bringing on a youngster... the process... how do you do it?

[Queenbee]

Just a bit of musing really since I am about to begin the process in earnest with my youngster. So far he has:

Been handled, groomed, feet trimmed, gelded, leads well but can be lazy, seen traffic a bit but needs more, feet picked up, good to rug and groom, been stabled etc, oh and wormed and vaccs etc. He has also been mouthed with a french link copper loose ring snaffle.

The question is in what order would you do the rest? and how long would you take?

He is 22 months and I was thinking that I would just pootle with him over the summer, tack on, bit of lunging, long reining, more road work and a bit of leaning over so when he turns three, and only if I think he mentally and physically can take it I will back him and do the odd little hack to the church and back/ 20 mins in the school, very light work.

It got me wondering how everyone else does it, I know there is no set process/ format, everyone is different as is every horse, but is there a sort of format/order and timeline that you like to follow. Also, I want as much information as possible because I have worked with problem neddies, and retrained very green horses, I have never done this, I am confident I will be ok and that I am competent enough to do it, but would love others approach it.

Cheers

 

[Spyda]

I think you've done a lot with your baby so far, and he'll be well set up for life later on. I did similar with mine, which I've just backed a week ago aged 4. I've sat on her three times at stand and am concentrating on long-reining and a small amount of lunging a couple of times a week. She's still learning the rein aids long-reining so isn't ready to be ridden under saddle on her own yet.

With yours I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to start working him formally - like long reining or riding him. Also, a lot depends on what type he although you have to remember - no matter how mature they look or how level and chunky they are - they are still babies in their head with a minimal attention span and developing joints. I brought mine in last summer with a view to starting her but one session of lunging convinced me she was still too inmature and I turned her back out to grass and left her until February of this year before starting any more formal training. Mine's a strapping 16.2 (and growing) but still very much a baby in her head and co-ordination.

If I were you I'd continue with the walking out in hand and lots of handling this year, maybe take him out to a couple of in-hand shows to see the sights, but let him be a baby for another year. He'll have many years working under saddle once it starts, so best let him have a 'childhood'.

 

[jhoward]

Hes not even 2, i wouldnt even be thinking about lunging or backing.

hes body isnt strong enough to cope with circles or weight.

teach him manners, teach him to load do a bit of in hand even lead him off another horse oh and lots of despooking but honestley, leave the rest for another year.

 

[Queenbee]

Thank you,

TBH I knew he was going to be a big boy, he measured 15hh last month and has since gone bum high again, so that was why I did lots of the handling while he was younger, he walked on the road last summer and saw traffic by default, I was moving house, he got stressed as did I and the trailer idea just wasn't going to work, so I walked him LOL! He was mouthed purely because he would nibble at everything especially when being led, so I gave him something to nibble on, he now is good to lead and mouthed at the same time... bargin!

My plan this summer is probably as follows: 'playing' with traffic cones and bags in the school occasionally, the 15 min walk to and from (round trip) the church up the road occasionally, standing next to ebony and having a roller and saddle cloth on like a big boy a couple of times a week, then general grooming and handling, possibly a couple of shows and definatley trailer work. At the end of the summer/autumn I will be long reining him in the school and later when he is happy with it up to church and back at the weekends, then again just basic in hand work and handling.

(When I say basic, I mean basic, the odd groom and feet picked up)

The following summer when he turns 3 I will be adding a saddle, lunging for 10 mins max, a bit more long reining and the odd walk to church and back or a small bit in the school.

But as I said and you reitterated, I will not be doing this if he feels too young in the head. Anything and everything I do will be very much in moderation, but by the time he reaches 4 I hope to have a well prepared horse that is unfased by the basics, if it is right for him I don't want to be begining the backing process at 4, but I will if it suits him

edited to say: the 'to the church and back' is in hand not ridden.

 

[jhoward]

good for you., you can do so much in their baby years that set them up for life, I wouldnt worry about puttin a saddle in and leading him about, its not actual weight after all.

lean your weight on him lots, like your arm over the saddle area etc, deffiantly carry on leading him out, and get the loading mastered and out to some parties.

just remember he has the attention span of a 4yr intelligent child, so short bursts of things.

also things like stepping over a couple of poles etc, all will do him no harm, teach him to lead better and again set him up ready for his ridden work whilst giving him something to think about

 

[Queenbee]

Hes not even 2, i wouldnt even be thinking about lunging or backing.

hes body isnt strong enough to cope with circles or weight.

teach him manners, teach him to load do a bit of in hand even lead him off another horse oh and lots of despooking but honestley, leave the rest for another year.

JH: I am not thinking about doing 'now' I am thinking about it for the end of the summer, if I do the whole lunging thing it will be at the very end of the summer and for 5 mins either side max, the long reining is the same 10/15 mins max. Half of it is that he has such an active brain, he almost needs something to do, to chill him out a bit, he has soooo many play things in his stable and his field but it is like he has ants in his pants!

I am not thinking about backing him now, more that I know I will have to back him and I want the ground work to be very well done so that for him it just feels like a walk in the park. Again, like with the leaning over, that will come not now but later, although even now when he comes in for a groom I drape over his back (feet still weight baring in the floor) because it makes for a fantastic cuddle and also I think that something on/leaning over him will be less of a wierd thing to him later on when it does happen.

I suppose what I am doing is allowing him to be a baby 95 percent of the time (probably more) but the time he spends with me and learning from ebs I like to do things that are or will be relevant to his later training. Like rugging: there was absolutely no way this fluffy monster needed rugging, but I thought it would be good for his education to have things put on and taken off his back... especially when he was more pint sized than he is now!

And yes: I intend to do a lot of trailer work this summer so it gets 'so boring mum'

 

[Queenbee]

good for you., you can do so much in their baby years that set them up for life, I wouldnt worry about puttin a saddle in and leading him about, its not actual weight after all.

lean your weight on him lots, like your arm over the saddle area etc, deffiantly carry on leading him out, and get the loading mastered and out to some parties.

just remember he has the attention span of a 4yr intelligent child, so short bursts of things.

also things like stepping over a couple of poles etc, all will do him no harm, teach him to lead better and again set him up ready for his ridden work whilst giving him something to think about

oooh yes poles, love that idea, he will love that, will probably try and do a papafrita and pick them up and run around with them I managed to contact the owner of his sire who purchased him (the sire after ben was born) she said he was a bit of a baby but took to being backed really well and through talking their temperaments seem to be very similar, her boy is 4, broken and has done a bit of sj/ xc and dressage, already. When ben is 4 i hope to do a teensy bit of xc (2ft 6 max) and a show class or 2 maybe. So I promise I won't be rushing him. I just want what I do do to be fun and relavent to later training

 

[Spyda]

Sounds a good plan

And definitely do the trailer work! Have you got one? Or can you borrow a front unload one to park at yours for a while? I got my stressy filly loading like a dream by parking it near her stable and opening it both ends and moving the partition right over (I have an Ifor Williams 505). I scattered some of her stable bedding onto the ramp and into the trailer so it had her familiar smell when she approached and suspiciously sniffed at it (as they inevitable will.) It didn't take long for her to be walking in and out through the front quietly, with a very short stop inside but moving off quickly before she thought to get stressy. I was lucky; within a day or two she was quite happy to stand inside with me, whilst I fed her treats. Then we were able to close the front ramp with her inside a few days later and soon she'd walk in with the front ramp closed too. I am so glad I did this with her whilst I wasn't stressed and had all the time in the world. Now she'll load fine - even when I'm dripping with nerves before a show!

 

[jhoward]

blow him up a few ballons and leave them in the school with him,. all my neds have gone fromn the OMG to playing with them!

 

[Katd66]

A lot of good suggestions from everyone.

I would not be starting lunging until your horse is 3.5yo at the very earliest - their joints and bones are not strong and developed enough to be going in tight cirlces - even 5 mins each way.

Neither would I be introducing a saddle until then.

My horse in 3yo in June - he has done lots of ground/handling work, traffic and long reining. I am just about to bit him and will start long reining him off a bit. He will not start lunging until he is just about to be backed. The last thing I want after having him for 4 years at that stage and he have knackered legs due to being lunged to early.

 

[Queenbee]

Sounds a good plan

And definitely do the trailer work! Have you got one? Or can you borrow a front unload one to park at yours for a while? I got my stressy filly loading like a dream by parking it near her stable and opening it both ends and moving the partition right over (I have an Ifor Williams 505). I scattered some of her stable bedding onto the ramp and into the trailer so it had her familiar smell when she approached and suspiciously sniffed at it (as they inevitable will.) It didn't take long for her to be walking in and out through the front quietly, with a very short stop inside but moving off quickly before she thought to get stressy. I was lucky; within a day or two she was quite happy to stand inside with me, whilst I fed her treats. Then we were able to close the front ramp with her inside a few days later and soon she'd walk in with the front ramp closed too. I am so glad I did this with her whilst I wasn't stressed and had all the time in the world. Now she'll load fine - even when I'm dripping with nerves before a show!

ATM no, I don't have a trailer, I could borrow one but am currently watching ebay and hope to buy one in May want a 505 but dread that I will end up needing a 510 LOL! but think since I won't use it loads 505 will be ample. I am not overly worried about him loading, I think that I was way to stressed trying to move horses and myself on the same day, it was a fecking nightmare and only the third time he had travelled. It wont take long, he is an inquisitive so and so and a lovely temperament and attitude to life, give it a couple of days and I will be very hard pushed to get him out of la trailer!

 

[Queenbee]

A lot of good suggestions from everyone.

I would not be starting lunging until your horse is 3.5yo at the very earliest - their joints and bones are not strong and developed enough to be going in tight cirlces - even 5 mins each way.

Neither would I be introducing a saddle until then.

My horse in 3yo in June - he has done lots of ground/handling work, traffic and long reining. I am just about to bit him and will start long reining him off a bit. He will not start lunging until he is just about to be backed. The last thing I want after having him for 4 years at that stage and he have knackered legs due to being lunged to early.

cheers for that, tbh like you long reining is the thing I really want to focus on, up until fairly recently I hadn't done any, so in preparation I have been playing with my friends horses and feel really comfy doing it now (always found the thought of it quite daunting). I'm not overly fussed about popping a saddle on him until later, just a roller will do me.


JH: balloons!!! Very good idea, shall I get party poppers too?! LOL! We have a load of coloured flags on sticks which I will add to the traffic cones at a later date

 

[jhoward]

cheers for that, tbh like you long reining is the thing I really want to focus on, up until fairly recently I hadn't done any, so in preparation I have been playing with my friends horses and feel really comfy doing it now (always found the thought of it quite daunting). I'm not overly fussed about popping a saddle on him until later, just a roller will do me.


JH: balloons!!! Very good idea, shall I get party poppers too?! LOL! We have a load of coloured flags on sticks which I will add to the traffic cones at a later date

no no.. but some of the happy birthday banners are fab for flappy things..

make a handy pony type course to wander around your have a spook proof neddy in no time

 

[Queenbee]

no no.. but some of the happy birthday banners are fab for flappy things..

make a handy pony type course to wander around your have a spook proof neddy in no time

want to do horse and hound but will have to borrow parents springer as whippet snapper will probably lie down in front of jumps for zzzz's and JR will bite my ankles and run under the jumps

 

[rowy]

with my rising 4 year old:
he was already bitted and being lunged at 2 1/2 (which i dont condone but this is the age i bought him and what previous owners did) so when i got him, over the winter just did a tiny bit of leading out on roads and just general bombproofing. Then started long reining/ lunging and backing when he turned 3. Rode him for a total of 2 months and then turned him away until now. just starting his backing now. I was a bit worried about him being worked so early but physio just checked him thoroughly and was impressed with how strong he was and had absolutely no faults through his back at all.

I am starting my current rising 3 year old a lot different though. she is a exmoor and was completely unhandled until i got her sept last yr at about 2 1/2. since then i have gotten her used to handling catching etc. and have got her up to the stage where she is now bitted and being led out on the roads by traffic and doing lots of bombproofing. she is not 3 until end of may so i will continue road work 1-2 times a week with her until about june and then maybe start long reining and loose schooling. I am only going to sit on her about july/ aug and maybe walk a few steps and then turn her away but bring her back into work earlier (bout march) next year as I think this is better as it allows her to mature and grow. Also, will be doing lots of shows in hand with her.
I want to make her into a brilliant allround children pony so just spending lots of time round her messing about, throwing hands round her neck (hugging), arm over her back and gentle leaning and dancing and jiggling about next to her so she gets used to everything! its a lot of fun

 

[Nagling]

Hi, I've got two rising 4 year olds at the moment. They have been learning at different rates but I've done pretty much the same with both. I bought them as untouched yearlings and to start off they lived in a fenced yard area with stables open for a week while they were halter trained and learning to trust a bit - if they'd been turned out I don't think I'd have seen them for a while! Even just pottering around the yard taught them loads, sweeping up around them etc. Its amazing how quickly they become desensitized to things if you as the handler just treat it like an every day occurance. It never seems to stress them this way either.

As yearlings they were taught to lead out properly, just groomed, feet trimmed, loaded, rugs around them etc but no work as such.

As two year olds I normally bit them and get them used to the feeling of a roller and walk them to the road to see some traffic quietly. They also went to a show each to get used to atmosphere.
One of the two is very physically mature for age and was leant over.

As three year olds I long reined lots - I think it is so beneficial to them to see things but it doesn't put the same strain on their joints as lunging. They got used to wearing tack, went to a couple of shows in hand, a couple of trips as a spectator with an older horse competing. They were both lightly backed and walked up and down lane. Started lunging but only once a week as still prefer long reining. Leading out from an older horse to see more. One I could leave for a while between sessions and she'd be the same in the next, the other needed to be doing something otherwise she got bored and started jumping out of the field to come in!

This year they are being hacked out, lunged a bit more including over few jumps with the aim of doing a ridden show by the end of the summer.

I think the best things for youngsters is just to let them see as much as possible without freaking them out! Hacking/leading out is excellant and I prefer to do this rather than school work at this age. I also tie things like old feedsacks to railings in the yard to replicate scary banners, take umbrellas to the field when I feed them, they have an old exercise ball they play with when they're in. They are really nice, chilled out (mostly!!) youngsters that are always keen to do something! Its so rewarding. Good Luck