Just backed four year old - what would you do next?

[doonrocket]

For those horsey geniuses.

I am just in the process of buying a four year old that has not long been backed. He's a lovely type with a calm temperament. I know the people that have bred and backed him and know they have taken their time to bring him on in the best possible way. Although my riding is not bad and I have a reasonable amount of experience now, this is the youngest horse I have taken on.

I have at least 2 hours a day to put towards him. With that in mind , has anybody out there got a rough development plan they have used with success? I intend to event him at a modest level eventually.

 

[Cliqmo]

Hiya, congratulations on the new purchase!! When does he arrive? I expect pics ASAP!!

Although I am not a strong advocate of all the 'natural horsemanship' techniques I do fully endorse spending alot of time on the ground with young horses, and developing a relationship and some mutual trust with them before hopping on to go riding ...This would be particularly useful to you if the horse will be moving yards, as leading out (for example) gives them a great opportunity to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings

I would also do plenty of lunging and/or long reining in the school, as this helps their physical development and also gets them listening to your voice (SOOO useful if you get into hot water whilst out riding and need to have them listening to you )

If I were you I would keep riding the horse restricted to a safe environment (school or enclosed field) until they are settled into their new home / routine / rider and then start building the work up once you are both comfortable

Best of luck

 

[JenHunt]

i think ^^ has the right idea too... lots of ground work and "nagging about" (leading about while you do chores) gets them used to seeing wheelbarrows move, washing being hung out, or whatever and gets them used to you and your voice and their surroundings.

I would keep on with a bit of riding in safe areas, groundwork, lunging/long reining etc until the clocks go back and then turn him away for the winter to grow up and mature and think about what he's learnt. then bring him back in in march to start again!

best of luck, let us know our progress and we do expect piccies!

 

[doonrocket]

About the turning away bit,

The horse is quite muscled up and ready to start work. I was intending to continue his education daily, maybe only riding 3 days a week. Some lunging and other ground work. This after a week or so to settle in. At the moment he gets a bit tired after half an hour or so.

Is it essential to turn him away if I am taking it slowly? he will grow more but is already physically capable.
I was thinking alongg the lines of,

Week one: introduce him to the farm, lead him around as the yard is at work. Gradually introduce him to the other geldings, starting with the quietest. Lots of grooming and trust building.

Week two: Lunging and riding quietly in walk in the school, in walk but ensuring he walks out well , the beginings of responding properly to leg aids. Ensuring he doesn't try to develop bad habits, like slowing past the arena gates.

Week three , more of the same, working on steering, long reigining and building understanding of basic aids through leg and hands.

Week 4: introduction to loading anddclippers. Less school work t let him get his head around these things.

and so on...

 

[Irishlife]

Ours is about to make his lightweight hunter debut next week and for the last couple of weeks we have been riding him around at showgrounds etc and he has been a very good boy with bouncy castles and all the fun of horse shows and the sights and sounds. He is homebred so we know him very well. However we could not have predicted him standing up on his hind legs when it all got too much for him as he has never reared in the field even. So first and foremost expect the unexpected.

We started our boy at Christmas and got him riding away ourselves. Because we are short on facilities we then sent him to boot camp to learn the basics. By March he was walking trotting and cantering on both reins, hacking out, jumping a 90cm course and a 1m cross country course. We then turned him away for two months and began him again by gentle hacking out for a few weeks with another horse jumping a few natural obstacles. We now lunge him every other day and do lots of work on transitions on the lunge, lengthening and shortening strides, controlling the pace and ensuring he is working through his back and responding to voice aids well. Under saddle he is encouraged to seek a contact and learn to balance himself. Lots of transitions, circles to rebalance him and encouraging him to go off the leg. Inbetween times he is hacked out, spends time in the field and is pampered.

He will do some dressage in the winter and show jumping and will most likely hunt a couple of half days too. After Christmas he will be turned away and started again around March/April for summer shows.

This is the routine for all our four year olds and they are kept busy, not pushed or overtaxed in anyway. We always lunge before riding on schooling days as it avoids a lot of high jinks, bucks etc and encourages the horse to do the right thing under saddle - make it easy for the horse to be good.

Don't over feed I cannot stress that enough keep the protein low 10% and feed chaff or sugar beet and some oil.

Good luck with im, you will find it so rewarding and take your time. Our foals do everything but unload the tumble dryer so yes familiarisation and putting him into positions where he has to think it through will only be of benefit to him.

 

[doonrocket]

Good stuff.
what oil is best - Naf omega stuff, or something basic? Are there any decent suppliments you would reccomend? My other boys have some general vitamin thing in their feed.

Looking forward to it , vetting better go OK!

 

[Irishlife]

I think Curragh Carron Oil is magic its a blend of linseed Omega bla bla. If you feed enough forage and his 10% he should not need anything else.