Older broken in horse advise?

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EdithSparrow

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So iv been offered a full lease on this very nice clyde cross section d welsh gelding who at the moment is 10 years old but has only been broken in for a year and for most of that hes had a un educated 11 year old owning him and hasnt done too much with him she brought him on a whim and cant cope,He was too big for her and using that against her. (im use to a 18hh horse this dosent really phhase me use to that)and i was wondering what type of exercises and such i can do with him to help further his education under the saddle. Iv ridden young horses before that are freshly broke but never on a older horse thats just been broke i was wondering if that makes much of a difference.
I know what a big responsibility this is hence why im doing all the research i can before agreeing, i was just hoping on some advise and such on the matter :D
Thanks Edith
 
I assume you are loaning rather than paying a lease for what is an uneducated low value horse, as for what to do I would treat it the same as any young ignorant horse, bring it on quietly, keep things simple and clear so it understands what you want but with the advantage that you can move on a little faster as it will be fully mature, so lots hacking about to see the world, all the normal basic schooling exercises just go at the right pace to ensure each step is well established before moving on to the next.

If you are paying a lease fee then I think you need to discuss that with the owner as it really is not worth much if it was sold so don't end up paying, doing all the work only to get it taken back once it is educated and has some value, most people with a horse like this would be paying to have it schooled.
 
My horse was the same, she'd been a field companion until aged 8 when I got her and backed her. I found her more sensible as she was more mature mentally, otherwise I just did the usual young horse thing - bringing on and trying to show her as much as possible, going at her speed.
 
I bought my young horse during the backing process in December 2015 when he was 5 1/2. I rebacked him as a 6yo after turning away. He was more difficult than a 3yo as he had the physique and strength of a 5yo, and questioned things. Thankfully he's been pretty easy generally but just got a bit more attitude as he's developed his own brain.

I would say that with the 10yo just treat it as a baby in terms of knowledge, but you may as I have be able to get the schooling going quicker depending upon his ability and brain than you would with say a 3/4yo. Plus you don't need to worry about bones not being developed etc. Just beware of the attitude!!
 
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