Backing a horse in a stable.....

[Elliegazzellie]

I was reading the latest issue of 'Horse' magazine and there was an article about how to back a horse. The person in the article was backing the horse for the first time and he did it in the stable. He did the usual like lying over the horse's back and then he would walk around he stable like that. He then sat up on the horse and got someone to lead it around the stable. Then they led the horse out of the stable with rider still on board and walked it up the yard?

This is the first time I have ever seen it done in the stable. What are your views on this? Whenever I have backed a horse, it has been done in an arena or a small field. Personally, my first thought was that it could be a little dangerous? What if the horse reacted badly? Would there not be more risk that you could become crushed/bashed against the stable wall? As for being led out of the stable door, I have visions of knee caps being ripped off!?

What are your thoughts? Has anyone ever backed a horse this way before?

xxxx

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

I do the exact same. Look it, if you are worried horse will do something silly and get you hurt in the stable then either you shouldn't back one yourself or not enough ground work has been done. It's just something I did from the very start breaking horses and can say 100% that nothing has ever happened in a stable. It's all steps. Have broken over 200 horses. The stable is also a place in which the attention is kept on you. I have done horses outside too with no problems but always the first riding around is the stable.

Terri

 

[thatsmygirl]

I'm from a racing back ground and we have always sat on the horse for the 1st time in the stable. we have never had a problem either doing it this way but tbh if I thought one was going to be differcult I would go for a safe area but as posted above it's all about taking steps with them and if I'm not 100% happy how they will react I step back a step. Would never ride out through the stable door I think that's asking for trouble

 

[s4sugar]

Surely it depends on the construction of the stable?
In a standard UK stable it would be dangerous (roof height) but in an indoor barn setting it could be a good option.

 

[springer1021]

My friend works in a racing yard and has been backing race horses this way for about 30 years, she said shes's never had a problem but I thought the same as you.

 

[Montyforever]

I think it's crazy personally, stuck
In a stable with a panicking (possibly) youngsters got to be worse than in a small field/arena!!

 

[thatsmygirl]

Iv always found with the correct amount off work on the ground and doing it right the youngsters do not panic. Iv only had a few which I was unsure how they would react so went for a closed area but 99% off the time they are fine if broken correctly.

 

[Ashgrove]

I was reading the latest issue of 'Horse' magazine and there was an article about how to back a horse. The person in the article was backing the horse for the first time and he did it in the stable. He did the usual like lying over the horse's back and then he would walk around he stable like that. He then sat up on the horse and got someone to lead it around the stable. Then they led the horse out of the stable with rider still on board and walked it up the yard?

This is the first time I have ever seen it done in the stable. What are your views on this? Whenever I have backed a horse, it has been done in an arena or a small field. Personally, my first thought was that it could be a little dangerous? What if the horse reacted badly? Would there not be more risk that you could become crushed/bashed against the stable wall? As for being led out of the stable door, I have visions of knee caps being ripped off!?

What are your thoughts? Has anyone ever backed a horse this way before?

xxxx

I thought the same as you

It could go horribly wrong, and if it did there surely is more chance of an injury?

 

[spike123]

I've always got on for first time outside. Reading this reminds me years ago a friend had got a youngster on loan. She wasn't told it had been backed and ridden out of the stable and the first time she went to sit on him she did it outside with me holding him. The horse reacted very badly and went up with me hanging on to him and her doing a death grip on board. We managed to calm him down and no harm was done to either horse, rider or myself. It was only afterwards that the lady who had done the backing told us that he had only ever been sat on in the stable and ridden out.

 

[Jesstickle]

We did all our 2yos (racing yard like the others who are ok with this method) at work this way (never, ever shut the door though!) and I never saw a problem with it. Nitty was laid over for the first time in her stable too. I didn't sit up as the beams are so low I'd have brained myself!

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

If it goes horribly wrong and youngster panics then he wasn't ready to be backed. It is that simple. That is why most of us that say it's no big deal and that nothing has happened. I've yet to back anything that has panicked because the horse is not pushed to panic level and is being handled by competent people that take care that this does not happen.

Terri

 

[ihatework]

There is a time and a place to use a stable for backing. However it is hugely dependant on the construction of the stable and the experience of handler and jockey. For me it wouldn't be the first port of call for breaking, but a strategic decision taken with a particular horse.

I think it is highly irresponsible of HORSE magazine, whose bulk of readers probably aren't professional breakers, to print this as an example of how break in.

 

[becca1305]

Ive never really thought about it as haven't backed from scratch, however I will be lightly backing my baby this summer and thinking about it now I would probably go for perhaps leaning over her in her stable as she's so chilled and is used to me faffing with her in that environment doing rugs etc, however when it comes time to sit up I think I will do it in the yard - which has a secure courtyard area so more space. Will be interested to see the replies on here though .

 

[M_G]

I have always leant over & sat on for the first time in the stable, my reasoning is that it's the place where the horse is most relaxed but like Equilibrium Ireland says if the horse is ready it's not a problem

 

[JCWHITE]

Always used to back youngsters inside a huge stable in a barn, so the roof was way up in the eaves. Stable was at least 20 x 20 or more,
Lots of banked up bedding,when the horse was comfortable with that, and walking around without an assistant, say after a few times, then they progressed to an indoor school, and yes, I usually rode them out of the one (wide) doorway into the next.....
Wouldnt consider an ordinary stable though.

 

[Maesfen]

I think it's crazy personally, stuck
In a stable with a panicking (possibly) youngsters got to be worse than in a small field/arena!!

If anyone is stupid enough to do it with a panicking horse then they deserve to be hurt. You only do it when it's totally ready and accepting of anything you do to or with it; anything less is total ignorance and stupidity.

It's been done this way for all the years,, I can remember from 50 years ago and because people only did it when the horse was ready nobody ever got hurt and the horse had a nice experience because it was safe in its own stable.

 

[simplyhunting]

Always backed ours in a stable, as long as the horse is ready there should be no problem, when they are ready to come out the box they go straight behind a lead horse. As long as you have a good person on the ground I've not had a problem.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I do the exact same. Look it, if you are worried horse will do something silly and get you hurt in the stable then either you shouldn't back one yourself or not enough ground work has been done. It's just something I did from the very start breaking horses and can say 100% that nothing has ever happened in a stable. It's all steps. Have broken over 200 horses. The stable is also a place in which the attention is kept on you. I have done horses outside too with no problems but always the first riding around is the stable.

Terri

I'm from a racing back ground and we have always sat on the horse for the 1st time in the stable. we have never had a problem either doing it this way but tbh if I thought one was going to be differcult I would go for a safe area but as posted above it's all about taking steps with them and if I'm not 100% happy how they will react I step back a step.

Am not from a racing background but in the many many ponies (and odd horses) that I've done, they were all done in the stable.

Not always the best suggestion for an inexperienced person to start doing tho........

 

[Persephone]

There is a time and a place to use a stable for backing. However it is hugely dependant on the construction of the stable and the experience of handler and jockey. For me it wouldn't be the first port of call for breaking, but a strategic decision taken with a particular horse.

I think it is highly irresponsible of HORSE magazine, whose bulk of readers probably aren't professional breakers, to print this as an example of how break in.

^^ Totally agree^^ I was shocked it was used as an example, although the guy did state it was his way etc etc.

 

[Paris1]

Why would you use a stable and not an exposed area outsid? Do you just sit and then get off again? I have always ridden away so not much point in doing It in a stable.

 

[Paris1]

*enclosed

 

[sazzle44]

Surely if you do ground work in the school they would feel safe and secure there too? We always lunge and long rein in the arena and then progress to leaning over and sitting up. Their down time is in the stable and I like it to stay that way myself. If doing it in the stable works for you then fine, but it's not something I would consider. This is simply a personal preference though, horses for courses and all that

 

[DosyMare]

When I read this I thought it strange to sit on your horse first in its stable. I have never done so before but only backed one pony as yet.
But now I think of it it seems more logical to do so. Nothing to spook them/take there attention away or any excuse to bugger off ect. If its going to buck\rear then it's in a contained area\space.

 

[Montyforever]

Yes I know if you do all the prep work ect they are less likely to panic, but any horse can panic at anytime for no reason. You can never 100% guarentee the horse won't panic and then both the horse and rider have more chance of getting hurt inside a stable!!

 

[kerilli]

I always do my first backing in the stable BUT only because my stables are big enough (15' square) and in a barn so the ceiling is about 40' in the air. I would NEVER back in a normal stable with a low beam or low roof.
For the first few times with a rider on, it's safer. The horse is relaxed, it is in a very secure, familiar place and can get used to the weird feeling of having a moving weight on top of it, and the sight of someone up there in the predator zone, without the flight response being in danger of being triggered.
Fwiw i have a helper at the horse's head with a scoop of feed as a distraction as i get on, but once i'm on, they usually wait outside the stable door, and i circle both ways and the horse goes to them for a treat every time.
i always get on off a bale of bedding stood upright, and leave it there to get off onto as well, no rattley steps or anything a horse could be startled by.
the only problem i've ever had was when i did it with a bitless bridle on (horse had just had her wolf teeth out, and I should have waited another week), it wasn't by any means the first time she was sat on, but this time she started pratting around, got her head down, and started bronking in earnest, and I just couldn't pull her head up because of the bitless bridle! So, I'd never do it in a hackamore again, it was nearly a very painful lesson! She didn't get me off but I had to sit very very tight for a good on-the-spot rodeo show, until she gave up trying to drop me. in an enclosed area that wasn't such fun.

 

[Rowreach]

I do some and some.

When I worked in racing 20 years ago, we backed the 2yo horses in a small sand paddock. They typically arrived on the yard on a Sunday and we were expected to be hacking round the village on the Thursday (which happened to be dustbin day)

I do a lot of ground work with mine, in and out of the stable, and I do a lot of work off the mounting block in the arena because one of my pet hates is horses that are backed but you can't get on without a leg up

Personally I prefer to back them somewhere I have plenty of space, but I have a large (20'x15') stable that I can used if necessary. If they are ready to be sat on, then they should be doable outside. However, it amuses me when people say that if you've done the preparation properly, the actual sitting on should be a non-event ... there will always be the occasional horse that proves you wrong and serves up a surprise you weren't expecting

The greater worry for me is those people who back horses on concrete - the theory being that the horse won't erupt on concrete through self preservation because it thinks it will slip Frankly I'd rather be on a school surface just in case ...

I guess like anything it's horses for courses, but I think the method should be geared to the horse rather than being the set in stone method used by the backer.

 

[amandap]

I was reading the latest issue of 'Horse' magazine and there was an article about how to back a horse. The person in the article was backing the horse for the first time and he did it in the stable. He did the usual like lying over the horse's back and then he would walk around he stable like that. He then sat up on the horse and got someone to lead it around the stable. Then they led the horse out of the stable with rider still on board and walked it up the yard?

This is the first time I have ever seen it done in the stable. What are your views on this? Whenever I have backed a horse, it has been done in an arena or a small field. Personally, my first thought was that it could be a little dangerous? What if the horse reacted badly? Would there not be more risk that you could become crushed/bashed against the stable wall? As for being led out of the stable door, I have visions of knee caps being ripped off!?

What are your thoughts? Has anyone ever backed a horse this way before?

xxxx

I haven't read the replies but I don't think this is sensible at all! For many reasons but not least if something goes wrong and the horse panics or bucks! Any sudden unexpected noise outside could be enough... for me the risk wouldn't be worth it.

I've never backed a horse but would always do it in an open and safely enclosed area.

 

[Persephone]

For anyone who didn't see the article, it's a normal looking size stable, there are beams, but you can't see if they go overhead too. There is no door frame as such, a curved wall on the door size and the walls are barn style bars.

So inside there is the rider, the legger, the leader and the horse. Very cramped.

The guy is legged up and leans over for a couple of turns being led around the stable. How he avoids getting squashed or scraping the wall and alarming the horse I don't know for sure. Then he sits up and is led around the stable again for a couple of turns. Then he is led out of the (fairly roomy) doorway and down the corridoor between the rows of stables.

He does state he will stop at any point if the horse feels unready.

He does importantly (IMO) state that the handler has control of the horse's bridle, the rider has the reins but is not in charge.

I deliberately got my husband to read the article from a "novice" point of view. As I suspected he saw danger, after danger in doing it in the stable. It would be scary if a novice who has maybe taken on too much saw the article, but viewed it as a "safer" way to back a horse.

ETS I have backed horses, wth husband as an assistant, but always outside. Leaning over inside is a different matter, it's easy to get off fast, but once you get astride it's a different matter if you are enclosed.

 

[katastrophykat]

Mine was backed in his box- it's a safe environment for him, he's comfy in there and I'd been leaning over him while grooming for some time so it was a natural progression.

But tbh- isn't there a different question here? Youre assuming readers are inexperienced with backing/breaking- Should inexperienced people be backing horses at all??! Id say not. I don't think that a young horse and an inexperienced horseman/woman is ever a good idea!!

 

[amandap]

But tbh- isn't there a different question here? Youre assuming readers are inexperienced with backing/breaking- Should inexperienced people be backing horses at all??! Id say not. I don't think that a young horse and an inexperienced horseman/woman is ever a good idea!!

My feeling is good and safe practice should be taught by everyone. What experienced people choose to do in private is their business.

To me it's bit like saying it's ok for an experienced shooter to carry his shot gun loaded and un broken when walking around and then explain to others how to do it this way safely!