Breaking Him In...Home or Away?

hudsonw

hudsonw

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Hi, I know he's a bit young yet (17 months) but I’m thinking about his education.

Do you think...

1) Its best sending him away when the time comes to break him in
2) Do you think I should get someone from the yard to help me?
3) Get a Pro to come to the yard to do it?

I broke my last horse in myself but he was a completely different animal and didn’t let anything faze him. He was no angel and has his moments but basically a dope on a rope!!!

My new youngster is the complete opposite. He’s a gem in the stable and even being in for nearly 2 weeks due to the snow etc he’s been a star…but leading him is starting to become a nightmare…He pulls, jogs, spins round and today he reared and bolted. Luckily we were in the field so he only got to the gate!!! But remember he has been in for 2 weeks and he’s only a baby so I put today down to being the first day out in a while.
I already have a training halter for him and I lead him in a hat and gloves…He’s getting better..ish!!!

Anyway, I’m going to start introducing him to the bit over the next few weeks then over the next year start to introduce him to life.
I don’t want to lose my confidence or temper with him but I’m not sure I can break him in on my own and I know he’s going to be a really nice riding horse in the future he just needs to grow up a bit and I want to give him the best start.

There are loads of people on the yard I’m on but there are only a few people that I would trust to help me. I’m on the sort of yard where people think they know everything about horses but really they don’t!!!

Getting a Pro out might be expensive but I have heard horror stories about how your horse is treated when they are sent away.

Obviously I have loads of time yet before I really have to worry about this but it’s something I need to start looking in to.

Has anyone been in the same pickle?

Thanks as always peeps.
 
It sounds like you are pretty confident to do the basics like the bitting, lunging, you could even introduce the saddle. I backed mine last year, did ground work last winter and backed him May time, had a friend come up and help me. Id be tempted to find someone you can really trust and do it at the yard you are at. Good luck and have lots of fun along the way. Was just about to say re the leading deffo use the pressure halter and carry a schooling whip to give him a tap when he is being a bit cheeky.
 
Thanks for the confidence boost SD
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I think maybe I’m just worrying because of the hooves off the ground episode earlier?!!?

I'm just worried I’m going to ruin him and i'll end up with a nutter on my hands!!!
 
Hi, Yes he was gelded at 13 months.

He's a shire x TB and currently at 15hh at 17 months so he's going to be a big lad. I want to get the leading thing sorted before he gets out of hand. I'll take a schooling whip with me in the morning.

I don't want to make out he's a monster by any means, he's a softy and such a mummys boy in the stable and it doesn't help that he's been stuck in for two weeks. It also doesn't help that he's in a field at the mo without a field friend...waiting for a new livery to arrive, so when he is out he's got nothing to play with
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I don't know why i'm being such a whimp / worrier with him...my hubby will confirm im not normally the type to be pushed around!!!
 
Maybe you could do as I did with my little chap. I did him at home but with professional help coming in. That way I knew exactly what was done with him, I learnt a huge amount and had the most wonderful riding experience of my life - sitting on Stinky and knowing that I was the first to do so.

That said, Stinky was very straight forward - a true example of the best of gypsy breeding.

I started lessons at 18 months and sat on him at 2 1/2 - he was a very chunky big lad. Then played for three months and back to ground work only until three as he went very bum up and teething.

Personally I would start his education now - getting him bitted and doing ground work, work on the manners, leading, halting, back up and respect for personal space. I did 3 - 4 5 - 10 minute session a week and did a few minutes on each task so as not to overtax him. I would not do lunging until rising 4 if he has plenty of shire in him - very slow developing breed. Stinky started long reining at 20 months and we "hacked" out during the summer.

If I left him in the field, he got very bored and potentially very bolshy, hence starting young but taking a lot of time with him - he didn't start doing real ridden work until 4 1/2 and this year at 5 1/2 has started jumping
 
^ My advice would be, best case scenario, as above. Provided you have the facilities etc.

Having someone help you as a favour is certainly an attractive price point, but I think there are some real drawbacks. First, you do need someone with young horse experience specifically - you don't want someone experimenting on your horse! Secondly, they need to be invested in your horse's progress and treat the situation seriously. Thirdly, it can make for some tense interpersonal situations.

If you pay someone you should, theoretically anyway, know what you're getting and be able to rely on that person for consistency and appropriate attention to detail. Also, if he does turn out to be a bit tricky, an experienced person should see the problem coming and be able to discuss with you the best way to address it for a successful outcome.

Sending away has it's advantages but, I have to say, my preference is always for doing horses where they live if it's at all logistically possible. I like the owner to be involved as much as possible, especially as he/she will be the one going on with the horse's training. Also, horses can be very "situational" so just because one is good or bad in one place doesn't mean it will be the same somewhere else. This can be a reason TO send a horse away sometimes but only if the end result is the problem is also solved in its every day life as well.
 
I agree entirely and would start as per TF. I think with all big horses the more you do the better when they are young. Otherwise it makes it so hard when they are big and bolshy. Shire X do have attitude which if not kept in check can result in very rude horse.
 
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Remind me again why I bought another youngster LOL

Thanks for the advice peeps, once again you have given me things to think about...

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Am sure you will do just fine. Had mine as a 2 yo and he is now 17 yrs. He is the safest boy ever and a fab hunter. Even had his pic in H & H bless him
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Remind me again why I bought another youngster LOL

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Because after 40 years of riding (started before I could walk) having Stinky and learning with him and seeing him go from a spindly yearling into what is becoming a strapping six year old has been the experience of my life.

We now have two rising six horses - both fairly large - Stinky is about 15.1 and Farra our clydesdale is just over 16.2 who are turning out to be all we could wish for.

It has not been that hard to do with the wonderful instructor I had, who really knew what they were doing with babies and backing, and I still have lessons and help with the continued development of our youngsters.

I could have gone out and bought a six year old reasonably close to what I have now, for about £5,000, so would have saved money, but never had the happiness and huge learning curve I have had.

Would I do it again? I am now 46 so don't bounce like I used to and having to wait another three years would seem hard before I could start doing much. However, that said Stinky only ever has had one bucking fit - in the very early days and knows he needs to look after me, so yes if I had another one like him I would like a shot.

Farra has also been a darling - and being a full clydesdale she is bred to be easy going and she loves an easy life and to please people, we got her as a very immature and backward four year old and this year are starting to do some schooling and she has a love of jumping which she has started doing. She has need far more time to grow into herself, hence we have not done that much to date with her apart from hacking which she excels at.

I hope all goes well with you and your lad.
 
OMG...
This is what i have to work with...Coming in from the field (came in fine!!) we walked in to the barn where the farrier was working. He walked past the farrier and tripped over his own feet. He fell on the floor, scrabled around and then looked at me as if it was my fault.

He's scuffed all the fur off his hock and now looks very sorry for himself...

So i think we have to back to basics...walking without falling over!!!!
 
I am doing the basics with my 17hh 3 year old but then am going to send him to a professional that has been recommended hopefully once his tendon sheath injury has healed. Think it depends on the horse but mine has such a big big personality I think boarding school may make him grow up a bit.
 
Farra is still learning where her feet are. Stinky at 18 months was far more balanced and carrying himself that she was at four.

With Farra, we are doing backing up through an L shape created by jumping poles. We are moving sidewards, and doing turns and halts being led. These exercises are to make her think about her feet and where she puts them. We have had lessons with a very good NH instructor on doing this.

This year we are now also doing a bit more in the saddle but we waited until she was five - clydesdales like the shire are slow growing breeds, they don't finish until 8 or 9.

She is getting the hang of this, though last year when playing with Stinky in the school did end up on her side where she found out she can't turn like him - no injuries apart from her pride.

Heavy types do need very slow and gentle work to get them balanced and you can start now to do this so by the time you start riding, he will be stronger and more balanced in himself. I did this with Stinky starting in hand and then going onto long reining - I ran a lot of dressage tests with him prior to backing. People were very suprised at how he could cope with a rider so quickly and how well he carries himself - and some is the way he is, and a lot of it is down to the work I put in.

Our old clydie could do the most amazing turns in jump offs but this was the result of years of schooling and he was as light and balanced as a big warmblood to ride.

There is hope for him
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I have an ID rising 3 who is going to be big. Last summer he was long-reined (I tried to do it with a headcollar as I have all my previous ponies but he was a bit too strong and I was alone) so I went back a few steps and bitted him for a couple of weeks, then I borrowed a lad who had been working on a racing yard doing youngsters, he long-reined him round my field for a couple of days and then we went out, I long reined him home down the lane on the last go, then he sat on him and I led him round the yard and the top of the field, past all the dogs etc. He was perfect. We have turned him away till the spring when he will be 3 and can do some more. Manners not too bad, can be a bit bolshy-I assume it's the ID. The worst bit is the leaning against the gate when he wants to come in and I'm not ready for him - he's so strong, I can't put elelctric tape across my gate and he knows it!
 
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