I backed my wild pony - so proud :D

[Beatrice5]

Well as title.

Quick background - Bought Willow aged 2 from a lady who had bought him from NF sales. He had been wormed, had farrier , fed hay but basically lived in a herd so was still very much a wild forest pony when he came here.

Have spent past 2 years handling, tacking up, walking out on roads, meeting tractors etc and had small child with body protector , hat etc and husband holding small child on ponies back this summer a few times just to get pony used to a lightweight rider.

So Friday we hired an indoor school just down the road and I just wanted to walk Willow around, get on the mounting block a few times, wave my arms and legs around whilst on mounting block and just see how he felt.

He was so chilled I thought to myself well as we are here I could just slip on and see what he does........ Now I wouldn't recommend this because I was on my own but I was wearing a body protector and hat but had forgotten to take small child stirrups off so had no stirrups ( whoopse) but he just stood there quite happy. So I asked him to walk on and he took 2 steps back so I let him stand again then asked him to take a step to the side and it all slotted into place and we walked around and practised stopping and steering and he was so sweet.

I only did about 5 mins ridden walking them hopped off and gave him a handful of grass and walked him in hand home again.

So proud and was shaking from the adrenalin. Will do again a few tims next week.

When would you hack out? I have done quite a lot of inhand road walking and apart from huge tractors with trailer he is very good and even then he only looks and prefers to get into a drive way to give himself some more space.

Also when do you go from happy mouth straight bar to metal bit? He seems to find happy mouth quite a mouthful as he has a fat tounge. Was thinking Myler but 5 inch ones seem in short supply second hand

 

[Tonty Tont]

Well done!

I backed my pony myself too, so I know how fantastic it feels

We hacked out the second time that I properly sat on him with a saddle, I had a friend leading him and we went out with a schoolmaster-type pony. I don't have a school though, so I had no choice

I have no idea about the bit, just wanted to say congratulations

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

ooh well done from me as well - keep us updated, I have a wild 2yo Welsh D that I'm planning to back in time too, so it's very heartening to hear when other people are doing it!
Someone more bit-savvy will no doubt be along to advise about that shortly! If I remember rightly, in Richard Maxwell's 'Training your young horse' I think he says if they're thick-tongued then a thinner bit will be kinder ultimately as more comfortable, but you might want to check his book out yourself as I could be wildly misquoting him! It's well worth a look anyway, and good for stuff about riding on etc.

 

[Beatrice5]

Thank you.

He was such a wild pony and is still very warey of strangers but he is so chilled with his human family which is very special.

I do now have some riding buddies ( I keep my horses at home) with sensible older school masters so was going to go out for a short hack with them and jump off and walk when he gets tired.

He is only 13.2hh and a New Forest so reasonably well built but I do fell a bit mean at 91/2 stone and 5ft 8 !! He will be for my 6 yr old son once I am happy he is going sensibly and has met ever imaginable senario and coped calmly. I have guesstimated it will take about a year of me hacking him a few times a week before he is suitable for son - any thoughts?

 

[Beatrice5]

Thank you again

Have Richard Maxwells book and yes it does say that but I feel I may have to invest in quite a few bits before we find the one he likes !! Expensive beast