you may be nervous, or don't have anyone to assist it might be worth thinking about sending him away, but this would depend on him and you really. What kind of build is he? Being a Dartmoor i would imagine you wouldn't be too big for him. They're good little weight carriers :) At 3 he wouldn't be able to carry as much but as long as you're a capable & balanced rider i'd think he would be fine. At 8 1/2 stones you're lighter than a lot of children! He'll tell you if he's struggling :)

Hope that all made sense!
 
I'd also be taking for walks to help with the bomb proofing and load into lorry and/or trailer. My friend has walked her filly in hand since she was about 8 months she is fantastic in traffic and getting pretty bomb proof and she's not yet 2 years. She always takes her to look at new things on the yard and her work is paying dividends as the filly is very brave and unbothered by any machinery or scary things (unlike my 14 year old cob!!!)
 
Our yearling filly (loan companion) has been exposed to different things from 8 months old, we graze her in the garden with washing out, let her watch the tractors working, graze her by the busy main road (with bomb proof company)
walk her through the trailer, (she doesn't want to come off), we have strips of plastic tied to the round feeder that move in the breeze, take her for walks through the local woods/bridle path, pick up her feet (she loves the farrier).
We lean across her and hug her tight, (no reaction) I was rugging up her old companion and she was curious about the rug so I put it over her, she didn't even flick an ear, she is a total star, whoever buys this little girl will get an ideal first pony, nothing phases her except being alone and we are working on that, she has a huge natural jump and has been known to follow our mare while being lunged, I really wish I could keep her but we couldn't do her justice
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top