first time backing..bareback or saddle??

nat_1

nat_1

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as title..people who have backed before have you done it bareback or with a saddle and why.

ive leant over my mare a few times and sat on with a saddle in her stable once,just wondering which method would be best for first sitting and walking on in an indoor school.
 
I leant on bare back and walked round but then introduced saddle and sat on with a saddle first, baily because I found I didn't find a confident seat on my others bareback for a good few rides so i wanted the security of a saddle, but lots of people I know did it bareback
 
Ive always started with leaning over first bareback but then moved on to saddles quickly as for sitting on/walking around I dont want them to think they can get me off easily as soon as they do something! But then after my mad gelding with his backing/breaking sessions i like to feel ive got something to assist me if need be lol
 
i would prefer with saddle tbh,feel more secure etc,i think ill lean over first with saddle and be led so she gets used to weight on saddle,then sit up and go from there.
 
I always do bareback, but, have them happy wearing tack before then and during also.

I'll do walk and trot bareback till they're happy, then start with a saddle :)

The only things they react to if anything I find, is the height of a person or the feeling of the girth. :)
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
I always do bareback, but, have them happy wearing tack before then and during also.

I'll do walk and trot bareback till they're happy, then start with a saddle :)

The only things they react to if anything I find, is the height of a person or the feeling of the girth. :)
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shes been for walks in hand fully tacked up and from when she was about 8 months old stood empty food bags up on her back and anything else i could find also stood on top bars of gates when shes been stood by them lol! ive had her from 6 months so hoping it will be an easy one.
 
First sit, preferably bareback - I prefer to be able to dismount quickly and not have to worry about stirrups etc - but assuming there's no issues with sitting on, I'd then progress to a saddle before riding away properly. I tend to ride bareback a lot anyway though so riding away is a combination of both :D
 
Sometimes they will scoot when they first move and feel your weight. You need to be able to stay balanced in the saddle IMO and really don't want to slip or fall off and so I would always ride away with a saddle. I am happy to have a sit on in the stable without a saddle if they are chilled and confident.
 
nat_1 said:
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shes been for walks in hand fully tacked up and from when she was about 8 months old stood empty food bags up on her back and anything else i could find also stood on top bars of gates when shes been stood by them lol! ive had her from 6 months so hoping it will be an easy one.
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Dont trust that :p My lad ive had since he was 3 months old, he was lead on roads since 6 months old, been lunged and tacked up for years, backed lightly and was perfect, carried feedbags/haybales to the field for me and then breaking him in was a whole new ball game .. he REALLY didnt like riders :rolleyes: Hope yours is easier!
 
emerald_city said:
Dont trust that :p My lad ive had since he was 3 months old, he was lead on roads since 6 months old, been lunged and tacked up for years, backed lightly and was perfect, carried feedbags/haybales to the field for me and then breaking him in was a whole new ball game .. he REALLY didnt like riders :rolleyes: Hope yours is easier!
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dont worry,i have that in the back of my mind lol...everyones saying oh she will be so easy to break.yes i have done loads of groundwork and yes shes accepted me on her back in the stable..but the next few months could be a whole different ball game lol. its the riding away and once the novelty wears off with her thats when the tantrums are likley to start
 
nat_1 said:
dont worry,i have that in the back of my mind lol...everyones saying oh she will be so easy to break.yes i have done loads of groundwork and yes shes accepted me on her back in the stable..but the next few months could be a whole different ball game lol. its the riding away and once the novelty wears off with her thats when the tantrums are likley to start
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Lol all fun and games! I'm it'll go fine, my lad is just an .. interesting one .. Good luck with it all :)
 
I lean gently over them when they are very young but always keep my weight in my feet and not on their backs. When they are backed I always do it with a saddle as I think it is very important that the rider doesn't come off as it can really scare a youngster if this happens.
 
I sat on my mare bareback but never rode her as such (in that she didnt move lol!) prob for the best as i hadnt ridden in 4yrs and i think id have fallen off lol!!!

I had a year to bond with my mare as she had a surprise foal shortly after buying her, was the best thing ever as i did loads of ground work. I got her to accept tack and the first time i sat in the saddle was also the time we went for our first hack, she was very accepting and has rarely questioned what i have asked of her...luckily for me as im not mega experienced at starting horses..it could have been oh so ugly lol!

x
 
First started leaning over my mare bareback then sat on her and got led about a few times - then we tried her saddle then started leaning over and went from there really :)
Although just before i turned her away i rode her bareback in the school - she had been backed and riddden away for a good 6 months - i trotted her and she speeded up and panicked and i couldn't stop her!! managed to gain control - i think she was just too sensitive to ride bareback although very comfortable :)
 
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