Few questions about working a young pony (just backed)

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sazzle44

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Hi everyonee :) posted a little while ago about the young pony I've been given to back, with loads of questions about it all. Well he's FAB! He's been such a dude, had his 4th birthday last week but is definately an old head on young shoulders. He is no longer head shy, is really good to do on the yard, to lead and this morning we went on our first little hack :) 20 mins round the block with a friend on foot. Touch wood he's been lovely so far. Getting on him was so not a big deal, first time I lent over felt he'd have been fine just to slip on but had to stop myself lol
So now I'm wondering what sort of work I should be doing with him, for getting his steering better, introducing him to a bit of poles (I mean poles on the ground at walk nothing major and won't be jumping for a while!) He's still a bit twitchy to the contact as well, I've been trying to make sure the side reins are tight enough to be consistent while lunging but am a bit worried about making them too tight, does anyone have any ideas about what I could do for this?
He also has loads of bites along his tummy/sheath but won't let me near them with cream. What sort of thing would you put on? and how would you get round the wavy back legs? It's not anything mean, just waves them about :/
So hopefully he'll get some front shoes on next week and we can start hacking a bit more and think about cantering on board! :eek: lol
I would put a picture on, because he really is a pretty little monster but it doesn't seem to want to upload :confused: Any advice and help on him however would be much appreciated :) and thanks for reading such a long post!
 
You can work on touching his belly/legs with a stuffed glove on a pole, a la Monty Roberts... I know not everybody is a fan of his but it does work. Little and often, build up gradually.

Again, not everyone will agree but I would not lunge. At all. I just do not believe circle work is good for legs, especially for babies legs, and what is to be gained by going round and round? There are better ways to teach voice commands for example. IMHO you'd be better off long reining.
 
Nudibranch said:
You can work on touching his belly/legs with a stuffed glove on a pole, a la Monty Roberts... I know not everybody is a fan of his but it does work. Little and often, build up gradually.

Again, not everyone will agree but I would not lunge. At all. I just do not believe circle work is good for legs, especially for babies legs, and what is to be gained by going round and round? There are better ways to teach voice commands for example. IMHO you'd be better off long reining.
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ooh I hadn't actually thought about that. I might have to give it a try, although he's usually okay, it's when I'm trying to actually put stuff on it!

hmm, I've actually discussed this at length with my mum (v. experienced trainer etc it's just she's on hols atm so I can't hassle her with all my queries :o ) He only really gets lunged for about ten minutes, before I get on and just walk round the school. We have done quite a bit of long reining him and will probably do some more for the steering. would you long rein in the school or out and about? I only ask this because we usually lunge as a starter before being sat on. thankyou for your reply :) much appreciated and I'll have a go with the glove!
 
I wouldn't lunge, I wouldn't use side reins and I wouldn't worry about "contact". I'd get on and go, steady walking, increasing in distance, to get him fit. I'd want him to be relaxing his neck and stepping along nicely. My starting point would be to get really nice soft lateral and vertical flexion in his neck, not constantly, just for seconds at a time.
I wouldn't put shoes on until he needs them, which might be never.
I'd use approach and retreat to get into his twitchy areas. Rubbing him where he enjoys, working towards the touchy area slowly, staying in the place where he starts to feel a tiny bit tense until he relaxes, then retreating by rubbing my way away again. I'd be very gradual about it and prepared to do several short sessions to get things really easy before worrying about cream.
Have you brought a youngster on before? I know the approach you are describing is the way many start, but imho it isn't the best way to produce younsters that are working nicely and with relaxation.
Oh, and I think the really important thing with younsters is to allow them to move forward. So, if you start canter work too early and before they are balanced you are in danger of pushing them on, then holding them back straight away. Don't start any pace that you don't have the space and confidence to "go" with a bit.
Just read your post above - Steering is hard when the horse isn't soft in the neck and responsive to your fingers. I would work on lateral flexion, maybe using carrot stretches first and in a headcollar, then transfer that into ridden work with a bit.
 
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Find a steady neddy and get out hacking. Ponies get really bored schooling and short safe interesting hacks that with a friend will get him going forward and interested and are far less tiring going round in a school. When my childrens ponies we didn't have a school so all their training was done out on hacks or in corners of fields.
They are usually really good when you first back them as they haven't got their fifth leg, when they get a bit more balanced that's when they start saying no and throwing in a buck.
 
Tinypony said:
I wouldn't lunge, I wouldn't use side reins and I wouldn't worry about "contact". I'd get on and go, steady walking, increasing in distance, to get him fit. I'd want him to be relaxing his neck and stepping along nicely. My starting point would be to get really nice soft lateral and vertical flexion in his neck, not constantly, just for seconds at a time.
I wouldn't put shoes on until he needs them, which might be never.
I'd use approach and retreat to get into his twitchy areas. Rubbing him where he enjoys, working towards the touchy area slowly, staying in the place where he starts to feel a tiny bit tense until he relaxes, then retreating by rubbing my way away again. I'd be very gradual about it and prepared to do several short sessions to get things really easy before worrying about cream.
Have you brought a youngster on before? I know the approach you are describing is the way many start, but imho it isn't the best way to produce younsters that are working nicely and with relaxation.
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By contact, I mean when I gently take up the reins to ask him to stop using a voice aid he throws his head about a bit. He isn't worked on a contact or anything, and the side reins have been suggested by a friend who works with young horses, hence why I wasn't so sure and haven't done much with them/put them on tight as I really don't want to spoil his mouth or upset him.
His owners are keen for him to have fronts on. He is getting a little footy as it's very stony/flinty round us but when it comes to it I'm going to see what the farrier says on it.
I've worked with youngsters before (all my horses have come very unmade and have turned into lovely, nicely schooled, confident horses) but I've never had something from this early on before. I'm pretty much doing as I'm told with him, it's a massive learning curve and I always make sure I have someone who knows what they're doing on hand for anything new (and in fact most things) This is why I'm asking the questions, I'm interested to hear how others would do things and if there's other ways that may work. Thankyou for your advice, I'll bear (bare??) it in mind :)
 
The thing with him throwing his head sounds as if it's just getting used to the feel of the bit stuff. If you can, I'd just keep your hands steady and with a consistent feel until he relaxes, then release. Build up from there.
I do think sometimes people do too much too soon with youngsters, just get them out doing a job hacking, get them relaxed and fitter, then the school stuff comes a lot more easily.
 
We had the same sort of things with our 4 year old after breaking him in- He was so wobbly and zig zagged instead of walked etc.
All he does pretty much is hack- very safe short hacks alone with me on board and longer more interesting ones with my daughter on board alongside my horse. The improvement has been massive just with us not trying to do anything. He's having fun and learning without realizing it!
 
okey doke :) Well my mum gets home at the end of the week and we'd already decided he'd be hacking out with the old horse we look after. That's his job now he doesn't compete, looking after all the baby horses :)
It's just I wanted to make sure I had at least a bit of control before we go out of the school, but maybe I'm being a bit demanding! lol will keep it to hacking out though, tbh I wasn't really sure how much he should be doing in the school anyway, but I like to have a little plan for whats coming up with all of them for say, the next week. It's the only way my little brain can compute working four horses all doing different stuff. And I hear all these things about horses going out to dressage and shows after 2/3 months of being backed and I'm thinking 'aarrghhh, is that what his owners are expecting?!' but I'd much rather take it slow :) thanks for the advice!
 
Most of our young horses we start in the school, just to back and do alot of walking and some trotting then we go straight on to hacking to get them fit and supple before we ask them to work hard in the school. Baby horses often dont hack and dont really think about the difference between an open space to run, or an enclosed school until they start cantering and doing faster work! I think your doing a good job with what your doing, get your big girl pants on and get out there! x
 
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