Backing a 3 year old...

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Sophstar

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This is the job I have just been asked to do starting next week. A friend of a friend bought a New Forest straight from the well...New Forest:rolleyes: and is now wanting him backed. Met him last night and he is a very baby 3 year old. Currently standing 14hh but his bum is a good inch and a bit high and despite being incredibly laidback, I can see stubbornness is a strong element of his personality.

Problem I now have, is the approach the owner wants to take. She has already told me that 'one day she put a saddle on and her young daughter just sat on him and he has already accepted a bit, after she bridled him in one attempt' She has attempted to lunge him but 'he's not great on the right rein.' She asked me to lunge him last night but instead I started with groundwork and then slowly increased him out onto a circle. Stiff, unbalanced and not acknowledging voice commands that well.

I have asked to spend a week or two just establishing the ground work as he freaked out at the sight of a lunge whip, is pushy etc and I would rather long rein him and start back with a cavesson because he did not look comfortable with the bit at all yesterday and then progress from there. The owner has now just told me she thinks it will only take 2 -3 weeks and would like to have him ridden by August and doesn't want him worked in a cavesson, but to keep him in a bridle.

I know they all take different times to establish but I feel she is asking a little too much for a very baby pony as she has no intention on letting him have a break to absorb everything but by August he is to be established as a riding pony.

How long have your 3 year olds taken to back and establish a solid understanding of their new jobs?
 
The owner sounds very inexperienced imo. I agree with you if it were my pony I would spend 2 or 3 weeks doing some long reining - making it fun and challenging, but in short sessions. Then I would back gently and ride in the manege for only very short periods over say a week.
I would then turn away until next year.

Carry on with leading about and some in hand groundwork, but nothing stressful or strenuous.

This is my intention with my youngster who is 2 at the moment. I want my pony to last a lifetime, so why rush a baby at such an important stage.
They don't forget and they gain such confidence and trust in my experience if you take it slowly.
 
I wouldn't be happy going straight to backing with what you've described. Yes it would be possible but it doesn't mean it's always right.

Sit down, have a proper chat with the owner (remember they probably need teaching as much as the horse ;)) and see what comes of it. If you are not happy, walk away. If this is a job for you then the last thing you want is people seeing what short cuts you are prepared to take (even not through your own choice) and the potential problems down the line

Pan
 
Well my boy was broken at 3 and a half and was steady away from there. He was turned away for two months and has been in steady light work from rising 4. Now he's four and a half and learning his job more ie proper schooling and starting to jump.

As for time to back it all depends on the horse, buddy is very straightforward and I was very lucky. He was introduced to the bit for about a 2 weeks, wearing it and playing with it, he was also cross tied. We then taught him to lunge, concentrating on transitions and voice commands. Then with a saddle in, then double lunging for a few weeks before introducing about a month of long lining, round the school and on the roads LOTS (He is traffic proof now) before moving on to the actual backing. We carried on double lunging and long lining with short spells of ridden work in between for about a month before moving on to pure ridden work which involved mainly short hacks. When he hacking nicely under saddle he was turned away for a month or so before he came back and was ridden from there. So it was a long process and he had absolutely no set backs what so ever. In fact he still improves everytime I ride in some way.
 
The owner is being a bit niaive.

Explain to her what your method of breaking in is - and if she is in agreement, crack on. If she's not in agreement, walk away.
 
I think all you can do is advise the owner sadly, try to diplomatically suggest another way of doing things and explain *why* you feel that way would be better for the pony without sounding patronising. If at the end of the day she insists on having it done her way and does not absorb your advice, you'll have to make a decision to do it her way or refuse to work with said pony any longer.
 
Agree with the above, but personally I'd turn away till next year and do lots of in-hand stuff instead to build up trust first, rather than rush in, he needs to grow by the sound of it. Try and explain how much damage she could do by rushing things now and can she afford to treat these issues in the near future - ask her what the rush is! If she still insists then as others have said walk away.
 
Your approach is far more appropriate for any youngster, let alone one that doesn't sound ready yet.
How will you feel if you are pushed to do things their way and the inevitable problems arise from the process being rushed?

If the owner doesn't see your point, I would walk away and let them find someone else to mess up their colt.
 
If the pony is bum high then I wouldn't even contemplate backing him right now. He will be very unbalanced, more so with the added weight of a rider, so will find it difficult to cope with any "ridden" work atm. He would work very much on the forehand while bum high, never mind with a rider on board concentrating even more weight on his immature front end. I would explain this to his owner, and suggest that time was spent doing groundwork to prepare him for backing once he has levelled up. I personally don't like lunging youngsters because of the strain on immature joints and muscles. Working on a continuous circle is hard work for a baby. Yes, have him wearing tack, long reining, walking out in hand, and even working from the ground fully tacked up. Teach him basic school exercises in walk, such as large circles, changes of rein, turns across the school and down the centre line, loops off the track, halt, basic turn on the forehand, even a basic introduction to leg yielding and rein back. Teach transitions from halt to walk, walk to trot and back down to halt. Do any trot work on straight lines and the odd large circle until he becomes more balanced. All of this will prepare him nicely for his start to ridden work without putting unneccesarry strain on his immature body. Then, once he has levelled up, start leaning over and preparing him for LIGHT ridden work (very basic school work and gentle hacking). :)
My personal view on this situation is that if the pony's owner wanted something to ride NOW, she shouldn't have bought a youngster. :)
(My own 3yo NF filly is level at the moment. My plan is to lightly back her soon, but ONLY if she doesn't have another growth spurt and go bum high again :)).
 
LittleWildOne said:
If the pony is bum high then I wouldn't even contemplate backing him right now. He will be very unbalanced, more so with the added weight of a rider, so will find it difficult to cope with any "ridden" work atm. He would work very much on the forehand while bum high, never mind with a rider on board concentrating even more weight on his immature front end. I would explain this to his owner, and suggest that time was spent doing groundwork to prepare him for backing once he has levelled up. I personally don't like lunging youngsters because of the strain on immature joints and muscles. Working on a continuous circle is hard work for a baby. Yes, have him wearing tack, long reining, walking out in hand, and even working from the ground fully tacked up. Teach him basic school exercises in walk, such as large circles, changes of rein, turns across the school and down the centre line, loops off the track, halt, basic turn on the forehand, even a basic introduction to leg yielding and rein back. Teach transitions from halt to walk, walk to trot and back down to halt. Do any trot work on straight lines and the odd large circle until he becomes more balanced. All of this will prepare him nicely for his start to ridden work without putting unneccesarry strain on his immature body. Then, once he has levelled up, start leaning over and preparing him for LIGHT ridden work (very basic school work and gentle hacking). :)
My personal view on this situation is that if the pony's owner wanted something to ride NOW, she shouldn't have bought a youngster. :)
(My own 3yo NF filly is level at the moment. My plan is to lightly back her soon, but ONLY if she doesn't have another growth spurt and go bum high again :)).
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my 5 yr old is bum high and has been constantly since the age of 2, the 9yr old at work is bum high and has always been so on your advise i would never have backed either
 
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