Can a rider who struggles with confidence break a horse?

sleepykitten

sleepykitten

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I'm just asking this as I've just been to see a very old friend of mine who got me all my ponies when I was a kid. He also let me ride his hunters and used to lend me horses over the summer when I was on school holidays and his hunters were resting.

I then worked for him for a while after I finished Uni exercising his horses and getting them fit for hunting. During this time, he gave me a very sweet little horse to back and break on my own:
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Thats her!

Then I broke a hunter for him. Sadly my chestnut mare had to be PTS at 6 as she twisted her gut. :(

Since then I lost my confidence big time after buying a completely unsuitable ex-racehorse. Now I have good days and bad with my two, both who are very quiet. Some of you will know I am selling my boy though due to lack of time, and I jokingly said to my friend that he should buy him off me!

He countered by showing me a gorgeous little mare who he has just got that is unbroken and saying we should do a swap!

Now I am not for one moment entertaining this idea as I just don't have time to ride two established horses, let alone break one in, but do you think, hypothetically speaking, that I could actually back and break a horse now, having done it before but being a bit of a shandy pants rider?

Just interested to hear your thoughts.
 
As long as you bonded properly on the ground I reckon so.

I think by having a closer bond you'd trust each other more and not panic but work together.

I am very nervous of some horses (Ironically normally the bombproof ones) but can go on my old share (utter nut but I knew her and quirks) and will be backing my youngster who is more like a dog than a horse. I will only do it as we have a bond and I know her inside out. So if we hit problems I'd stay calm for her sake and work through them. I wouldn't do it with an unknown quantity, I'd always delay it and get the bond first.

My fear is out of the unknown horse, regardless of how safe and sane as I haven't a bond with them

Pan
 
I think it's possible as you've done it before. Lots of ground work and there is no reason why backing shouldn't go smoothly but it does depend also on just HOW nervous you are ;)
 
sleepykitten said:
Since then I lost my confidence big time after buying a completely unsuitable ex-racehorse. Now I have good days and bad with my two, both who are very quiet. .
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If this is the case then I'd say starting a new horse wouldn't be the right thing to do for now. Most youngsters will have a strop or two and you need to be able to deal with that confidently. A younger horse often looks to the handler/rider for its confidence too.
 
I think it depends on what the rider lacks confidence in. Someone who is scared of jumping or hunting could do a fine job. But if you tense up when a horse spooks or speeds up I think it would be a bad idea. Youngsters get a lot of their confidence from the rider, in a strange situation they need someone to encourage them, not vice versa. Likewise a youngster who throws in a buck needs someone who doesn't react, if the rider tenses up the horse will eventually learn its a good way to take control etc.
I'm sure there maybe some circumstances where it does work, for example someone who is usually nervous but has confidence with that one horse, but as a general rule I'd say no.
 
When I backed both of these horses, I wasn't phased at all as I knew them both inside out, getting on was never an issue as I had farted about so much with them lying over them etc etc, that it was no big deal! Neither of them ever felt the need for me to part company! ;);)

I'd just like to think that in the future when I have more time then it may be do-able again.

Edited to say, I'm quite confident on my mare now, and though she is quiet, she is also strong and can buck, nut I can cope with her as I know her really well, my gelding I have had for much less time so there are potentially still things I don't know about him, though he has never done anything bad!
 
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littlelegs said:
I think it depends on what the rider lacks confidence in. Someone who is scared of jumping or hunting could do a fine job. But if you tense up when a horse spooks or speeds up I think it would be a bad idea. Youngsters get a lot of their confidence from the rider, in a strange situation they need someone to encourage them, not vice versa. Likewise a youngster who throws in a buck needs someone who doesn't react, if the rider tenses up the horse will eventually learn its a good way to take control etc.
I'm sure there maybe some circumstances where it does work, for example someone who is usually nervous but has confidence with that one horse, but as a general rule I'd say no.
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I'm not put off by a spook or a buck, but something that reared or bolted might put the wind up me!!:p
 
Yes, because I have done it!! The only thing I can't do is school on, so Once backed I hand over the reins. Both of my boys are mannerly, uncomplicated rides, so something must be right. I do,however buy a horse on temprement if it has a good outlook and calm manner things are alot easier!
 
Only you can answer it really. You have backed before presumably successfully, so to me it would depend on if you had back up if you ran into problems.
 
I am sure you could as you sound as if you would make up for your lack of confidence with thinking the whole thing through a bit more carefully (more brains less bravado). The question is whether you would enjoy it.
 
canteron said:
I am sure you could as you sound as if you would make up for your lack of confidence with thinking the whole thing through a bit more carefully (more brains less bravado). The question is whether you would enjoy it.
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Good point, I would like to think I would enjoy it, as I did with the other two I broke, but I would like the same circumstances, In both cases I was not bound by a timescale, and i went at the horse's pace. I could never get my chestnut mare to long rein though, and tbh, in the end it didn't matter as I backed and rode her bareback!! :eek::eek: those were the days when I had balls not brains though haha! Think I would definitely be a bit more cautious these days, but I did really enjoy the bond we had built up.
 
maisie06 said:
Yes, because I have done it!! The only thing I can't do is school on, so Once backed I hand over the reins. Both of my boys are mannerly, uncomplicated rides, so something must be right. I do,however buy a horse on temprement if it has a good outlook and calm manner things are alot easier!
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To me "backing/breaking" a horse is more than just allowing you to sit on him/her for the first time. I'd never buy an unbacked youngster because although I think I'd be fine working up to, and including, actually sitting on them and walking about, when it comes to teaching them to understand and be responsive to the aids, I'm just not experienced enough.

To the OP, I think that if it's the right horse, right circumstances, right support, etc, then yes, a rider with confidence issues can back a horse if they already have the necessary experience and know their own limitations. The rider needs to be able to recognise the signs BEFORE they start to feel out of their depth and be able to ask for help.
 
AshTay said:
To me "backing/breaking" a horse is more than just allowing you to sit on him/her for the first time. I'd never buy an unbacked youngster because although I think I'd be fine working up to, and including, actually sitting on them and walking about, when it comes to teaching them to understand and be responsive to the aids, I'm just not experienced enough.

To the OP, I think that if it's the right horse, right circumstances, right support, etc, then yes, a rider with confidence issues can back a horse if they already have the necessary experience and know their own limitations. The rider needs to be able to recognise the signs BEFORE they start to feel out of their depth and be able to ask for help.
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I'm very lucky in that I have lots of experienced friends who could help me out, but I would only ever pick the right horse, I've only ever once picked the wrong horse, and thats the reason I lost my nerve in the first place. :(
 
I tink you can do it , you have done it before its a one to one situation with no time pressure and as long as you get help,if you feel it's needed ie for the riding away you will be fine.
The best professional breakers I have know all have calm quiet confident personalities they are quiet leaders that horses insitively respect bravado seems to have little to do with it.
 
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