How is everyone who is backing their babies getting on?

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NELSON11

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Just interested, how you are all doing with yours. My boy has been at school 5 weeks and is happily working off the lunge now in walk,trot and canter.

And had his first front pair of Nike Airs on Monday. so pleased with him so far :)
 
I haven't got a proper baby, instead I have a 14 year old baby. He lunges in walk, trot, canter and even over a few poles. Long reining is a bit confusing for him but we are going to keep working at it. Last night I backed him and he was a total star. Just stood there with his ears forward and when we were walking him round he was more interested in the scary jump wings than the fact he had me on board! :D
 
Rebacking my youngster, she took up longlining again beautifully, she took to being ridden again really well and has a nice walk and trot on and off the lunge line. She's going over poles whilst being lunged well too. Person (vastly more experienced) than me who was riding her has unfortunately been seriously ill so we're concentrating on getting out and about longlining around the area and now looking for a new saddle as she's filled out so much. I'm going slowly with her. As soon as I can get a saddle I'll be getting back on because I'm now quite desperate to.
 
Week 7, we are hacking out both alone and in company. Walk, trot and canter on both reins without drama. On Sunday we are off to our first ridden show to do tack&turnout plus an Intro A dressage test (walk & trot). Not expecting perfection but it will be a good benchmark of what to work on next..
 
Couple of pictures..Harry, week1
HarryLunge.jpg


week2

Harrytrotting2.jpg


week 3
HarryNod.jpg
 
I have 2.
One is a big baby (if you can call 11.2hh big) as she is 12, the other really is a baby at just four.
Big baby is now backed with no issue at all, and so is the real baby though we did have a little "bucking" issue!
 
I'm doing 5 this summer!

Two are going brilliant started riding them both off the lunge in walk trot and canter.

One little madam thinks its hilarious to buck me off so she's still on the lunge and the other two are so sharp they still got a bit of ground work and maturing to do! :)
 
I am not backing my baby but thought I'd join in anyway. Mine was actually backed at Christmas but has only been ridden about once a week since then, so is somewhat behind schedule. He is STILL a couple of inches lower at the wither than the bottom and horrendously weak & immature & till he gets shoes on we are a bit limited. Basically if we have this post in 6 months he might have just started doing things.

Oh and DDDex, LOVE the photos. You are so good actually riding your horse instead of thinking about riding him and then just having tea instead which is what I do.
 
My little boy has done really well....he has walked, trotted and cantered in the school as well as going over some trotting poles. He has been out for 4 short hacks past some cows and tractors.

I am going to ride him next week and then my intention is to leave him for a couple of months....he is only 3....
 
Lilly is about 9 weeks in, and is going through a bit of a growth spurt at the moment (filling out, getting longer etc) so is sleeping a lot. We're not doing much each day as a result - 20min max. She's 5yo this year (Sept I think) and can happily trot/canter a course of jumps up to 70cm, do a walk-trot test (first comp 25th July), canter a 20m circle, round the school etc (though not well enough to compete prelim yet - it's v tiring doing it properly lol!). She's been out to a mini SJ show (60cm bless her!) and was no different to the girl she is at home.

Oops forgot a pic:

Lilly snoozing today:
DSC00574.jpg


Lilly on 4th Jul
DSC00550.jpg


None ridden as I'm 5ft4 and she's only 14hh so until she's finished filling out I look a bit silly, as although not too heavy, am a bit leggy on her!
 
I have just backed my two 3 year olds, one was brilliant and the other was a bit nervous, 7 weeks later both are walking and trotting in the school and hacking out with company. Seen all manner of traffic and other animals and have been very good. Interestingly the one I thought would be sharp has been the best, I could not show him inhand as a 2 year old as he got too excited when seeing other horses but the other went to about 5 shows but proved to be the one more nervous and difficult to back. As both are ID,s and slow too mature they are now being turned away to next spring when hopefully they will remember everything and I will introduce canter work and small jumps.
 
my 4yo is doing well
walking trotting cantering, starting to understand contact more, turns are going well, soft into the halt..... until we started she had never been lunged so session 1 was first lunging session
shes on session 30 on monday.
some from session 28, 29-
20100714-071120013.jpg

20100714-071120017.jpg

20100714-071120011.jpg

Photo1650.jpg
 
Lily ia a 4yo tb, she went lame after i first sat on her, and has missed 4 weeks, i will now attempt to try again this weekend, hopefully she will remember not to throw me off lol, i don't think i could take another flying lesson.
4800274004_d67843a629.jpg
 
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My little lad has been at school 2 weeks now, and he has just started getting long reining/dragging people through village lol, i am pleased with how he is doing just can't wait to get on him now
 
Ok im the odd one out! everyone esles is going well, mine keeps going backwards! just got to the point where i thought , great! he has got it! he understands what i want, now he is back tense and nervous again! fed up! getting hampsters instead!
 
Little grey lad is cantering happily now and has been out in the show jump paddock schooling for his first time too and has a date next week for a hack round the estate with his best mate Hairy nannying him ;)
 
Mine came 4th at his first walk and trot test today - so well behaved and just generally gorgeous - he has an in hand show next weekend and then will have a month off . Help might be starting to come round to the idea of keeping the project :)
 
Excellent to hear all your stories. We have just finished week 6 and now happily working in the arena, walk, trot and canter softly. Funnily enough my 4 yo who has always been the big I am on the ground is one of the easiest horses to back and bring on, his rider has ever dealt with. I reckon they are giving him sedalin ha ha.

This week, start hacking around the lanes, at nearly 17.2hh, had to make sure he was responsive to rider before going out.

Really pleased though as he damaged his tendon in the paddock just after his futurity nealry 11months ago, we had the all clear on weds from vet who visisted to see if 5 weeks of work, he is holding up to. And he is. Very proud of my big man and glad to see not living up to Kevin the Teenager nickname he has obtained since a stroppy yearling.

Keep us all posted of progress guys.
 
OOOOoo this has made me really excited as my baby is going away to school this sunday! I have already sat on him and been lead round about four times with saddle & bridle on but apart from that he has only done a bit of lunge work.

He is going for 4 weeks maybe 6 weeks depending on how he gets on! He was good as gold when I got on him so hoping this will continue!

x
 
Getting very excited, just received a photo taken from aboard my boy on his first hack as a newly backed 4 yo. Makes me smile, Matt his rider takes a photo to send to me. If I was on him, my hands would be fixed on both reins. Not taking happy snapper shots for the owner.

Guess that is why he is a professional rider and I am not he he :)
Will try and post it later although not sure how to do it.
 
^ Lol I'm always taking snapshots on Barns now I'm 99.99999% sure he's not going throw in any surprises! Haha love him :D He's got a date to start going on his first 'proper' big hacks this week. Eeek :)
 
Harry's first ever ridden show last Sunday, seventh week from sitting on him for the first time :)We did tack & turnout as its a great warmup class with no demands like trot/canter. I did wonder why i bothered with a day of scrubbing horse and tack when the leadrein brigade arrived, popped kids on top and walked in to take 1st and 2nd...still Harry came 3rd :)

I had time to enter the 4&5 yr old class- this is VERY competative class but i thought i would be brave and have a go.. Harry had a couple of wobbles and made one decent attempt at a buck/nap/spin combo- thankfully i stayed on, growled and a good pony club kick ensured it didnt happen again. The judge had us walk and trot as a group and then halted us and said that quite a few people had requested not to canter so could they all come into the centre of the ring. I dithered as I have only just started cantering and thats only on the right lead in the woods.. I left it with the steward that i would have a go but if i had a problem then i would pull up and join the non-canter group...
Thankfully the judge started us cantering on the right rein so i was relaxed about getting the correct lead but worried as he hadnt cantered as a group plus a very busy jumpoff was in the neighbouring ring..well he went off nicely, ignored all the others overtaking us with their mahoosive dumblood/funnybred 5 yr olds :) changed the rein and asked for left canter- got right canter, asked again and got a disunited left lead that he manged to flying change into a correct left lead so he was ok infront of the judge :) :) She pulled us in 6th out of 10. Individual show went well and we stayed 6th :)

Then the walk/trot test. Harry went in and it started well.."enter at A in trot" sadly it didnt mention great big nappy loop to Nod before a pony club kick straightened him up..the rest of the test went ok, he was a typical wobbly baby but really tried for me :) we were unplaced with 53% :o he still has the handbrake on so it was hard work but i am still really pleased with his maturity

Couple of propics-hope linking is ok as OH has ordered these pics for me :)

http://visualise.morephotos.com/mp_...8351218&eventid=55220&imagename=_CAP5830t.jpg
http://visualise.morephotos.com/mp_...8351245&eventid=55220&imagename=_CAP5864t.jpg
http://visualise.morephotos.com/mp_...8351122&eventid=55220&imagename=_CAP5578t.jpg
 
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Darkly_Dreaming_Dex

I went to that show to walk my boy around. I had thought about entering the 4/5 year old class but when I contacted the Secretary she said there would be cantering so I didn't bother. If I had known I could sit out the canter I think I would have given it a go.

Maybe next year.

Lovely pictures by the way.
 
Tallante said:
Darkly_Dreaming_Dex

I went to that show to walk my boy around. I had thought about entering the 4/5 year old class but when I contacted the Secretary she said there would be cantering so I didn't bother. If I had known I could sit out the canter I think I would have given it a go.

Maybe next year.

Lovely pictures by the way.
Click to expand...

Next time come up and say hi- i only look scarey in RL- big softy really ;)

I was very suprised when they said you didnt have to canter (as i took io in it last year ) and TBH the judge wasnt at all happy about it. Her point was that if you enter a showing class then you should be able to ride at all paces (thats why i did tack and turnout so i could gauge his reactions) When i received my rosette, a comment was made that my bravery at attempting the canter wasnt going unrewarded :D

Thanks Nelson- i was bricking it but as Harry is such a laid back chap, combined with the fact the show was only 10 mins from me, i thought it was worth a go. I had prepared myself that if it all went wrong, i would make my excuses and leave :cool: the walk/trot test wasnt the prettiest but a very worthwhile exercise. I am planning on taking him on his own to a walk/trot test in a fortnight..it will be very interesting to see if there is any improvement :)
 
I have recently backed mine, only quickly though. I had him walking round with me just sat up top. Going to get reins and stirrups on him next and just poodle around. He seems very chilled out about it all.
 
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