Backing 3/4yr olds

TheMule

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Layla went on her 2nd ever outing today , last week I took her with a friend for a quiet hack round the local gallops and she was so good I went in at the deep end today and took her to a fairly local hunt/fun ride with my hunting friends .

she was such a star I am thrilled even though it was busy and we went quite quickly but she took it all in her stride. She started off really excited but soon calmed down , did not mind if others over took us , even was happy to go in front .

We even managed some small fences including spooky barrels but did not jump her too much , as it was a first time in this kind of atmosphere away from home so I didn’t want to overwhelm her, next time I will jump more .

We also discovered 6th gear which she thinks is great fun and she has a lovely length of stride .

There was meant to be a photographer there but if there was I didn’t see them , however if I do find photos I will post them .

ive had to wait 2 years since buying her to get to this stage but boy she was worth the wait and im finally got to the stage where she can have fun. So very happy.

You're brave! But sounds really worth doing, what a good girl.
 

lannerch

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You're brave! But sounds really worth doing, what a good girl.
Thanks mule , I’ve grown brave riding her as I think I know her so well now I know what she will and won’t do .

she had been beginning to go backwards a bit at home and get a little nappy so I think doing things like today and going out and having a lot of fun will hopefully help get her out of trying to dictate what we do. She is definitely going to be going on a few more , it’s going to make her so brave and she really loved it.

She will certainly have a few days to a week of now though and will be sleeping well tonight and probably dreaming of cantering through fields , the going wax perfect too so all together a very good experience.
 

TheMule

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Thanks mule , I’ve grown brave riding her as I think I know her so well now I know what she will and won’t do .

she had been beginning to go backwards a bit at home and get a little nappy so I think doing things like today and going out and having a lot of fun will hopefully help get her out of trying to dictate what we do. She is definitely going to be going on a few more , it’s going to make her so brave and she really loved it.

She will certainly have a few days to a week of now though and will be sleeping well tonight and probably dreaming of cantering through fields , the going wax perfect too so all together a very good experience.

I think that sounds very sensible- out, forwards and fun ?
 

TheMule

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Nova did his 4th little jumping session today- we were supposed to be going off for a jump lesson but rain stopped play so we just had a pop at home. Worked him through a grid for the first time and he learnt fast what to do with his legs so that was good. He's just such an amenable chap, I love riding him.
I also got back on board the mule today- had no steering and very little say in the pace but we went round our short hacking loop and survived so it's a start!

Video here-
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lannerch

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Nova did his 4th little jumping session today- we were supposed to be going off for a little jump lesson but rain stopped play so we just had a pop at hom. Worked him through a little grid for the first time and he learnt fast what to do with his legs so that was good. He's just such an amenable chap, I love riding him.
I also got back on board the mule today- had no steering and very little say in the pace but we went round our short hacking loop and survived so it's a start!

Video here-
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He looks fabulous, love her doing the little grid and so brave over the wall, and very scopey
 
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TheMule

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He’s looking amazing TM, you must be very excited!

Thanks- am excited but also very aware that excitement rarely lasts long with horses as they find all sorts of novel ways to crush your dreams ? I'm enjoying it whilst he's sound and well
 

RachelFerd

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Nova did his 4th little jumping session today- we were supposed to be going off for a jump lesson but rain stopped play so we just had a pop at home. Worked him through a grid for the first time and he learnt fast what to do with his legs so that was good. He's just such an amenable chap, I love riding him.
I also got back on board the mule today- had no steering and very little say in the pace but we went round our short hacking loop and survived so it's a start!

Video here-
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He's such a natural - technique is spot on and it all looks calm and easy too... lovely!
 

TheMule

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He's such a natural - technique is spot on and it all looks calm and easy too... lovely!

Thank you- he is such an easy little thing, I am so delighted that he is just what I thought I would get from the mare and stallion and then a nice calm upbringing. I'm sure there will be challenges ahead- his mother was a witch at 5 ?
 

windand rain

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Kitten is proving to have a bit of attitude but doing great now is working well until something new then thinks she knows how before she has been shown. she Is long reining well is doing a fair bit of groundwork and is able to walk over poles etc. She is still a bit light on the front end but will try to to stop that. She is definitely a negotiation rather than tell pony
 

daffy44

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Lovely pics Lannerch! What a good girl she is, and sounds like an excellent plan for her.

TM, Nova looks awesome! Such a great attitude and an equally fabulous technique, you rode him beautifully, that video was a pleasure to watch, and a homebred too, you must be so excited with him!
 

GG13

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Sounds like everyone’s youngsters are all coming along really well. I think it’s amazing how fast they come on.
I had my first group clinic with my 4yo this weekend. Only our second time out in the box and first time working with other horses but she behaved very well.
She wasn’t a fan of standing and waiting to begin with but by the end she settled and happily stood watching the other rounds.
We finished with a little course which she popped round nicely so really positive outing.
 

daffy44

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Another arena hire for my guy this week, the previous two he has done he has been very well behaved, but understandably tense, and held the tension for longer than I would like despite being very good. So we went out for a third time on thursday and I am so, so pleased, totally chilled from start to finish, tension vanished. He is such a relaxed horse at home I was a little surprised by the tension he held away from home, but very happy that he is learning from his experiences, and he was just a pleasure this time, back to his usual chilled self.
I had planned to take him out next week to a group polework clinic, because riding in company is the thing we havent done yet, but its been canceled, which is annoying, so I'll have to find another shared thing for him to do instead.
Pic is him admiring the view on his mellow arena hire!
 

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TheMule

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Another arena hire for my guy this week, the previous two he has done he has been very well behaved, but understandably tense, and held the tension for longer than I would like despite being very good. So we went out for a third time on thursday and I am so, so pleased, totally chilled from start to finish, tension vanished. He is such a relaxed horse at home I was a little surprised by the tension he held away from home, but very happy that he is learning from his experiences, and he was just a pleasure this time, back to his usual chilled self.
I had planned to take him out next week to a group polework clinic, because riding in company is the thing we havent done yet, but its been canceled, which is annoying, so I'll have to find another shared thing for him to do instead.
Pic is him admiring the view on his mellow arena hire!

Happy ears!
I also still haven’t ridden in company (bar his normal buddies out hacking) and I can’t enter a little intro test until we have a couple of times which I'm really hoping to do next month.
 

daffy44

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Happy ears!
I also still haven’t ridden in company (bar his normal buddies out hacking) and I can’t enter a little intro test until we have a couple of times which I'm really hoping to do next month.

Its frustrating isnt it? Mine does everything very happily alone, which is fab, but riding with other horses is an important life skill that cant be ignored, I'm sure mine will be fine, he did it when he was at the backing yard, no problem, but its the one thing I feel we are currently lacking. So I will need to find another group polework thing to take him to a couple of times.
 

Asha

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Lovely reading everyones updates. None from us as Frank has been turned away for a bit. His skin went a bit rough/scabby, so figured he was feeling a bit run down. A couple of weeks in the field and hes now looking great. Im going to give him another few weeks off to be on the safe side.
Whats everyone feeding theres ? I thought about giving him a supplement but he'd need food for that. The science supplement range looks good. But just conscious I dont want him to feel too well;)
 

TheMule

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Lovely reading everyones updates. None from us as Frank has been turned away for a bit. His skin went a bit rough/scabby, so figured he was feeling a bit run down. A couple of weeks in the field and hes now looking great. Im going to give him another few weeks off to be on the safe side.
Whats everyone feeding theres ? I thought about giving him a supplement but he'd need food for that. The science supplement range looks good. But just conscious I dont want him to feel too well;)

Mine get soaked grass and alfalfa nuts in the winter with a mineral supplement but nothing at this time of the year as they are on mixed grazing with lots of hedges to browse
 

Asha

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Thanks TM. He did get some food over the winter, so maybe i should pop him back on that for a bit, just for another couple of weeks at least
 

milliepops

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my 3yo Frank looked a bit crappy a few weeks ago. I do feed them daily, he just has a balancer in some chaff. I added a good dose of sugar beet for a few weeks and it seemed to help him pick up.
 

Asha

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my 3yo Frank looked a bit crappy a few weeks ago. I do feed them daily, he just has a balancer in some chaff. I added a good dose of sugar beet for a few weeks and it seemed to help him pick up.

Perfect, he had Keepcalm over winter, so will give him some of that for a bit. Thanks
 

lannerch

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Now Layla is doing work most days she is fed half a scoop of cubes with some hifi twice a day she’s also on good grass in the day and as lib hay at night, she looks really well on this . As a 3yo she was just on stud balancer and grass .
 

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daffy44

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Asha, my 4yr old is a big, empty frame of a horse that needs filling in! He is big moving, and needs to build up his strength and stamina, he is fed a scoop of Hi Fi, half a scoop of Saracen Conditioning Cubes, half a scoop of Speedibeet twice a day, adlib hay, and in the field all day. This hasnt turned him bonkers, but its definitely put condition on him.
 

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TheMule

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Big milestone reached as Nova spent his first night away from home yesterday (and his first ever time in a stable ?) and then today he went xc schooling. He was really just a little sweetheart the whole way along.
The video shows his progress with the simple fences from taking a quiet lead to doing them confidently on his own, he also popped up and down steps, the little ditch and through the water quite happily

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TheMule

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What a poppet a proper cross country horse he’s going to be very bold .

I hope so- his mother was totally useless the first time I xc schooled her and I never thought she would event but she turned into one of the bravest horses around big tracks (unless there was a ditch ?)
This is a much more encouraging start! He might be too SJy to event at a higher level but that suits me fine as I am much too chicken now!
 

lannerch

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I hope so- his mother was totally useless the first time I xc schooled her and I never thought she would event but she turned into one of the bravest horses around big tracks (unless there was a ditch ?)
This is a much more encouraging start! He might be too SJy to event at a higher level but that suits me fine as I am much too chicken now!
Me too ?
 
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