How much should you know before backing a pony?

kyanya

kyanya

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I've just been contacted by someone with two 5yr old NF ponies who are currently sitting in a field doing nothing who could do with some love, attention and education, it seems.

Neither has been backed, both have had someone sit on them and one has been led out with someone on top.

I'm quite a competent rider and I've helped with youngsters before, but I've never backed a pony, or even helped to.

How much did you all know before you backed your first horse? Just trying to get an idea of whether this is something I might be able to manage, or if I'd be stupid to take it on. I'm not sure how much help there'd be around - they're on a yard and owned by the YO, but she had a fall and hasn't really got back into the horses since then, apparently
 
I backed a pony when I was about 13, I'd been riding since I was 6 so was relatively competent, but looking back now it probably wasn't the best idea :)

It all turned out ok as even when I was young I was very concious of taking time over things and making sure he understood what was being asked of him to avoid him getting frazzled over everything :) Today he's a happy little pony club pony, so I must have done something right!

I think you'll be fine as long as you take things slowly with them, and have somebody on hand to help :)
 
You need to have a fair amount of experience, IMO. My highland was bought bya relative novice who'd been told to get an older highland type. She came back with a 3yr old, barely handled, walk-all over you highland. They had issues from catching to simple handling. The woman did have help from extremely knowledgable people.

I had no pony and wasn't intending on backing it but simply getting it to the point of backing as I've done with a couple others. The pony and I clicked and with tips and assistance, I backed the pony and we're still going strong today. I have had instructors telling me she's a super little mare so must have done something right.

I now have a Newfie (3 yr old) that I aim to back next year and again will be done at her pace. I feel more confident about this one and have support from several people.

That they are quiet? with someone on them, is a good start in the right direction.
 
i have many years experience at backing young racehorses , and verious other types too. when i started off backing i waited half a year and tried to get as much experience in backing horses as much as i could , the one thing i would surgest is to try and find a local place , stud farm, training stables what ever to ask if you can spend sometime watching how they go about backing and bringing on .

i say this because horse/ponies can get very messed up if you havnt a clue on how to go about doing it . even when people say get a expeienced person in , this doesnt stop your nerves being transfered to the horse/pony .
you may know how to go about things with a experinced person , but your nerves can also cause problems and if your not confident ,then i say leave it to people that know what they are doing but also confident .
i say this from experienced ,ive seen a girl being chucked off over a gate before by a horse that was reletively carm ,laid back boy , the girl had never broke horses before and possibley had nerves that transfered to him ,as he through the most big buck ,knocking her over the gate nearly knocking her out and fractering her ribs .
no one would in the end touch him after that , but in the end i did it . he is know out doing competeing
so please either get experience , and confidence or get someone else to do it
 
As above. Everyone I know who does it professionally did extensive apprenticing, often in different systems, with established horsemen. The tricky bit is not the first sitting on bits (although that can go very wrong) it's the preparation and, most importantly, the first few rides. The horse learns EVERYTHING it needs to know for the rest of its ridden career in the first few sessions and the more right it goes initially, the better things will go from there. The worst is, without experience, it's quite easy to not even know it's going wrong unless something dramatic happens, which is relatively rare at that stage. :( If the rider is inexperienced with young horses it's important to have someone else at least observing if not actually participating.

What worries me more about the OP situation, though, is the prospect of two relatively "old" horses, with little consistent handling/training, and the distinct prospect of little experienced help. I quite often start horses on my own but I have a very particular system worked out over decades, literally, and tested on scores of horses. Even then, there are times when I'd seek some assistance if I thought it would help in a particular situation. Just going to start a strange horse, alone, in a place where you have little control over the situation or the people around you, seems a recipe for unpleasantness.

That said, perhaps they would be open to finding someone in the area with more experience to oversee the situation with you as an assistant and eventual permanent jockey for the ponies? That way they get their horses started, you get the experience, and the professional has the guarantee of interested, competent help on hand. Of course, if they're looking to get the work done for free then this wouldn't work, but I can advise you from looooong experience, to avoid situations like that on principle. ;)
 
Sorry but I don't think you should do it.

Whatever happens at this stage of the ponies education is going to stay with them for life and unitentionally obviously you might do something wrong which someone else then has to undo.

Far better to leave it to the professionals.
 
some horses are straight forward to back with no issues - fine, but there are 2 things you need to ask yourself :

1) do you have the knowledge and help to educate these youngsters with this being probably the most important part of their ridden career ?

2) if they do turn out to not be one of the rare 'very straight forward' ponies to back are you going to be able to deal with what may be thrown at you ?

its not just about being able to stay on if the have the odd spook or buck, its also about being able to educate them and train them to do the desired behaviours and abstain from the 'not so desired' behaviours.

with more tricky horses experience does come into play as when nothing seems to be working you need to be able to find another way.

you need to be sure that when they meet their first speeding motorist, have the plastic bag blow out of the hedge for the first time or decide actually they would rather not walk out of the yard today that you are able to successfully deal with that.

i think people often understimate how things going wrong at the backing and bringing on stage can cause so many potential future problems - im currently riding a horse that has suffered just this and has been labelled as 'dangerous' when in actual fact they are just uneducated and mishandled.

its a decision you need to make your self but my honest opinion is no, its not a good idea unless you have experienced help of get some experience yourself, sorry
 
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If you're wanting to produce a sensible well mannered pony who may not be a world beater but will behave, then all you need is to be competant, have common sense and plenty of time and patience. And a good idea in your head of what you're wanting and how to get it.

It isn't rocket science backing a horse or teaching it it's manners it'll need during it's life.

I've got two horses I've backed myself. One I 'aquired' unbroken older horse because of his temperament (VERY sensitive and flighty), the other I bought as a baby. I'd worked with difficult horses and youngsters before but never backed my own. But I'm confident, patient, competant and sensible (well, according to me anyways;)) and 'Aquired Horse' is out and about leading a useful life depsite his silliness. Baby horse is the easiest horse in the world, as done all the desensitizing bits and is happily being sat on and walking round the field. I'm just waiting for him to grow up enought to be able to do more work now! Friend has a similar ability and experience with horses and broke her own young TB and he's doing well too.

If you've worked with young horses before and are confident bringing their training on, then the only extra you need is the initial backing part (not difficult, just takes common sense and patience). It's just an extention of the same type of training.

If you can see a clear route from A to C of what you're wanting and how to acheive it, plus alternatives if it doesn't work, I don't see why not!
 
I agree with Kallibear - I bought two NF wild youngsters, sent one away to be professionally broken, and I did the other one with my neice.....and I have to say I did the better job!! (not that I am biased or anything!!)
 
I think I need to meet the ponies and the YO and find out the situation a bit better - if it was just going to be me at the yard on my own in the evenings trying to turn 2 ponies into well educated people I don't think I'd take it on.
 
Sounds to me as if this person is potentially going to use you as a free backing/bringing on service, then profit from your time and sell the ponies on. Are you ok with that if it happens?

btw are you kyanya who used to share Gypsy in Chorleywood?
 
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