Backing 3/4yr olds

Caol Ila said:
I had a lesson with Joe last year when he was up in Scotland for a clinic. He came to my yard, then realised how far it is from where he does his clinics in Kinross, lol. Virtual lessons aren't really an option because the internet connection at the yard is truly dire. Neither is trailering to clinics, since I do not have transport. So, we muddle. The horse steers and stops, and she is good at hacking. What more do you want?


But yeah, keeping in touch would be good. No one here uses that piece of equipment and most probably think I'm nuts.
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I think you can get feedback from Joe via snippets of video so it may not be in real time but delayed and still possibly helpful? I think he has this as an option on one of his subscription levels.
 
Yeah, I don't like those subscriptions. They are expensive, and I just don't want to invest in one trainer (via the internet) that way. I pick and choose from what I can pluck from various trainers like Martin Black, Johnny Flores, Warwick Schiller, Kathleen Lindley, Brannaman, the woman who made my bosal, and anyone else online who looks interesting. Some people's techniques work better for us than others. Plus common sense and trial and error. We won't become a world-beating a bridle horse, but that was never gonna happen anyway.
 
Willow has been here 2 weeks now and continues to be a pleasure. Today I took her into the sandschool for the first time for a little familiarisation and to do a bit of in hand work. She was super, I love her approach to things, she's willing and sensible even if eyes on stalks. Bodes well for future outings. We have to go through the garden, then the vegetable garden (which includes walking past a polytunnel and a 12ft trampoline for added spook effect) to get to it, and she's still a bit of a celebrity here, so of course the ponies were whinnying from their field and we had a tractor in the field behind us. Bless her, listened to me and didn't put a hoof out of line. I'm so used to my overly anxious gelding that I'm finding it all very relaxing 😂

Farrier coming on Tuesday; her feet are a mess after she helpfully removed both front shoes she came wearing.
 

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My kids have someone coming to help with some groundwork today.
I'm hoping we all get on as would like someone experienced and horsey to be on the floor for backing this summer.
My home help are very helpful where they can be but aren't quick or experienced enough to help with backing when you really need to be able to see things in a split second from the floor to make sure everyone remains safe and confident.
 
Reggie spent some time in the yard with a bit in his mouth over the weekend. He really isn't a fan so finding something he's comfortable with may be a challenge going forwards. I'm trying to be 'nice' to him with rubber/soft bits, but I think I'm going to try a thinner metal mouth piece. He hasn't got a terribly big tongue but maybe that will suit him better.

Once he's past this 'issue' he's off to have some consistent riding/training/education - what ever that ends up looking like.
 
We have rider on board now . They are going to get her out hacking over the next few days .
Response is she’s not sharp , but has tested the boundaries with new things . Absolutely fine with the girth now . Good job I have another decent rider to do the riding away !
 

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Asha said:
We have rider on board now . They are going to get her out hacking over the next few days .
Response is she’s not sharp , but has tested the boundaries with new things . Absolutely fine with the girth now . Good job I have another decent rider to do the riding away !
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She's a super type, she looks super under saddle- how exciting!
 
Ooooh, trying not to feel like we're being left behind here.

I always planned to only get on mine in the summer, although it's hard not to doubt yourself when others are all starting riding now.

We all enjoyed our first groundwork lesson yesterday and the boys were great.
Sensitive but not stupid and energetic without being scatty.

Mostly common sense, I do struggle with having them behind you for leading and not sure I will get over that! Also I can cue them from energy alone, however I do think they need the word commands too, as that's what other people will expect of them.
However it was good progression on with what we have been working on by ourselves, getting control of feet, so I can move them one foot at a time and from a distance etc.
Boys found it very tiring mentally!

Now the days are getting a little longer, we'll start up the leading and long reining around the village again with tack on.
 
We went on our first hack together today, it was just 5 minutes up the lane and back but was very pleased with her. When I tried her I did get to take her for a very short walk down their own track but this was her first time out at the new yard. I think I forgot to mention in my first post but I've only had her for about a week.
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Myka is a funny little thing.....
She's fine being ridden bareback. Moves happily left and right and forward.
She's happy being tacked up and worked from the ground.
She is happy to be mounted while wearing a saddle.
She is NOT happy to move under saddle with a rider on board if she is in the 'saddle-gate' saddle.

All the prep work is done and totally solid. She just doesn't like it!

Joe's plan is to use a Western saddle and see if her objection is specfic to my saddle. Will she ever forgive the saddle that 'attacked' her?

But overall her attitude is great. I'll go and see her next week. Can't wait!
 
Ambers Echo said:
Myka is a funny little thing.....
She's fine being ridden bareback. Moves happily left and right and forward.
She's happy being tacked up and worked from the ground.
She is happy to be mounted while wearing a saddle.
She is NOT happy to move under saddle with a rider on board if she is in the 'saddle-gate' saddle.

All the prep work is done and totally solid. She just doesn't like it!

Joe's plan is to use a Western saddle and see if her objection is specfic to my saddle. Will she ever forgive the saddle that 'attacked' her?

But overall her attitude is great. I'll go and see her next week. Can't wait!
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Hopefully she’ll be fine with the Western saddle and then he can transition back into yours eventually.

We had ‘rein gate’ with one of mine - cue me on the floor twice because as soon as I used the rein she thought she was being attacked by a snake. One set of multicoloured reins later, she got the hang of it. Sometimes it really is about how something looks!
 
maya2008 said:
We had ‘rein gate’ with one of mine - cue me on the floor twice because as soon as I used the rein she thought she was being attacked by a snake. One set of multicoloured reins later, she got the hang of it. Sometimes it really is about how something looks!
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😁 😁 Love the out of the box thinking! I am beginning to wonder if I need a new saddle.....
 
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Ambers Echo said:
Myka is a funny little thing.....
She's fine being ridden bareback. Moves happily left and right and forward.
She's happy being tacked up and worked from the ground.
She is happy to be mounted while wearing a saddle.
She is NOT happy to move under saddle with a rider on board if she is in the 'saddle-gate' saddle.

All the prep work is done and totally solid. She just doesn't like it!

Joe's plan is to use a Western saddle and see if her objection is specfic to my saddle. Will she ever forgive the saddle that 'attacked' her?

But overall her attitude is great. I'll go and see her next week. Can't wait!
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I would recommend the Total Contact Saddle! Mine was backed last Spring in a racing saddle and was going beautifully. Saddle fitter recommended a T4 thorrowgood but after a few months, she started having some extreme bucking episodes and the saddle was slipping forwards. I turned her away for the Autumn/ Winter.
Put a TCS saddle on her last month, no girthiness and I got on her and rode up and down the lane and she felt lovely and so forward! Will keep her in it until Autumn and get a AH saddle fitted as she is a flat backed ID x Welsh😊
 
Ambers Echo said:
She doesn’t like it because she got scared wearing it on about the 10th time she had it on, jumped forward and the stirrup ‘attacked’ her. It fits fine. It’s not a physical comfort issue.
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It can fit fine and they still don't like it, though I know you do have that specific incident. Skylla made her feelings very known about saddles she didn't like, long tree points were a big no-no even if it did technically fit! Hopefully she forgives the saddle soon though!
 
Amber would only tolerate finest Italian Leather..... So yes they can be particular. But it all stems from that specific incident, after which she did not want to get within 20 feet of the saddle. So I think she just needs rto learn it won't bite her nose again!
 
Random suggestion re-Myka and saddle. Years ago I bought a youngster that was terrified of anything like a saddle pad, towel or rug being put on their back on coming anywhere near him
But strangely didn't care about the saddle you could plop it on do the girth up and he'd just keep eating. Who knows what had happened, he was sold as unbroken but clearly some stuff had been done.

To get over it, we spent time stood in the centre of the arena with 2 friends and their horses dumping saddle pads on their backs, our heads etc. Initially he was stood tense at the end of his rope but we just ignored him kept chatting, gave the other 2 horses carrots, playing with the saddle pad and he relaxed after a bit but didn't come closer.

We did this 3 or 4 times, by the 4th time he was joining the gang for a carrot to sniff (and if I remember correctly bite) the saddle pad, and after that we made much quicker progress - in that we could approach him in the stable with the saddle pad and he'd sniff it and not just run away, and slowly built up from there.
We tried this because we were making zero progress introducing towels and saddle pads etc quietly any other way and mum figured that in the wild horses learn off each other what's safe/dangerous so we might as well try and we didn't have access to trainers like Joe.
 
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