How far do you take a youngster?

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Day three and Dex was lead around the outside of the school today, and George was stopping and asking him to move off without any of my input. Super pleased, he’s said he’s one of the easiest breakers he’s ever had and that if he hadn’t seen how weak and young he was when he arrived he’d almost think he’d done this all before.

But now I need to decide how far to take him, so I’m curious how you’ve broached it with yours?

George reckons walking trotting independently in the school and leave it there for a while then re-break him once I’m able to ride which I’d be happy with. I don’t think cantering is necessary in something as big and young as Dex..

Thoughts? (Money is no object here, he’ll get as much or as little as he needs)

 

[TheMule]

I like them to go hacking in company from very early on- it gives them more of a purpose and a reason to go forwards willingly, plus it's a pretty essential skill for most horses. I also wouldn’t be bothered about cantering

 

[ycbm]

I'd get him walk and trot hacking for 30 minutes, straight lines.
.

 

[maya2008]

I get stop/go/basic steering, first trots sitting up to rising trot somewhere enclosed. Then they go out hacking for a few months, 3x a week, slowly building fitness until we have confident 40-60min hacks with plenty of trot and a few canters.

 

[JBM]

usually walk trot canter and some hacking with a confident horse
Canter is brief more about introducing the aid

 

[AmyMay]

I agree about getting him out for daily hacks at walk & trot, for a couple of weeks. Then chuck him out unt the spring.

 

[Caol Ila]

She was so wobbly and unbalanced in the school to start with. I got her walking, stopping, and steering without the ground person then immediately hit the trails. After a few months of that, we got the trot in the school but still doing 95% hacking.

A trainer pointed out that she is such a petite, fine mare that it will take longer to build muscle mass, compared to say, a horse like Fin. Made sense to me. I know that a guy with roughly the same level of fitness as me can carry a backpack with a full climbing rack and rope in it up a steep hill easily, while I feel like I am about to fall over. To carry it as easily as him, I need a much higher baseline of fitness. Most men have more muscle mass than I do (a petite 5'4 female).

I built up trail time and distance slowly. We have about 15 minutes of roadwork between us and the trails, and I did not fancy riding on the roads until the steering was very reliable. So we would lead her in hand to the park (which she was good at...did tons of it), then I would clamber on board and sit on her for 10 minutes to start with, then gradually increasing that. Eventually her stamina and skills were enough to ride all the way to the park.

I haven't turned away, but she was a lot older than yours when I backed her.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

My only concern with hacking is that we are at the foot of the downs, so to get anywhere that isn’t up the lane and back we’d have to go up some pretty steep hills. I may get him up the lane and round the field at the top and then hit the hills in hand instead. I’m in no rush and he’s been so easy that I don’t think it will be to his detriment

 

[dorsetladette]

walk and trot and the aids the make riding him safe (stop, go, left, right, etc) then out hacking. I would worry about canter until he is balanced in walk and trot. I wouldn't worry about hills to much. We were up in the peak district and all ours were out hacking as soon as we had the basics in place. Straight lines on hills (IMHO) are better than circles for joint on youngsters.

 

[Caol Ila]

Yeah, hills are fine so long as you're sensible about how far and fast you go. It's tight turns on a soft surface that's harder on a youngster's joints.

 

[SpeedyPony]

Agree with hacking mostly- I've done a combination of in hand and ridden with mine- if I thought the hill was a bit steep/the distance too far to ride I'd lead for a while then hop on when the ground was more level. Hills in hand/long reining are ideal for getting them fit as well. I'd say mostly walk, some trot and perhaps introduce canter if an ideal opportunity presented itself, but I wouldn't set it as a particular goal. Mostly I'd want them to get used to seeing anything they're likely to encounter out and about.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just get him out for a bit of hacking and just lead him for part of it even if it's just ten minutes riding and 10 minutes leading, then just leave him when the weather turns and and pick up in the spring.

 

[Red-1]

My only concern with hacking is that we are at the foot of the downs, so to get anywhere that isn’t up the lane and back we’d have to go up some pretty steep hills. I may get him up the lane and round the field at the top and then hit the hills in hand instead. I’m in no rush and he’s been so easy that I don’t think it will be to his detriment

Sounds like a plan to me!

I guess my only caveat is that the trainer had a slightly different plan and he seems kind, knowledgeable and successful, so I would be inclined to follow his advice as he is the only one who has actually sat on the horse. He may think Dex needs more processing time before going out in the open or something.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Sounds like a plan to me!

I guess my only caveat is that the trainer had a slightly different plan and he seems kind, knowledgeable and successful, so I would be inclined to follow his advice as he is the only one who has actually sat on the horse. He may think Dex needs more processing time before going out in the open or something.

Oh absolutely, I cannot ride at the moment anyway so it will be a chat I have with George we have discussed already Dex can have as little or as much as George feels is necessary

 

[Melody Grey]

If you’re worried about hills and have no alternative than to use them, could you lead from a more established horse first to build strength? Also another string to their bow- we used to do this for a bit before backing.