Do horses need rebacking after a long time off?

[welshcobnewbie]

The gelding we bought a few months ago has a lovely habit of running off and bucking when being asked to walk forward with a rider on, although stands to be mounted . He is 14

He has had three years off work and came with a host of problems that have now been fixed.

So could it be a case of he needs re breaking? possibly remembered pain? (one of his problems was a very sore back) Or do i get a second opinion on his all clear from vet and chyro.?

Any ideas appreciated .

 

[*hic*]

Well after all that time off he'll certainly need to be brought back into it gently. You can't just slap a saddle on and expect him to be happy about it.

I would at least run through all the stages until backing and then treat him as though he was a newly backed horse to enable the muscles that he needs to support a rider's weight to develop.

 

[junglediva]

well i believe that if u break a horse properly u shouldnt have to reback etc! but yes agree with above post, if he is rushing of with a rider then you need to go bak to basics, plenty of long reining and lunging!

 

[ElleSkywalker]

As you have only had him a few months I would say that some degree of re-breaking would be required, maybe just some lunging/long reigning then gentle school work for as long as it takes to be sure the horse remembers all the aids & hasn't remembered the bad habits he used to have

I just brought my horse back into work after 5 years off & a foal, have had her since she was 2 tho (now 18) so I know she likes hacking best, so I took her for a few gentle hacks round the feild at first & to be honest she was no different than she wad the last time I rode her years ago, guess horses really do have long memories

 

[BillyBob-Sleigh]

If he has a history of a sore back etc I would get a full MOT done first to give him the all clear to start the work stage and then as mentioned above start from scratch.

 

[Zimzim]

I agree with the above posts, do a bit of lungeing/ long reining to get him back into education again and then some light hacking, then progress onto some schooling.

I recently had to do this with a mare that had been out of work for 4/5 years due to having foals, and I was the last person to ride her for her owners before she was put in foal. However she was totally fine, I just took it slow - she hadnt forgotton and then went to get placed in prelim and novice dressage tests even though she hadnt been competed in over 10 years!!!

 

[Ibblebibble]

Has the saddle fit been checked? no point spending money on vet and physio if you then put an ill fitting saddle on him plus, and i know this is possibly sensitive, but how big is the rider? if you're expecting an unfit horse with old back issues to carry a bigger than average rider it's pretty unfair and an invite to horse to protest.
I would check tack, lunge and long line to build up muscle and remind him of the rules and then try a rider on the lunge.

 

[welshcobnewbie]

I should have said he has been doing lunging for around 6 weeks now to build up his muscles due to his back problems.(Mainly caused by being left with no shoes and very flat feet).

Saddle ect was fitted a week or to back ,rider is only light .

He can be sat on but then when asked to walk on rushes off and has added the odd buck or to.

Im in two minds at the minute. His last checks with vet and chyro where three weeks ago,so surely if anything still hurt one or both of them should of picked it up. Unless we are looking at something like kissing spine ?.

Or as he is part thoroughbred he is just a bit sensitive. It did take him weeks to realise his feet didn't hurt after finally being shod.

 

[*hic*]

MAke a dummy but don't weight it. Attach to saddle, lunge pony. Steadily over a few weeks increase the weight until it is a little heavier than the rider. If no issues during this time then you know he's fine as the weight builds up plus it's building his muscle at the same time. Then stick the rider on with instructions to do nothing, just sit there whilst he's lunged. If he plays up when you have the rider on firstly examine very carefully what the rider is doing (using legs to ask for walking on and getting a buck for example) if rider is genuinely not firing him off then you have a problem. Hopefully it won't get to that stage though.