Backing advice

Rachelashleigh

Rachelashleigh

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Joined
25 August 2008
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185
www.fullcyclesalvage.co.uk
Hi everyone I am having a few problems with my 4 year old being backed. He is used to his bridle and saddle will lunge and long rein with this tack on and happily let me lay and sit astride him without batting an eye but the moment you start to ask him to go forward he bucks and bucks. I stopped after the first time and went back to long reining no problem, laid over him and sat astride without any problems again but once he was asked to walk forward buck buck buck??

Someone suggested a large teddy on his back but personally I can't see this making a difference as he has no problem with someone on his back while standing still, it's the moment you ask for him to go forward plus a teddy has no weight to it.

Someone else suggested sand bags but I'm a little dubious about this idea.

Do i once again go back to the start with long reining etc? I have owned him since he was 4 months old so I know nobody has been on his back and scared him prior. He is usually so chilled and nothing faze' s him but now I'm stuck for ideas on what the best way forward is to go.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Does his saddle fit properly? Is it causing discomfort when he moves with your weight on?

Will he walk quietly with someone lying over the saddle and someone else leading him?

I would suggest either his saddle doesn't fit, or he doesn't understand.
 
Thank you for your reply. He had his saddle fitted by a local saddler when I bought it. I will see if any of my friends would lay over him while I lead him instead of me laying over him, my partner has said he is happy to lay on him if I lead him but I think he may be to big, Morris the horse is a real heavy weight cob about 13.2/3 and my partner weighs around 13 stone.

Do you think it's worth trying him without the saddle and see what his reaction is?

Again thank you for your reply
 
I’d definitely try minus a saddle and then also with a different saddle

If he is still reactive to that I’d consider sending him away to an experienced breaker
 
I've backed one like that before, but he came to the yard as a failed backing so we weren't sure of his history. He was as you describe though, absolutely foot perfect until asked to move with rider sat up and then he would just turn himself inside out.

We basically just kept at it and used a lot of treats to distract him and try to overwrite any negative associations. The main trigger for him was my legs going on so I kept them off him for a good while with people leading. After discovering the issue we started off just moving his front legs sideways - so initially the ground handler would just get him to move his weight from side to side and then get him to take a step out to the side with a front leg and then back to center, then the other leg and so on. Everytime he shifted his weight/moved when asked he got a treat and verbal acknowledgment. Gradually we built it up to whole steps in a curve one way or the other around the ground handler, and then whole steps in a straight line.

It was a good 3 weeks of pretty much daily repetition and building up before I could put my legs on his side without him tensing for an explosion and I could walk him round the school without a lead on the ground. He was very good once he really let go and got past the issue though, and there were no more full blown explosions after those first couple of occasions.

Did you fall off yours when he had a bucking fit?
 
Thank you. I will try saddleless today and see what happens I will also try what dabdab did with moving him slightly sideways and see how we get on in the next few days. I came off the first time but not the second. It's so frustrating I know him inside out and this just is so unlike him usually anything that involves exercise is just to much effort for him.
For a living im self employed and ride for people and usually get along ok I keep thinking am hindering him by being emotionally attached to him? I'm not on a livery yard or anything so have to find willing guinea pigs I mean friends with horse experience to help me if my partner isn't around.

Again thank you for your replies I will let you know how we get on today I'm just about to go and start.
 
Rachelashleigh said:
Thank you for your reply. He had his saddle fitted by a local saddler when I bought it. I will see if any of my friends would lay over him while I lead him instead of me laying over him, my partner has said he is happy to lay on him if I lead him but I think he may be to big, Morris the horse is a real heavy weight cob about 13.2/3 and my partner weighs around 13 stone.

Do you think it's worth trying him without the saddle and see what his reaction is?

Again thank you for your reply
Click to expand...

I suspect he's changed shape and the saddle no longer fits......
 
My mare was so genuine that she would lunge / long line perfectly and would hack down lanes no problem but the minute you tried to ask her to walk forward on a circle she flat refused and when pressure was applied bronced better than anything I've known. Turned out she had suffered from locking stifle that had happened so often it effected her sacroiliac, she could tolerate turns with no weight and weight with no turns but not the 2 together, most horses in her position would have acted up just on the lunge or hacking but bless her she really wanted to be a good girl (I believe) so if it's so out of character I would get a full work up on top of saddle check, you never know what silly thing they may have done in the field that's causing issues.
 
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