Good stories please of riding on just backed youngsters!

Spot_the_Risk

Spot_the_Risk

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Just as a confidence boost for me! My rising four year old is away being professioanlly backed and ridden on, and everything is going well, he's not the brightest of lads and needs a few tries before he works things out, but trainer adn I agree that he isn't a naughty boy at all. He'll be coming back to me when he's ready, and I'll spend the summer riding him on, nice and quiet and steady. I'd love to hear stories of youngsters which haven't given their riders a moment of trouble, and have generally been uncomplicated, I think Tinner will continue to be a good boy but positive stories would be fabulous!

Gratuitous pic of me and Tinner!

 
My boy was backed in October last year until then he'd never been touched just lived wild in a heard. He amazes me every day on just how well he's taken to everything, this been the first times he's been touched, handled, stabled, rugged everything for him was a first and he's never been a moments bother. He's such a bold brave and trusting horse and looks very very similar to your handsome chap! It's so rewarding seeing them improve and learn week by week, wish you all the luck with him :-)
 
Ive ridden a few just backed/green horses that have generally been uncomplicated.

You are going to have wobbles, it would be naive to say otherwise, you just have to go the right speed and listen to them.
Going too slow is just as bad as too fast IMO- you want them forward thinking, and to keep their little brains occupied- if they get bored and start making decisions thats where your problems start.

Are you able to go and ride him at the pros yard a few times, so they can tell you where his buttons are etc
 
Hi, we backed my boy last year, he was no problem at all, he is hacking out quietly with my daughters pony and takes everything in his stride.
Still not cantered him yet but we have moved to a fab new yard with great off road riding so will do that soon!
Your boy looks lovely, good luck with him:)
 
Your horse is gorgeous, I too want to hear hearts and flowers stories as I'm about to get stuck in to starting my welshie :D
I got my haffy as a never been hacked 4 year old, I'm hoping this will be easier than that :p
 
If they have been backed well and properly, then a nice youngster should be relatively problem free. I brought on my girl who I backed with RI and she really had very few wobbles. Partly cos as a nervous Nellie I knew I had to be brave for both of us and partly as she was hungry to learn.

Only fell off once, in the school when starting to canter and she did the mini motorbike wall of death impression :-))))

There were a couple of things where she didn't seem to get what I wanted or wouldn't do it. Without exception when we left it overnight for her to have a think about it she would come out and do it right first time the next day.

I hacked her out alone from the start and as a result she is as good alone as she is in company.

I would go so far as to say that with the right support of knowledge and experience, patience and some money it is easier to produce the horse you want from scratch than it is to buy an already broken/ridden one. But it does depend on having that support

Mine was a very happy experience! I should add for Rhodders benefit that she was a Haffie :-DD
 
Our little loan ponyis rising 7and was backed last summer and spent 6 months on loan to a 9 year old girl prior to coming to us.He didn't leave their property before he came to us,so was very,very green.

We have had him for 2 months and my 7 year old daughter is riding him.Since he has been with us he has:

Learnt how to load/unload quietly
Hacked out on the road
Been in an indoor school
Attended a mock hunt
Attended a Pony Club rally
Met farm livestock
Had lessons with an instructor
Improved his canter.



He has been an absolute star and taken everything in his stride,the only problem we have had has been when he took fright at a tractor & trailer out hacking,and did a runner,but I'm sure we can overcome that with patience and practice.We have had older ponies who have been a lot spookier/sillier than him,he really is a delight.
 
we have just backed a highland who absolutely bombproof and she is doing really well hasnt put a foot wrong here she is walking trotting and halting like a pro



This was her 4th day of training

We have a young connie too that has been great in spite of being a sensitive soul she is the one who leads everything passed the spooky things when out in company and is happy to hack alone along a major A road
The old girl has taught loads of people to ride childrena dn adults alike
All have been here since they were babies the oldest was 18 months old when she came the youngster above is her daughter and has been here all her life
 
First of all your boy is just gorgeous! Many years ago I bred a lovely IDxTB mare and due to the unexpected arrival of my boys she was almost completely unhandled as a baby. An experienced friend helped me break her in and back her and her education was then interrupted once more by the arrival of my daughter. She basically was very straighforward and never really put a foot wrong. I'm hoping my new QHxIrish baby will be as good! Good luck for the future, I'm sure all will go well. :)
 
xloopylozzax said:
Ive ridden a few just backed/green horses that have generally been uncomplicated.

You are going to have wobbles, it would be naive to say otherwise, you just have to go the right speed and listen to them.
Going too slow is just as bad as too fast IMO- you want them forward thinking, and to keep their little brains occupied- if they get bored and start making decisions thats where your problems start.

Are you able to go and ride him at the pros yard a few times, so they can tell you where his buttons are etc
Click to expand...

This.

I've backed a couple of youngsters myself who were very easy and I found that walking in hand and long reining helped to build a bond and gave me chance to learn how they reacted to things. To be fair I had the year before backing with both so had time to do that before being on top. Singing helps :D If you feel nervous sing a favourite song.
 
Tinner is gorgeous! You must post photos of him once under saddle!
I've had two lovely geldings that were never an ounce of trouble from backing. One was a Connemara gelding. He never once protested, argued or anything. Started him with hacking and he has never put a foot wrong. Never bucked, reared, bolted. He just thoroughly enjoys his rides and has now gone on loan to a teenage girl and has given her heaps of confidence, despite him being a youngster.
The second one was my Arab. Exactly the same. Just accepted everything. I have had a wonderful autumn/winter of hacking him and light schooling and he has been such an enjoyable pleasure. They both have wonderful trusting natures. Fantastic boys :)
 
We have three youngsters broken in the last couple of years. I think the key to success is having someone as backup. Whether that be an instructor or someone to help.

Pearl and Daisy are both really easy, Freddie is a lot sharper. Go and ride yours at the breakers yard so you have the feel of him before you go home. Enjoy!
 
In a previous life I had a job re schooling ex-racehorses and backing and bringing on hooligans. I was a bit of loon back then and would literally get on anything so naturally all the challenging rides were thrown my way. I never rode anything sensible, that was all part of the fun for me. I loved the thrill of turning something seemingly impossible around and watching new owners enjoying these reformed characters gave me such a massive sense of achievement. However it all ended when I had two very bad falls quite close together. The first taking a young horse cross country schooling for the first time. The horse didn't put a foot wrong but one snapped stirrup later I landed on my head, knocked myself out and ended up with concussion. The second fall I was riding a four year old very opinionated pony, popping her through a grid she went to take off at the second element, changed her mind, spun and deposited me on the ground where I landed with my foot twisted round the wrong way completely messing my knee up for good.

I lost most of my bravado after that. I just didn't have the guts for backing and breaking anymore and alongside my injury didn't think it was a good idea carrying on with that type of work any longer. I was feeling very down on myself about the whole thing. Then I received a dutch warmblood yearling as a gift. When the time came I decided to back her myself.

She's rising four now and has been the easiest horse to work with that I have ever dealt with. Nothing is a problem to her. She's completely trusting and accepting of every question asked. I've never had a moments hassle with her. I just am amazed to see a youngster take to everything so well after the kind of horses I used to deal with. She's hacking out quietly now and doing a little school work. She's just really good fun! When my gelding is messing me about and causing me to tear my hair out I know I can go and work with my little three year old confident that I'm going to have a great, relaxing, positive ride. She's given me so much confidence back after it was so badly dented. :)
 
Mine has been home 2 weeks from jason webbs, been body perfect, i need to chill out for him, he has had everything thrown at him on the roads this week and done motorway bridge, been really good. Couple of hairy moments but I was equipped with responses, one rein stop etc. he is just brilliant and came home a week early
 
Oh wow, some great stories on here, and thank you everyone for being so nice about Tinner - he came to me from a dealers yard in Cornwall as a five month old feral weanling and has been a delight ever since. I thought long and hard about where to send him, and the young event rider who has him in someone that we've been delivering feed to for quite a while - we'd seen her yard, always full and with happy relaxed horses, and on speaking with her she asked me some good sensible questions, and Tinner will come home ready to continue hacking out, and with walk and trot established, good to long rein and lunge a little, and basically ready for go on - she's also suggested I ride him out a few times from her yard. He's not four until mid June, Im hoping to just keep riding him out, and I'd be delighted to get him to a few local shows/dressage events, even if we don't compete and it's just education, rides alone and with friends etc.
 
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