Breaking what dont you do?

[Gearchange]

Just interested to see what steps in breaking in people miss/choose not to do and why?

Lunging, long reining, in hand hacking, ride and lead etc.

 

[TheMule]

Just interested to see what steps in breaking in people miss/choose not to do and why?

Lunging, long reining, in hand hacking, ride and lead etc.

I don’t lunge. I work them in hand, long rein in the arena and ride and lead out hacking

 

[Gloi]

I don't lunge but I long rein a lot in as many different circumstances as I can. I also like to get them hacking alone before going out in company which may seem unconventional but has always worked for me. I also like to get them dragging stuff in harness before or at a similar time to backing.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Totally depends on horse I don't do much in hand walking round to see stuff I prefer to hop on and do it from the saddle.

 

[emilylou]

As above, especially hacking alone. I do everything I would do under saddle on the long lines first, once the horse finds it all incredibly mind numbingly boring and is okay with coats flapping overhead, people touching all areas and being all over them, and is not fazed by traffic, I get on and go, and usually, yes, it is as simple as that as long as you have spend the countless hours putting in the basics from the ground first.

I would never lunge a horse in circles, do the same with tack on, then fling a rider up without doing much else. I know thats how some people do it and it works for them but I would not be happy doing it like that.

 

[ihatework]

I don’t do that much breaking (read barely any) - I’ve tended to leave that bit to the pros (though I’ve done a fair bit of riding away).
I’ve seen it done all sorts of ways, I tend to stay out of it as each pro has their system. Ultimately, as long as the overall process is sympathetic, I’ve found the end result is the same. So I don’t sweat it too much.

 

[paddi22]

I never really lunge. once or twice to get the voice commands in and to start the long lining, but after that I just don't , I would long Ling and then hack. I also avoid taking a horse into an arena until they have done a few months hacking and have some balance and strength

 

[Nudibranch]

I don't lunge. I also don't ride out in company as I have nobody to ride with. I do start with ride and lead, but then they just have to crack on and deal with it!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I've got a little coblet (profile pic), who I took on as a just-backed-and-ridden-on 4yo.

She's a happy hacker, and that's what I bought her for. She hacks safely through a working quarry, over roadbridges, and copes with all the lorries and farm traffic we get here without any issues. She's only seen the inside of a school once and that was for a TREC training event which she coped well with.

All the "schooling" that needs to be done has to be done out and about as we don't have a school here.

 

[windand rain]

I wont allow lunging until the pony is 5 or over, I do long rein and do quite a bit of groundwork. Lunging is only used with a rider but they are taught to do it without. Mind you mine are all over 4 before they do much anyway

 

[LEC]

I don’t do that much breaking (read barely any) - I’ve tended to leave that bit to the pros (though I’ve done a fair bit of riding away).
I’ve seen it done all sorts of ways, I tend to stay out of it as each pro has their system. Ultimately, as long as the overall process is sympathetic, I’ve found the end result is the same. So I don’t sweat it too much.

I do all my own and each horse is so different that I never have any set ideas on how to proceed with it just go on what the horse needs. One wouldnt long rein but was super easy to sit on so we skipped long reining and then came back to it. The current 4yo has done loads more in hand work than the others did as really chilled until he wasn't so wanted to get that fixed rather than brush over it.
Lunging is something I don't worry about - I tend to teach them the skillset and not really do much with it but find the listening skills convert well under saddle. I also find it a super useful skill set for when they go to new places as 4yo and need to have some energy taken out before being sat on.

 

[Lintel]

To be honest I barely lunge or long rein. I just want them to grasp the idea of pressure and release and the commands, woah, walk, trot, canter.
I do lots of in hand work, building trust, establishing good manners and de spooking.?

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

I've backed all my own for the last 20 years and the stud I bought my Highlands from would send me any 4/5 year olds that hadn't been sold to break and sell as riding ponies . I don't really lunge except to get them used to moving around with their tack on and always start off with good intentions of long reining , leading out etc but once they're happily walking round in a saddle and bridle I always seem to end up saying to my OH ' What do you think he/she'd do if I got on ?' . It's a rhetorical question because once I've voiced that thought it means it's going to happen , and as they're kept at home there's only me and my OH involved in the process .He always says ' Oooh , I don't know ….' but he invariably ends up legging me up with strict instructions to ' Keep hold of the front end and don't let go ! '. Bless him- he never has !
I'm not a great one for dragging things out and I much prefer teaching them from on top , so when I just sort of get that gut feeling that they're ready I like to just get on and crack on with it . We've had the odd one that has needed a bit more time but , oddly , these tend to be the ones that initially present as the super confident ones . I can honestly say that , other than the normal baby wobbles which are to be fully expected ,we've never had one that's reacted negatively - so presumably my sense of timing is ok ?

 

[tristar]

i do everything going, never miss any angle of education, always take loads of time, i want to set them up for life and this is the moment to set the ways of the future, i aim to have a horse i can put anyone on ultimately, in the right circumstances, and a horse that can compete or played with by a novice learning to ride in the arena,

i think time spent now with physical conditioning, fitness, manners a great investment

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Don’t rush it. People want it done and dusted in record time. A good job isn’t a quick one.

My two year old already knows how to go away from me on the lunge and w/t/c and halt. Has taken me 5 x 20min sessions inhand over the course of 5 months. He walks out a few times a week, he does groundwork, trec type obstacles, has been shown inhand, taken to the beach and taken out in the lorry/trailer round local NNRs. He wears a bittebridle, roller and saddle pad, has had boots and bandages on (keeping white legs clean for shows lol) loads/unloads, baths, feet done groomed all over and let’s you spray him with pretty much anything.

I do small things regularly, been building him up since I bought him at 6months. I prefer to play the long game.

Next year he will do more line work and see a saddle.

I prefer to do loads of ground work when I back, then the getting on is really not that much of a drama.

 

[ihatework]

Actually CC has just pointed out something I don’t do!

1-3 years they barely get handled. Out in the field with mates. In for vet/farrier or in the case of my most recent he would come into Crewe barn for worst of winter.

Only as a 3yo did I do a little bit of handling and under protest a show.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Like others above, I've never lunged to start with.
Lead out, long rein, lead off another, hack out, wobble round arena for short while, back to hacking and learning balance, gear box and steering whilst out and about.
I then add lunging later, its a useful skill for them to have, as vet might want it, or new owners might lunge etc.

 

[ycbm]

I don't lunge or long rein or hack in hand. I've had 2 horses backed by people who long reined and 1 done by lunging, and none of those have been noticeably different to train than the horses I have done myself by putting a saddle and bridle on and riding.

.

 

[Nudibranch]

Leaving certain things out isn't rushing.
My 5yo is mannerly, willing, and readily takes to new things. She hasn't been lunged, was walked out in hand about twice, long reined, led from another, and then backed. She did a few shows as a 4yo and now just hacks from home or from the trailer, up to 5 miles at a time. We will do pleasure rides and shows next year. She has regular mini breaks as she is still filling out, and was left to grow and be a youngster until 4. Where she is now is exactly the same point as others I've had who were very frequently handled as 2/3yos, possibly over handled even.
As a sought after native breed with good lines, I could now sell her on for a tidy profit; she does everything you would expect of a young allrounder and hasn't a single issue. But she is with me for life.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I throw tack on, walk them in a circle, do the girth up, walk them round again, give them a little jog and then hop on and expect them to get on with it. Once they get the hang of walk I send them on to trot. Same for canter.

Some might be shown in hand as youngsters but generally they are left to their own devices til they are at leaat 4yo.

My theory generally works on the basis that my dartmoor is the most pathetic pony known to man so just accepts whatever is askes of him (except worming then he may as well be a pig headed shire!) And the shetlands you are always above anyway so you are just introducing weight.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Just interested to see what steps in breaking in people miss/choose not to do and why?

Lunging, long reining, in hand hacking, ride and lead etc.

I mainly lead around, lunge and long rein

Then once that is achieved, I place the saddle on gently and do girth up then usually lunge so if there is bouncing I am not close to it. My boy with the western saddle, I put the saddle on and let him free in the indoor school, the bouncing wore him out, after that it was easy with him.

I don't like to rush it, slowly in their own time.
I would rather take the time and have a horse for ever , than rush them do too much to soon, and have them knackered to early in life.



My mare when I got her aged 5 was jumped too early pre 5 - something with ID horses I would not do and did not do with my late mare. Now my mare has learnt incorrectly, and missed out on a lot of flat work pe jumping stage.

I have known too many horses jumped early and one was jumping 5ft at age 4, and by 7 I contacted her to find out how he was and he had been pts, his hocks shot to pieces. The other a 17.2hh was pts 8, as he was hunted at 4. I never understand the rush to compete/jump them.

 

[Kaylum]

Handled and messed with all their lives. Taken for walks in hand so seen a lot of life before putting a saddle on. Taken through the town past the supermarket and screaming kids and trolleys, over the bridge through traffic and traffic lights so it is totally normal. The more they see in everyday life the better for us.

 

[ameeyal]

I never lunge or longrein and I never start them young ( about 5)

 

[lannerch]

I never do circles until they are around 5 and then only limited. So lunging is out, long reining on the other hand loads of it in straight lines , on hacks , teaches braveness and indipendance and with light hands a soft mouth.

 

[Cortez]

I never, ever long rein riding horses during breaking in - educating the mouth does not consist of using the reins independent of the seat and legs. I only long rein horses that are going to drive, or tiny children's ponies that are never going to have a great deal of sophisticated seat/leg aids going on. I do long rein older, established ridden horses that are going to do the airs or work high school. Lunging is excellent for rhythm, balance and strengthening the body before the rider gets on board, also for teaching the voice commands and getting the horse really going forwards.

 

[Ceifer]

I was taught when breaking in to teach to lunge first. Mainly to get them used to vocal commands that then translate when a rider is on board. Generally this process doesn’t take too long. Then they get leant over in the school. Walked around leaning over. Then sat on and out on the lunge. As as soon as they are happy walk, trot, halt on the lunge they then hack out. Depending on the horse I’d either canter the horse hacking out with a nanny. If that’s not possible canter with a rider once they are strong enough and balanced enough.
I’ve always done this and worked on various yard and this has been accepted.

I’ve seen some stuff that I don’t agree with - leaning over whilst on a horse walker.
A prominent rider rode his just broken horses in side reins. I consider both of these dangerous.

I had a horse in for schooling that had been sent away to be broken and came back never having been into a school or doing any groundwork. I presume they just got on. The owner wasn’t sure. I taught it to lunge before I got on.

For those who don’t lunge - how do you do it? I’m genuinely interested as I only learnt one way to break in.

 

[ycbm]

I never, ever long rein riding horses during breaking in - educating the mouth does not consist of using the reins independent of the seat and legs.

I have never understood how long reining in any way replicates hands on the reins while there is a bum in the saddle. The action is completely different physically and hands on 15 feet of rein can never have the feel of hands on 2 feet of rein.

.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I tend to hop on and hack out. When they are confident in walk, I trot, and when trot is established, I canter.

The last one I backed before Mimosa, I hopped on and rode it down the beach. She had walk and trot in place before we got home- she was five though.

Mim is confident walking out and about, great with traffic, listens very attentively with little flickering ears, and I have just added trot. Husband led her the first few times but now she hacks alone or in company. I have lunged her maybe three or four times, and that was usually around adding tack or boots etc.

 

[Nudibranch]

Long reining teaches the same skills as lunging - voice commands and moving forwards, but without the strain of circling on young joints.
Not rocket science.

 

[Gloi]

Long reining teaches the same skills as lunging - voice commands and moving forwards, but without the strain of circling on young joints.
Not rocket science.

I long rein because I like to be confident I can stop and steer before i get on. It's always worked for me.