Backing 3/4yr olds

[BenvardenRach2]

Ru did his first show on Sunday!
He was absolutely foot perfect from start to finish, yet to find anything that bothers him! He took the show atmosphere and warm up all in his stride.
We came 2nd in our first test with 68.8%, he was so sweet and very rideable, chuffed with that !! And 4th in the other intro with 64.7%, he was tired by this point after a decent wait in between classes but no sillyness at all.
Really over the moon.
His huge mane took some tackling to plait, i didn't dare attempt the forelock, I fear his plait would have been the size of a tennis ball!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Wow amazing!! Well done.

 

[Marigold4]

Well we've had our first major spanner thrown in the works this week gone with Rabbit and I gotta admit - I'm absolutely gutted about it!

So I had the idea to start to teach him to lunge on Friday night, and all was going well till a massive gust of wind blew the arena gate open, Rabbit got spooked and absolutely galloped back to the yard, still tacked up with lunge line trailing behind him Managed to catch him and walk him back down the hill to the school, he got worried again, pulled away and I had no hope of holding him... cue round two of him galloping back to the yard.

Caught him for a second time and got back down to the school, did some groundwork patterns he's familiar with and completely stuffed the idea of teaching him to lunge that day.

Went down the following day with a friend and her mare, and he was a bit on edge, but fine and relaxed.

Fast forward to this morning and turning him out we had a few tantrums as he didn't want to wait, and he threw a front leg out at me, which I immediately corrected as it's dangerous behaviour and he sulkily stood still and waited to be turned out.

I am totally gutted as things were going so well, but I suppose there had to be a spanner in the works at some point. He's also recently gone onto a fresh paddock full of grass, it's the start of Spring and he's still a baby despite acting so mature at times.....

Any advice and loving kicks up the bum gratefully received!

Sorry to hear that. I hate disasters like that. I have been teaching my rising 3 year old some voice commands on the lunge. All was going well until she decided to have a tantrum when I changed the venue from lunging pen to the field. Massive strop throwing all sorts of shapes but I managed to keep hold of her. I have given us both a break rather than repeat the behaviour. I know take disasters like this a bit too seriously and tend to catastrophise. I have set up a visit next week from an instructor who I know will just laugh at her antics and send her on.