Breaking 3 year old

[sally678]

How long, as a general rule, do you lay over before you get brave and sit up? He's a TB and seems to be accepting...... but watch this space!

 

[Foxford]

Yep, I layed over quite a few times, even though I never got a reaction. Then I leaned over and sqeezed sides and brushed my hand across the hindquaters before I got on - just to prepare for every eventuality!

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

I think it's worth taking the time to have them quietly lunging with bridle, saddle, stirrups down and with side reins, double lunge lining and long reining. I like to have abit of a mouth before I get on. After each session I ask them to move 'over' while appling preasure to the girth/side area, it's really useful when your schooling them later that they know 'over' means away from that presure!! I'll give the saddle a good hitting all over, jump up and down beside them and, ideally with a calm handler at head, lean over and walk them around like this to get used to moving with weight. When they're relaxed with all this then I slip my foot into stirrup, quietly pop leg over, lots of patting and off we go : ) Take a stick and forwards, forwards, forwards!! I tend to start on the lunge to establish better steering and breaks. Also nice to know there's someone who'll hang onto you and encourage them forward with the lunge whip too. I had my second 'sit' on Jesse the day before yesterday

Oh my other thing is I MUST have a neck strap/stirrup leather (I've been breaking for friends and refuse to get on until they supply me with one!!) I tend to hold it in my outside hand so if the horse bursts forward I have the strap to keep balance on thus leaving mouth and letting pony move forward freely. All very basic but there might be the od new idea for you

Good Luck xx

 

[Evadiva1514]

I can only speak from my own experiences from backing my 4 year old over the last couple of months but i got her nice and confident on the long lines and interspersed that with gently leaning over her. She is a very sharp sensitive little mare and so i probably took more time with her than most would have done.

Before i sat properly astride her i made a dummy out of old clothes and weighted it using old ice packs in the legs and just generally had a play with it at the end of each session. It was invaluble because she got used to the feeling of something weighted simulating a proper mounting without anyone getting hurt. Once she was confident with this i started to lean across with a helper leading her around and i finally quietly sat astride her with no problems. I think you've just got to assess their general demeanour and whether you think they feel comfortable to move onto the next stage.

Good luck and hope it all goes well!!

 

[eggs]

Having backed nine home bred foals over the last few years I have done the following. Leaned lightly over them - keeping my weight firmly on my feet - and lightly circling their girth area with my arms when they are foals. Lunged them at 3 and then once they are happily lunging in tack, lean over them from a mounting block and have an experienced helper lead them round. Have the horse stop and slide off and repeat the leaning over. So far they have all been so accepting of this that either on the first or second day of doing this I have swung my leg over whilst they are being led round so I am sitting on them.

 

[LoobyLoosome]

I prefer virtually just getting on as my lot are usually pretty laid back, and I prefer to have the balance etc of sitting up if they dance about, as better able to stay in control - that said they're all pretty cold-blooded so I probably get away with murder!