HorseyStar
Well-Known Member
Just intrigued how otha ppl do it methods, things that work, things that dont, how you mouth, wat bit you use, what age you start them etc etc.....
How do you back & start your youngsters??!
- Thread starter HorseyStar
- Start date
Jorel
Well-Known Member
All the ones I've done so far have been in a basic eggbutt snaffle. Lots of ground work, long lining to move them forward, roundpenning but thats a personal interest of mine. Slow and steady seemed to be the best way with the ones I've done however I was tought to make them work forward from the moment your on them and never slack off. The words I was given were "If you're not shattered after 10 minutes on a youngster you're probably going about it the wrong way". I was also told not to be scared of using a stick to send the horse forward after leg use to teach it to go of the leg - as time went on the sticks became redundant. But everyone is very very different. Depends on the individual horse aswell, I've been fortunate (maybe it's been sheer dumb luck?) in the ones I've dealt with so far.
BSJAlove
Well-Known Member
i always start in a full cheek as it helps them get the idea on steering and i start backing at 4 years and never bother turning them away. i just take things slowly.
first i teach them to lunge and accept tack. those are pretty simple. then i start them in a pessoa to build up the right muscles. once this is boring to them, i start to put weight on their backs and sit on them in walk on the lunge. do this until happily making the walk trot and halt (upwards and downwards transitions) for a week or so, then i take lunge line off and do it all free style. at this point, the baby will also be led out from another horse out hacking to get them 'out'.
once walk trot canter and halt is established and i know i can control the baby, i start going on small hacks.
and from there you continue
first i teach them to lunge and accept tack. those are pretty simple. then i start them in a pessoa to build up the right muscles. once this is boring to them, i start to put weight on their backs and sit on them in walk on the lunge. do this until happily making the walk trot and halt (upwards and downwards transitions) for a week or so, then i take lunge line off and do it all free style. at this point, the baby will also be led out from another horse out hacking to get them 'out'.
once walk trot canter and halt is established and i know i can control the baby, i start going on small hacks.
and from there you continue
LeannePip
Well-Known Member
i started my now 3year old probably around 18months when she came to me unhandled, thats really where her training began. she was bitted at 2 years old i origionally used a straight bar nylon mouthpiece thinking this would be the kindest thing but it was far too thick for her mouth and she found it uncomfortable to the extent she wouldnt close her mouth, so since then shes been in a copper loose ring snaffle with a lozenge and is happy as larry with it and mouths up extremly well and is very soft she longlined a few times but we didnt really have any where suitable to do it. we did alot of inhand work with her inhand hacks, showing, main roads, bombproofing she then go5t left for the winter with the odd walk mainly due to the weather, i backed her this year as a three year old after more extensive in-hand work, took it all in her stride, we wander round the woods a couple of times a week, shes been to the beach played in the water, she still shows in hand, shes basically just seeing the world and having fun. she has no pressure on her, shes never 'schooled' as such and shes generally as happy as larry although can have her toddler moments! no doubt she'll have time off over the winter if its anything like the last two years and will come back in feb/march time to step up the work load ready for hopefully a couple of small shows under saddle as a 4 year old she doesn't lunge, as 1) shes not the firey type to run round the end of a lungeline 2) i have never had a need to lunge her even when i backed her, i've always been able to get straight on whether shes had one day off or three weeks, thats just her temperment and 3) shes a little bit 'simple' and cant understand why any horse in their right mind would run round on the end of a rope 
she longlined a few times but we didnt really have any where suitable to do it. we did alot of inhand work with her inhand hacks, showing, main roads, bombproofing she then go5t left for the winter with the odd walk mainly due to the weather, i backed her this year as a three year old after more extensive in-hand work, took it all in her stride, we wander round the woods a couple of times a week, shes been to the beach played in the water, she still shows in hand, shes basically just seeing the world and having fun. she has no pressure on her, shes never 'schooled' as such and shes generally as happy as larry although can have her toddler moments! no doubt she'll have time off over the winter if its anything like the last two years and will come back in feb/march time to step up the work load ready for hopefully a couple of small shows under saddle as a 4 year old she doesn't lunge, as 1) shes not the firey type to run round the end of a lungeline 2) i have never had a need to lunge her even when i backed her, i've always been able to get straight on whether shes had one day off or three weeks, thats just her temperment and 3) shes a little bit 'simple' and cant understand why any horse in their right mind would run round on the end of a rope be positive
Well-Known Member
They are all different and a lot depends on previous experiences,I have had one that came in very confident and long reined well ,he was sat on after two days and hacking alone after four days.Others need a much slower approach as to rush them can spoil them long term.
I have usually lunged and long reined until totally confident in full tack,lean over and walk round,pick a good day and get on.How quickly they progress is dependant on the individual.
I feel the most important thing is to have them moving forward and being confident at each stage always be prepared to go back a step to build on this.
Bit to suit each mouth,some like french links some a rubber or happy mouth.
Always be firm ,clear with your instructions and be flexible with your methods.
I have usually lunged and long reined until totally confident in full tack,lean over and walk round,pick a good day and get on.How quickly they progress is dependant on the individual.
I feel the most important thing is to have them moving forward and being confident at each stage always be prepared to go back a step to build on this.
Bit to suit each mouth,some like french links some a rubber or happy mouth.
Always be firm ,clear with your instructions and be flexible with your methods.
intouch
Well-Known Member
Round pen to begin with but more to familiarise the horse with voice aids and body language cues, then work on line to build their confidence and moving away from pressure - all the time using generous praise. We start our horses in the rope halter we use on line, they are taught to be soft to light pressure and we do lots of work in walk to establish directional cues and brakes, before progressing to higher paces. Only introduce a bit if owner requires it.