Backing 3/4yr olds

@photo_jo was justifiably unimpressed by my sale photos of Felix and very kindly came to take some more!

He was pulled out of the field and tied to a fence. He let her brush him, trim his feathers and jaw and de-matt his tail. Not a lot of 3 year olds would tolerate that! Anyway here he is looking as smart as a moth-eaten 3 yo at coat change time with 1/2 a mane can look! C5C94F3A-C6C4-4880-A5F4-3DC86E61D3AE.jpeg5B07DBA2-29F0-47F5-8161-83D9F1453F2A.jpeg0F1EE29F-A8FF-4DEC-89E0-FFA950F26736.jpegD679BD9B-965D-4A9B-9AF6-1409E91D049C.jpegBD0274A4-CD95-4D8B-A891-F75C6A966C5D.jpegD62300FF-A138-4D15-90F5-49D40C253402.jpeg
 
Ambers Echo said:
@photo_jo was justifiably unimpressed by my sale photos of Felix and very kindly came to take some more!

He was pulled out of the field and tied to a fence. He let her brush him, trim his feathers and jaw and de-matt his tail. Not a lot of 3 year olds would tolerate that! Anyway here he is looking as smart as a moth-eaten 3 yo at coat change time with 1/2 a mane can look! View attachment 156823View attachment 156824View attachment 156825View attachment 156826View attachment 156827View attachment 156828
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He's such a classy, old fashioned, draft and I mean that as a huge compliment.
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Reggie has his first session with the freelancer tomorrow. Looking forward to coming up with a plan between us to get him going over the summer. Seems a no brainer now to have someone come to us rather than send him away - especially as I couldn't decide who to go with. Will report back with photos after the weekend.
 
Miles continues to be super. He’s quite odd, he’ll come out and be terrified of the hosepipe every single day and visibly shake, yet he’s never batted an eye at having a rider on and could not be less fussed about having someone on his back. I took him in the field to see what he would be like in a big open space and he didn’t put a foot wrong even with my other one galloping about next door screaming. Did 10 minutes just in walk and trot.

It’s annoying he’s not a year older because I’d be half tempted to just have a child loan him from me but I really can’t justify keeping him. This is the pony who was supposed to be a 3 month project and it’s now been a year and several thousand pounds later 😬

Here he is on his second hack, he’d never really seen traffic before so I’m so proud of how calm he was on the whole. Did have a few very baby moments which needed sitting out for 5 minutes but he’s doing great.

 
The market for anything between cute foals and 3.5yo ready to back has always been dead as a dodo. It picks up a little the summer they turn 3, but lots of people want 4yo ready to get on and go. Felix looks lovely - far too big for me but lovely all the same!
 
I'm starting to do some sales prep for Miles and would be interested what sort of price you lot would put him up for. Equally would welcome ideas as to what to do with him as currently considering loan/sale/share as I don't have time for 2 in work. He'll be 4 in June.

14.2 green book Connie, both parents graded. Not good enough to show and is a fine type rather than your traditional chunky Connie.
All 3 paces very sweet, not a single buck or hop through the backing process.
Hacking out a few times a week in heavy traffic, bit looky but never stupid.
No lumps/bumps/history and just an all round very sweet doofus, he's very in your pocket and likes to do stuff. Doesn't care one jot about being left alone and is great to load and travel.
 
IrishMilo said:
I'm starting to do some sales prep for Miles and would be interested what sort of price you lot would put him up for. Equally would welcome ideas as to what to do with him as currently considering loan/sale/share as I don't have time for 2 in work. He'll be 4 in June.

14.2 green book Connie, both parents graded. Not good enough to show and is a fine type rather than your traditional chunky Connie.
All 3 paces very sweet, not a single buck or hop through the backing process.
Hacking out a few times a week in heavy traffic, bit looky but never stupid.
No lumps/bumps/history and just an all round very sweet doofus, he's very in your pocket and likes to do stuff. Doesn't care one jot about being left alone and is great to load and travel.
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I’d say between £5-£8k depending on how he moves / confo etc
 
Sorry IM I'm really rubbish at valuing horses. He's sounds like a lovely chap who will find himself a home quite easily. I'm sure others will be along with ££££ suggestions from a more knowledgeable point of view than me.

Reggie had his first session with the freelancer yesterday. We worked through a lot of stuff in the hour she had with him. Tacked up without a second thought, lunged lovely for her - although he does like to stop and look at you when he thinks he's done enough and I've probably let that happen. Then I was on and off about 1000 times, leaning over first and then sat up, moving him around and eventually walking round with me shifting weight around in the saddle and swinging legs round. Ended with a few more on and offs and then ended with lots and lots of praise.

Plan is for me to continue with the ground work in between sessions and freelancer to come once a week with me and if we feel necessary one visit while I'm at work to get things moving. We'll play this be here while we need both of us there to progress on board.

Overall freelancer was impressed with where he is education wise, but would prefer him to be less in your space so that's something I need to work on. She also agrees with me that mentally he needs to do something, but physically we need to be careful so we won't rush and it will be mostly gentle hacking over the summer and then let him be a horse over winter and bring him back into work as a 5 year old.

Exciting times!
 
Asha said:
I’d say between £5-£8k depending on how he moves / confo etc
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I’m no expert but I’d not go as low as £5k as he’s already backed. If I were buying him for a child I’d expect to have more training put on him and do that either myself or with a professional. Connie’s are very popular so I think I’d suggest more around 8k.
 
Fibones said:
I’m no expert but I’d not go as low as £5k as he’s already backed. If I were buying him for a child I’d expect to have more training put on him and do that either myself or with a professional. Connie’s are very popular so I think I’d suggest more around 8k.
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ycbm said:
I'd start at £8k, he's a good example of a currently very popular breed, big enough for a small adult, with a good temperament.
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Thanks both, I'd definitely like to spend another few months getting him solid out hacking and maybe do an arena hire or two and then I'll see what the market's doing!
 
Had a lovely flat ride yesterday, really starting to stretch out and seek a nice contact rather than just tuck her head behind the vertical and rush. Unfortunately I'm now out of action for a few weeks due to having another operation today. I've had the 2 titanium plates on my (now healed) fracture line in my chin removed and a bone graft placed on the fracture line to allow for an implant to replace the missing canine tooth. I've had to go private for the majority of my dental work as the NHS waiting list has just been too long and where my teeth were knocked out in the initial accident I would have started to experience bone atrophy and the outcome of successful implants wouldn't have been as high. Fortunately it was just a day surgery so I'm home now and the team were really nice. Currently on painkillers so apologies if none of that made sense lol.
I will see if pony can go out in the field for the 1-2 weeks I'm off and have a little holiday

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Fibones said:
I’m no expert but I’d not go as low as £5k as he’s already backed. If I were buying him for a child I’d expect to have more training put on him and do that either myself or with a professional. Connie’s are very popular so I think I’d suggest more around 8k.
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My estimate was based on conversations with a pro who sells this type / irish types. I was asking for a valuation for my mare who is away being backed. I was told that a client had bought a similar type from Ireland , but with 6 months more experience ( done arena hires / hunting etc etc ) for £7.5k.
I personally think that nice all round level headed types should be worth more, but thats the feed back i got . Pretty darn disappointing.
 
IrishMilo said:
I'm starting to do some sales prep for Miles and would be interested what sort of price you lot would put him up for. Equally would welcome ideas as to what to do with him as currently considering loan/sale/share as I don't have time for 2 in work. He'll be 4 in June.

14.2 green book Connie, both parents graded. Not good enough to show and is a fine type rather than your traditional chunky Connie.
All 3 paces very sweet, not a single buck or hop through the backing process.
Hacking out a few times a week in heavy traffic, bit looky but never stupid.
No lumps/bumps/history and just an all round very sweet doofus, he's very in your pocket and likes to do stuff. Doesn't care one jot about being left alone and is great to load and travel.
Click to expand...
Asha said:
My estimate was based on conversations with a pro who sells this type / irish types. I was asking for a valuation for my mare who is away being backed. I was told that a client had bought a similar type from Ireland , but with 6 months more experience ( done arena hires / hunting etc etc ) for £7.5k.
I personally think that nice all round level headed types should be worth more, but thats the feed back i got . Pretty darn disappointing.
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My experience of selling ponies is that no one, absolutely no one wants anything below the age of about 6. They all want the ready made article, for a song. If paying decent money they want all the bells and whistles. I had to hold on to a perfect 4yo because no one wanted a 4yo - sold like hot cakes at 5.5yo. Had been ever so sweet since backing, and her only comp experience was in the summer of her 4yo year plus some arena hire aged 5 - so she was the same pony at nearly six she had been at 4… 🤷‍♀️
 
Just brought Amara home . The lady doing the riding away for me hacked her out and was happy with how she went . Lovely to her her back, she even got a lovely welcome from her mum
Feedback from the yard was that she should make a nice grassroots type / RC all rounder . So hopefully she will eventually be ok for me .
One thing I noticed was she’s only gone and grown again 🙈
 

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Oh how lovely! I can't wait for Myka to come back but it will be quite a while yet! Though she is now good as gold with the saddle. Hurrah! And ridden work is fine. He loves her attitude. But he;s taking every new step slooooooowly. I want her w/t/c in an arena and hacking out before I bring her back. Then we may ditch arena work for a while and have a summer of mainly hacking.
 
Asha said:
Just brought Amara home . The lady doing the riding away for me hacked her out and was happy with how she went . Lovely to her her back, she even got a lovely welcome from her mum
Feedback from the yard was that she should make a nice grassroots type / RC all rounder . So hopefully she will eventually be ok for me .
One thing I noticed was she’s only gone and grown again 🙈
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Brilliant to see, she is such a nice type, you should enjoy her!
 
Ambers Echo said:
Oh how lovely! I can't wait for Myka to come back but it will be quite a while yet! Though she is now good as gold with the saddle. Hurrah! And ridden work is fine. He loves her attitude. But he;s taking every new step slooooooowly. I want her w/t/c in an arena and hacking out before I bring her back. Then we may ditch arena work for a while and have a summer of mainly hacking.
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Sounds like the perfect plan for her, so pleased thats she’s now over the saddle issue , what a relief for you ! . She really is very smart and no doubt will be worth the wait
I just wanted Amara hacking , she’s quite big now so I don’t want her in the arena for quite a bit , so just hacking and hopefully a trip to a farm ride at some point .
 
In other news, I saddled Felix today and he just could not have cared less. Trotted round the arena with it on, appearing utterly indifferent to it. Myka - take lessons from your baby brother!!

Though actually they are not related. Felix and Mylo are related through Amber, and Myka and Mylo through Legrande. But not Myka and Felix. All 3 are my babies though, so they feel like siblings to me!
 
Ambers Echo said:
In other news, I saddled Felix today and he just could not have cared less. Trotted round the arena with it on, appearing utterly indifferent to it. Myka - take lessons from your baby brother!!

Though actually they are not related. Felix and Mylo are related through Amber, and Myka and Mylo through Legrande. But not Myka and Felix. All 3 are my babies though, so they feel like siblings to me!
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LOL. I refer to my horses as siblings even though they have no genetic relationship whatsoever. They just happen to be owned by me.
 
Had a lovely session with the large ginger today.
His groundwork is really solid now.

The only 'issue' is he is super sensitive to pressure of any sort, whether that's eye contact, my body energy etc.
Being uber athletic and flexible too, he can get ahead of me in some positioning and some cues. Not to be naughty at all, just he is quick thinking and very aware of where I am.
I love that he is really tuned into me though and hopefully bodes well for being under saddle 🤞
Guess I'd better just get better!

He hasn't worn his roller for over 6 months, popped it on today and no concerns at all.
Starting to self stretch at times now, but keeping his uphill balance which I love.

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Saddled Apache for the first time tonight, as expected it was a non-event. He's had a roller on months before and I've done enough ground work to know that he won't react adversely. Did some ground work with it on and he's good as gold. Forgot the stirrups though so will do this again another time but no rush.
Can't believe he's off to be started in just 5 months!

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