Essentials for riding young horses

[MarvelVillis]

My lovely gelding is off to my trainer's yard next week to be broken in. When he comes back to me, we will just be hacking throughout the summer/autumn and have plans to turn him away for winter. In preparation, I've bought a new riding hat, body protector, sticky bum jods and an 'oh shit' neck strap. I'm also very tempted to buy the Acavallo gel out pad after reading lots of great reviews.

Are there any other 'must haves' people consider essential for riding newly backed babies?

He is very level headed and hasn't caused me any problems since I picked him up when he was 2, but it's always good to be prepared just incase...!

 

[ihatework]

Patience and a sense of humour

 

[TheMule]

I would say the best investment would be for you to go and hack him out from the trainer's yard plenty of times before you have him home and to ask trainer to come and ride out with you the first few times when he is home. That transition from being away to being home and keeping the same structure to how you do it is key IMO

 

[MarvelVillis]

I would say the best investment would be for you to go and hack him out from the trainer's yard plenty of times before you have him home and to ask trainer to come and ride out with you the first few times when he is home. That transition from being away to being home and keeping the same structure to how you do it is key IMO

Thank you, this is definitely the plan! Luckily she's only 20 mins away so I can easily visit him a few times before he comes back home.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I would say the best investment would be for you to go and hack him out from the trainer's yard plenty of times before you have him home and to ask trainer to come and ride out with you the first few times when he is home. That transition from being away to being home and keeping the same structure to how you do it is key IMO

Very wise words, and when he is home if you have any doubts or lack of confidence (I am not suggesting you have either) don't be in a hurry to ride him yourself, put a more confident rider on and hack out alongside so you can watch him and his way of going. You can learn a lot by being alongside on another horse or behind it to encourage it to be able to swing along in front and be bold.

I was told many years ago by a very respected breaker, that newly broken and ridden away horses must never be fallen off for the first 12 months as it frightens the the nervous ones and teaches the clever ones they can dump you. Fine in theory, but for us mere mortals a big ask !

 

[Sprig]

And loads of high viz for you and the horse to make sure that cars see you well in advance and if the worst happens and horse ends up loose on his own that he can still be seen. Consider attaching emergency contact details to the horses saddle too.
Hopefully you will do all of this prep and not need any of it.

 

[MarvelVillis]

And loads of high viz for you and the horse to make sure that cars see you well in advance and if the worst happens and horse ends up loose on his own that he can still be seen. Consider attaching emergency contact details to the horses saddle too.
Hopefully you will do all of this prep and not need any of it.

Thank you, I had considered adding a tag for emergency details but it did slip my mind! So thank you for the reminder.

 

[MarvelVillis]

Very wise words, and when he is home if you have any doubts or lack of confidence (I am not suggesting you have either) don't be in a hurry to ride him yourself, put a more confident rider on and hack out alongside so you can watch him and his way of going. You can learn a lot by being alongside on another horse or behind it to encourage it to be able to swing along in front and be bold.

I was told many years ago by a very respected breaker, that newly broken and ridden away horses must never be fallen off for the first 12 months as it frightens the the nervous ones and teaches the clever ones they can dump you. Fine in theory, but for us mere mortals a big ask !

Thank you, definitely agree with everything you say. I'll definitely ask my trainer to ride him out with me for the first few rides back at home. And then after that, hopefully the sticky jods and seat saver will prevent any falls!

 

[Iznurgle]

Thank you, I had considered adding a tag for emergency details but it did slip my mind! So thank you for the reminder.

I got tags with my own number and my livery yard's number on either side, one for the Jesus strap on my saddle (because he is also a youngster!) and one for his rug when he's in the fields alongside the road. Neckstraps are great, but a strap that goes across the D rings on the pommel are my preference, because it's easier to sit right back when holding it! Best of luck!

 

[palo1]

The very best advice I have ever been given for a young horse, which you cannot buy, is to 'never put fear in the saddle'. Youngsters need our bravest, most confident and hand holding hearts so if at any time you cannot provide that, either do something different which you do feel happy and confident about or, as others have said, ask someone to help. There is not a whit of shame in knowing when you want or need help - that in itself is part of good horsemanship. Other than that, young horses are usually great fun and you really don't need much at all as riding initially is informal and not very long in duration! Enjoy

 

[Littlebear]

The very best advice I have ever been given for a young horse, which you cannot buy, is to 'never put fear in the saddle'. Youngsters need our bravest, most confident and hand holding hearts so if at any time you cannot provide that, either do something different which you do feel happy and confident about or, as others have said, ask someone to help. There is not a whit of shame in knowing when you want or need help - that in itself is part of good horsemanship. Other than that, young horses are usually great fun and you really don't need much at all as riding initially is informal and not very long in duration! Enjoy

Good advice ^^ I have an air jacket which gives me that extra ounce of confidence I wouldn't otherwise have, maybe worth the investment op depending on how you feel x

 

[Iris1995]

Air jackets certainly have their place but could be a nightmare if the “pop” scares the horse which only dropped its rider by mistake when it was already unbalanced/spooked. It could make a minor event into a major memory.

 

[Littlebear]

Air jackets certainly have their place but could be a nightmare if the “pop” scares the horse which only dropped its rider by mistake when it was already unbalanced/spooked. It could make a minor event into a major memory.

Oh i weighed this up in my mind alot too, but the difference in confidence of not massively injuring myself I think outweighs that for me and I think i have less likelihood of falling as I am riding with more confidence if that makes sense at all!

 

[Coblover63]

Well fitting tack! A young horse changes shape a LOT!!

 

[RachelFerd]

Yep I wouldn't dream of riding a true baby in an air jacket. That 'pop' in combination with a fall could set them back a long way in terms of confidence.... I feel best riding the babies without a body protector too as I feel more flexible and fluid in the saddle. If I really felt like the horse was likely to fall over on top of me, I would probably be paying a professional to help rather than doing it myself!

 

[Michen]

I too wouldn’t have put one on when riding my 4 year old.

 

[rara007]

Safety stirrups of some form for me too.
And no air jacket- I like to keep the side door open ICE! The faff of disconnecting yourself would ruin that (mainly) mental quick escape for me.

 

[cauda equina]

A strong core

 

[Marigold4]

Air jackets certainly have their place but could be a nightmare if the “pop” scares the horse which only dropped its rider by mistake when it was already unbalanced/spooked. It could make a minor event into a major memory.

I know someone who nearly got kicked in the head when her horse kicked out at the scary "pop" as she lay on the ground!

 

[maya2008]

I prefer the mane to a neck strap. Neck straps rotate and take you with them. The horse’s mane stays put, and therefore so do you!

With true babies I value most:
- another older horse to ride regularly alongside (keeps things in perspective, keeps your confidence up and prevents bad habits in you).
- a friend with an older horse to hack out with.
- safety stirrups and proper boots so if you fall, you fall cleanly.
- a pocket of polos because if you fall, you want them to learn to stay with you!
- a saddle with a suede seat (so good for the extra grip, seriously!)
- good off road hacking
- a whip...

If this is your first youngster, also a ton of lessons and a good trainer. My first horse was 4yo, had hacked a bit and that was it. I had an experienced friend, a good instructor and a nice sticky saddle. We had so much fun and it was all round a good experience for both of us!

So much so that I have only ever bought unbacked babies since ?!

 

[paddy555]

a dummy so that the horse learns what happens when a rider falls off.

 

[spacefaer]

The best thing you can have with a young horse is confidence and a relaxed seat.
The last person I would ask to ride a young horse is someone who is expecting trouble as it will come to find them.
I understand someone novicey taking safety precautions that you describe, but I wouldn't be asking them to get on a freshly backed horse.

Having said that, all my breakers have been generally better behaved to hack out than my grown up ones

 

[rara007]

Definitely proper boots too! The fist time I came off mine she Kung-fu kicked/stood on my leg, burst my boot but not even a bruise on my leg! (Still hurt ). Ideally don’t come off but best to make it as safe as possible.

 

[IrishMilo]

Yep I wouldn't dream of riding a true baby in an air jacket. That 'pop' in combination with a fall could set them back a long way in terms of confidence.... I feel best riding the babies without a body protector too as I feel more flexible and fluid in the saddle. If I really felt like the horse was likely to fall over on top of me, I would probably be paying a professional to help rather than doing it myself!

I don't think anyone plans to have a horse fall on top of them... FWIW I'd wear an air jacket on a young horse. I value my physical safety over any short lasting bad experience a horse might have if I come off.

Invest in a pair of safety stirrups (the sort with an arm that opens).

 

[Marigold4]

I prefer the mane to a neck strap. Neck straps rotate and take you with them. The horse’s mane stays put, and therefore so do you!

With true babies I value most:
- another older horse to ride regularly alongside (keeps things in perspective, keeps your confidence up and prevents bad habits in you).
- a friend with an older horse to hack out with.
- safety stirrups and proper boots so if you fall, you fall cleanly.
- a pocket of polos because if you fall, you want them to learn to stay with you!
- a saddle with a suede seat (so good for the extra grip, seriously!)
- good off road hacking
- a whip...

If this is your first youngster, also a ton of lessons and a good trainer. My first horse was 4yo, had hacked a bit and that was it. I had an experienced friend, a good instructor and a nice sticky saddle. We had so much fun and it was all round a good experience for both of us!

So much so that I have only ever bought unbacked babies since ?!

Agreed - mane is safer than neck strap

 

[MarvelVillis]

I prefer the mane to a neck strap. Neck straps rotate and take you with them. The horse’s mane stays put, and therefore so do you!

With true babies I value most:
- another older horse to ride regularly alongside (keeps things in perspective, keeps your confidence up and prevents bad habits in you).
- a friend with an older horse to hack out with.
- safety stirrups and proper boots so if you fall, you fall cleanly.
- a pocket of polos because if you fall, you want them to learn to stay with you!
- a saddle with a suede seat (so good for the extra grip, seriously!)
- good off road hacking
- a whip...

If this is your first youngster, also a ton of lessons and a good trainer. My first horse was 4yo, had hacked a bit and that was it. I had an experienced friend, a good instructor and a nice sticky saddle. We had so much fun and it was all round a good experience for both of us!

So much so that I have only ever bought unbacked babies since ?!

This is great, thank you! Good point about safety stirrups, I've just ordered some. He is my first youngster, so very grateful for everyone's tips and comments. I have got an amazing trainer though with me every step of the way. I have to admit, I've loved owning a youngster and think I would only ever buy youngsters again in the future!

 

[Littlebear]

This is great, thank you! Good point about safety stirrups, I've just ordered some. He is my first youngster, so very grateful for everyone's tips and comments. I have got an amazing trainer though with me every step of the way. I have to admit, I've loved owning a youngster and think I would only ever buy youngsters again in the future!

Same here, absolutely love the youngsters - and this post has made me think to order safety stirrups

 

[Birker2020]

My lovely gelding is off to my trainer's yard next week to be broken in. When he comes back to me, we will just be hacking throughout the summer/autumn and have plans to turn him away for winter. In preparation, I've bought a new riding hat, body protector, sticky bum jods and an 'oh shit' neck strap. I'm also very tempted to buy the Acavallo gel out pad after reading lots of great reviews.

Are there any other 'must haves' people consider essential for riding newly backed babies?

He is very level headed and hasn't caused me any problems since I picked him up when he was 2, but it's always good to be prepared just incase...!

A mobile phone (make sure its turned onto vibrate in case someone rings you), lots of hi viz (make sure he's happy with flappy exercise sheets/boots on legs), possibly knee boots in case he slips or falls on road - you know what youngsters are like, legs everywhere! And if you have an air jacket you may as well wear in, just in case.

If you plan to ride in company see if you can go in front for a few minutes (away from home) for part of the way to development confidence.

 

[Poppy2003]

My youngster is just back from backing and whilst I rode him there fine, when he came home he had a minor injury that needed a week or so rest then actually when it came to it I didn’t feel quite as confident as I did at the trainers yard. So, instead my instructor is coming to ride him instead for first couple of weeks and I’ve been accompanying them on my older horse. Great combination and all for the best. So I would say definitely have someone in hand at home

 

[RachelFerd]

Definitely neckstrap over mane - you can still grab a neckstrap even if you're half way around the side - the point is that it moves with you. When i see people riding a horse (any horse) without a neckstrap... I feel a sense of impending doom and assume they must be from another planet. That's the result of spending a long time working in racing...