is it better to back and break yourself or send away

[gembob]

 

[Eira]

Depends on your level of experience really

 

[gembob]

ok say experienced but had 6 yrs out of the mad horse world

 

[DollyDolls]

Agree with above comment. I'm happy backing my youngster, I've got the time & I'm not in a hurry to get her going. However her attitude and temperament has made it easier. If I had a sharp TB that I wanted to get working asap then I would send away.

Money should never be a deciding factor. I am lucky to have experienced people around me in case I need it, but I'm doing it this way primarily for my horse & not my wallet.

 

[bellaboo]

Ive just put a post below to ask if there is anyone that could break my girlies for me.
I would love nothing more than to do it myself and maybe if she was abit smaller and i wasn't looking to do the stuff i want to do with her, i would do it myself, i really don't want anything to go wrong with her so finding someone who is regularly doing this and getting good results is the way i would choose to go

 

[Natch]

Really depends if you "know inside" you can do it or not. I would, personally, even though I have never backed a horse myself per se because I am confident I would do a good job, and have had a really bad experience sending them away. I would also involve my instructor though.

 

[zoeshiloh]

I have always said that I would send my young stallion away to be backed, but having now visisted some of the yards I had 'selected' I am seriously having doubts. I have backed and brought on lots of horses myself, but I am just so terrified of getting it wrong with him - I don't know why as nothing has gone wrong before, but I really just want him to have a great start with a pro. I have visited yards charging £120p/wk up to yards charging £350p/wk and am yet to find one that I am happy with.

One thing to remember (whether its a breaking or schooling yard) is that the person who you think you are sending your horse to may not be the one doing the work. I worked at a very famous dressage yard once (where they charged over £1500 a month for livery) and not a single livery horse was ridden by the international rider whom the yard belonged to - they were all schooled and ridden by grooms, most of whom knew less than the owner of the horse!

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

I would always back my self. Its your own then and you have more satisfaction knowing that your have made that horse. IMHO

 

[gembob]

I think the best bet for us is to get her home see how she settles in and get some weight on her before even considering anything then i might have a go at backing her then send her away to be broke by a pro so i dnt ruin her, not that i think i will, the first horse i broke was a colt id bought at 6 months old he went to his new home at 4 entire and bombproof.

 

[Foxford]

I'll be backing my youngster next year even though I've never done it before. He has an exceptionally easy temperament and takes everything in his stride. He is also quite attached to me and I want him to be backed by someone who he trusts. I will have help if I need it, but even then it will be someone telling me what to do rather than doing it themselves!

 

[Ticktockted]

If you are confident then do what you can yourself. I mouth mine, get them used to a roller and side reins and i longrein and lunge them. I also let my stuffed overalls sit on them (don't laugh!) but i do not do the 'backing' as i am not fully confident on that score which does not help the horse. I am very fortunate to have a yard near to me that does a very good job and i trust them. If your not sure about sending your horse away then have someone come to you! that way you can learn loads to.

 

[Theresa_F]

I have backed my youngster, got him able to do walk, trot and canter and have done a couple of local shows on him.

He now is at the stage where he could do with a few weeks of being ridden/schooled every day to get him really established.

I can only do 3 or 4 days a week and know my limitations both in time and experience of younsters. He is off to a professional who I know and trust next week for 2/3 weeks of pony boot camp. Once he is truely established walk/trot/canter and basic schooling, then the time I can put into him should be enough.

I have also had a professional come to me very few weeks to assist and monitor me as this is my first youngster. So far we have come along really well, but I know feel that some professional training will really set him up for the future. I will then continue with my lessons with him.

Originally I wanted to do everything, but he is now 4 and I am being realistic as to my time and experience at this stage in his life.

 

[Charlie77]

I used to work at a stud yard so backed a lot of babies, I broke my own horse who I had since he was weaned & since a cob who I also had from a foal, I now have a yearling who I will back & hack out, however this time I have full intention of sending this one to my trainer to ride on for a few weeks, once he's been backed & hacked out and turned away when he starts his proper ridden career if that makes any since?

I'm not so sure I would want to back a 3 or 4 year old that I didn't really know though, having them from babies I think you have a much better idea of them & there body langue.

Kind regards,

 

[tinker512]

Depends how experienced you are in breaking horses and also how quiet and balnced you are. I personlly wouldn't break a horse on my own, I know my self I would need to be more balnced and quiet, but would rather get some one to come out to me, so I could gain experience as well

 

[BeckyD]

I don't think I'm capable of it (despite having backed and broken a few ponies as a kid) so I'm afraid I'd send away. Obviously I'd love to be a part of it, but I'd rather it be done professionally and well. Not something that I could guarantee if I did it myself

 

[Amber123]

I sent my youngster away to a registered british dressage trainer as I wanted the best start for my pony. After 6 weeks and £800 later he was still only being lunged (which he had already been doing before he was sent to this trainer)!! So I bought him home, he was no further along than when I sent him there :-( ! I would say that its much better to do it yourself or but if your not confident enough then just get someone out to help you.

 

[Sammason]

i've just bought a 3 yr old to back myself. Think his temperment is making it easier though. Had him 2 weeks now and is lunging for 10 mins a day with side rein. He has supposedly had nothing done with him but has been well handled. Am taking it at his pace and not rushing him. Hopefully will be backed by the end of the summer if all goes to plan. xxx

 

[kerilli]

i always do my own, always have done, but i have a 3yr old at the moment i have a few doubts about, so she's getting one chance, and if she dumps me, she's going to someone else, i think! we'll see, depends how much temper she shows during the pre-backing stuff.
i have heard too many horror stories first hand about young horses being wrecked by being done in a hurry in so-called professional yards, though, so i'd never send away unless i really thought it was imperative to do so.

 

[scotsmare]

I did my own until I bought the demons!! Two half sisters from same mare. They have both proved to be extremely high strung and faff about constantly. The eldest used to go mental just on the lunge! I sent her away to be broken and it was more a case of her breaking them (a finger, two ribs and a dose of concussion). Am going to start the 3 yr old on the lunge and see how she goes but the 1st time she b*ggers off then she's going to someone else!!

 

[volatis]

I do it for a living, so always back my own and all my bosses (except the 12.2hhs who are a little small for me)

I would be worrided about sending one to a big pro yard as I would worry who would be actually doing the riding.

 

[Bananarama]

I re-backed a cold backed mare who had been abused and lost her trust with people. And if I had a youngster I would want to do everything by myself TBH. x

 

[Lyndz]

I had,after 15years of riding my 1st youngster(arabxwelsh). At the time she was, shall we say very full of attitude, so I opted to send her away, as i was convinced i would come off worse!! Found a really good guy to break her and as it happened she was fine, took 5 weeks, top job done.

However, we now have a 2yr old welsh cross shire, who is very people friendly and we are going to break him ourselves when the time comes.

I guess what i'm trying to say, is that it depends on your experience and what the horse is like.
You don't really want to break it yourself, make a mess of it and ruin a perfectly good horse, but on the other hand, if you are sending it away, you need to be happy that the person you are sending it to is right for the job, will treat your horse correctly and fairly considering the culture shock they are about to go thru!

Also consider their policy on sending back if you aren't happy with the job they've done! Insist on riding it before you take it home! Luckily the guy i used, wouldn't let me take her home unless i was 100% happy with her and even said to call him if we had any problems and he would take her straight back in. He used to tackle allsorts of problem horses, and as far as i know none ever came back!