First 6 months from breaking - your tips/advice

[Ozbride]

Hi. We've just got our. 4y/o 12.2hh back from being broken in. Very pleased with how she was started. She's to be an all round children's pony. I'm lucky that I can also ride her and might do all of that at the start just to continue to ensure that her manners are on point.

This is our first pony to bring on from this stage. What would be your advice for over the next 6/12 months on what to concentrate on, what experiences to give, how often to ride, what rest/holidays to give. Our breaker did give us her advice, and I'd just love to tap into everyone else's experience too.

Thanks so much

 

[4Hoofed]

How exciting! It’s a lovely and exciting phase of their life! Honestly I would focus on lots of hacking. Get them out seeing the world, at four years old I’d be keeping the schooling to a minimum, save those joints! Hacking alone, then in company, building up to a fun ride or XC schooling! With my big baby that’s what I’ve done, stuff like letting other people trot off or back to us whilst staying walking or halted… personally I think if you get this sort of thing established really early on you’d be surprised how many other things will fall into place down the line my boy has been broken 8 months, hacks out alone, in company, can be led off, is 100% in traffic etc, every time we visit the arena I’m amazed how much his balance etc comes along! His first little dressage test, he was so brave and confident, so not the highest score but completely unphased by the venue, warm up etc! Just get them out and show them the world as much as possible!

 

[maya2008]

I hack them for six months 3/4 days a week (depending on age) then go in the school at that point. Builds long-term soundness and a good attitude to work.

Be mindful of weight of rider and fitness - they are young and weak and will think they can do more than they actually can. Then next day they will be sore.

Be mindful also of saddle fit - changes a few weeks at a time sometimes while muscling up. My record is 3 weeks from fitting perfectly to not fitting at all!

Always ride when you have plenty of time - if you don’t, don’t get on. With a young pony, if something goes wrong or an argument ensues, you need to have the time to be patient, to ensure you have explained what you want clearly enough and to make sure the problem is solved before you finish the session.

Never expect a particular length of ride once you go in the school. I take the young ones in until they have learned something/improved on something and then we stop. Can be 10mins or 30 mins, rarely more. Short and sweet is the ticket, always ending on a good note.

Be aware that this is a process- 2 steps forward, one step back. As they get stronger and the whole thing is less of a novelty, you may get ‘why should I’ and ‘I want to run today…’. Or they can get bored and spook at nothing, or…whatever comes to mind in the moment really. Young ponies are sweet and fun but a lot like children!

Hack out in front or solo early on, and keep doing it - prevents problems later!

Never get off the pony near the gate in the school, or let them eat grass while you are riding (for the sake of future children!).

Overall, the easy bit is done, hard (but extremely rewarding) part still to follow. Have fun!

 

[MagicMelon]

Ive backed a few ponies for fun and found it really enjoyable. Its so lovely giving them their first experiences. I normally back them and during this stage Id take them out to the odd showing show in-hand so they can get used to the show type environment with no pressure of me on board. Once walk/trot/canter is pretty established then Id start doing going to the odd training lesson (Riding Clubs are great for stuff like this), again to get them used to other horses cantering about near them and seeing a new place etc. Then if they're pretty unfazed I start going to little local shows (minimus show jumping etc.). For kids ponies, handy pony classes are brilliant IMO as it de-spooks them but obviously practice at home a lot first! Id keep schooling at home relaxed and enjoyable, Id do sessions on the ground too just ensuring manners are on point and practicing useful things like loading into trailer etc. Id de-spook them by opening / closing umbrella's near them, leading them over tarpolin etc. Just building up exciting things very slowly so they're confident with anything that can be thrown at them (not literally ha ha). Have fun!

 

[Caol Ila]

Here's my progression. I bought my horse in March 2021 as a basically unhandled 2.5 year old. She is now 4.5. Turns 5 in June.

Started with learning basic leading, catching, tying, foot handling some liberty.

Had a BOGOF foal in June, a few weeks shy of her third birthday.

Basic handling resumed in July once she got over being the most foal proud thing in the world and we could catch her again (long story). Obviously foal got basic handling as well. I did not do much for the rest of year, other than introduce the pair of them to umbrellas, tarps, things like that.

Once everyone's leading manners were reliable (foal now 5/6 months old), we took Teen Mom and son on handwalks on the quiet country roads around the yard.

Weaned foal in January 2022. Taught Mom to lunge and then long rein. Obviously she was still 3, so did not go wild with the circles. But she now knew how to do it. Lots more handwalking.

She turned 4 in June. Either lunged, long-reined, did NH sorta groundwork, or went on an in-hand walk 3-4 times per week.

By October 2022, I thought she was about ready for backing, but the YO at my other horse's yard finally decided she was old enough to move there (Hallelujah and praise the Lord) at the start of November, so figured I'd get the move done first.

Moved horse. She settled within a day, and I quickly resumed the routine of in-hand hacks, long-reining, lunging. But the hacks were more frequent and longer, because this yard has nice trails, and I wasn't trying to be in two places at once.

Start of December, I sat on her. For about three minutes, at first. Over the next couple weeks, I sat on her a few more times for longer and was led around by OH, as well as a couple friends. I felt like I was 8, having pony rides.

December 23rd, OH (who has a real day job) was going to be off work for the next two weeks. We got serious. I sat on her for a little while almost every day. We got off the lead rein in the arena, started lead rein rides in the park, and by the time his Christmas holiday was over, we had achieved short off lead rides in the park, with him walking in front of us but not attached.

Mid-to-early January, I rode her a few times per week when I could have a ground person.

End of January to now, no longer need ground person. I will do about 20 minutes putzing in the arena once per week, but we are hacking, hacking, hacking. I have now got her up to 45 minute hacks. We'll hover here until I decide she's ready for an hour. Then an 1:15, 1:30, and so on. Once she's 5, we'll get a bit more serious about schooling.

When I bought her, I wanted to start her at 3, but the BOGOF put paid to that idea. That was probably the best thing! She was a totally different horse as a 4-year old and by autumn/winter, it was obvious that she was physically and mentally ready. I don't think she was ready at 3. I think you could have done it, but then probably turned her away. Now, she is keen to work. I gave her last weekend off, for example, and by Monday, she was whickering at me walking up to her with armfuls of tack.

 

[NSD]

I got my filly as a 2 year old, backed at 3 5 and hacked once a week with and without company until 5 when we started school work. Since then (June 2022) we have been in school 1 or 2 times a week basic walk trot canter and hacked once a week. She is still growing and bum high but is an absolute super star taking everyday in her stride. Not.pushing her as I want her to mature slowly and in her own time x