Omg - r.e. Breaking in - just get on and hold on!!!!!

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chilworth23

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As some will know, have now got a 5 yr old unbroken mare straight off new forest. was chatting to lady at yard and she said just get on and hold on! pointed out this mare had until yesterday never been in a proper home, just on forest and is pretty much unhandled, to which she said well hold on tight then!!! deary me, no wonder so many mad ponies about with that kinda attitude!

My idea is to

1. groom, handle and get to know her and let her feel comfortable
2. lunge in head collar, lunge in bridle and long rein, walk out in hand
3. start standing on mounting block, e.g to be higher than her, put saddle on and lunge in that / long rein in that
4. eventually get on her!
 
Dare I ask if this woman has broken in any horses?

I am planning the same as you with my 3yr old Newgie (although she came off the New Forest as a foal, but was unhandled when I got her).

How do you suppose to get tack on an unhandled horse and to get the horse to stay still long enough for you to hop aboard? When does the trust/bonding start with this method? Sounds absolutely luricious to me and would MUCH rather take it slower and have a confident, willing horse at the end of it. :)
 
Let her have the first go, she won't ever suggest it again :D

And sounds like you have a good plan with her, always remember when you first get on don't sit straight up or they may freak, gradually get up :p
 
omg that is such an old fashioned way of doing it! I know someone who used that method (they are now in their 70's and thankfully no longer traumatising equines in to being ridden). When she saw me working on our NF she was amazed that we got anywhere with her as we weren't bullying the pony into anything. She has since said how well Star has turned out considering I was so namby pamy with her lol......thank god she's a dying breed.
 
We broke in a 3 year old gelding over the summer - took us 2 evening sessions of half an hour each to get him with a rider and walking in the fields. As long as you approach it with an understanding of that horse's personality and the things that he finds easy, and hard, it should be OK.

It helped to have two other mature horses to pony him with out on hacks for a couple of weeks before we first mounted him (he ponied out with the saddle on from day 1 so he got used to it moving first)

But you need to be a good judge of when he has had enough for one day and don't over stress him.

Always wear a body protector. :D
 
Yep my thoughts exactly, she is 5, a full up 14.1 pushing 14.2 (but under weight and under muscled as been on forest) and virtually wild, so will not just be getting on a going rodeo style!

I will spend the first few days just grooming and handling in general just till she relaxs with me. I adore her already though!
 
GoldenBracken said:
As some will know, have now got a 5 yr old unbroken mare straight off new forest. was chatting to lady at yard and she said just get on and hold on! pointed out this mare had until yesterday never been in a proper home, just on forest and is pretty much unhandled, to which she said well hold on tight then!!! deary me, no wonder so many mad ponies about with that kinda attitude!

Get her to do it and sell tickets.
Click to expand...
 
I bred my horse & obviously have done everything with him myself & I think it helped him that he saw me tack up, lunge, mount & ride his dam in the covered yard in front of his stable. he'd seen her do it all so it wasn't a surprise to him when I asked him to do it. just take your time & make every experience as good as you can.
 
I saw her "horse" this even, as i spent 25 minutes getting a LW rug on my mare, as its we had frost this morning and it is freezing, and i dont want all the weight im trying to put on to her to be used to keep warm, i did it gently, let her see rug, sniff it, nuzzle it, rubbed her with it, i jingled it and threw it around a bit, and slowly put rug over her back let her get used to it, and then slowly and gradually moved into position and did fastenings, anyway, i saw her "horse" that she broke by getting on and holding on....12hh tops, was broken at 7 when she brought it, and it was handled from 6 months old....
 
My little one (16months) is practicaly backed already - can already "leg up" next to her, lean fully over her, she wears rugs, bridles, my jumpers...she'll have the weight tape pulled tight round her... and in my opinion, in a sense breaking should just be "getting on and holding on" as ALL the ground work is done first - except there shouldnt be any holding on as they should be fine!

xxxx
 
She said this after seeing my forest run mare, who was until 2 days ago totally unhandled, freak out at head collar, and said ohh stick saddle on and hold it, it be fine, best way to do it! oh yes marvellous, me, a wild unhandled youngster and electric fencing, no thanks hahahaha
 
Backed a 2y/o welsh c, and have helped with a few arabs too:
We dont use a saddle at first, its easier to feel the horse without one!
We get someone who knows the pony well to lead it round, then someone to give big cuddles round the neck, then a leg up so they are leaning over ponys back, did this a few times a week until pony was comfortable and would just walk round forever with someone leant across them. Then got a leg up but leant right forwards so that rider was practically round ponys neck, talking and stroking to pony, and then sat up slowly while pony was being walked round - this particular pony would only ever make a fuss when stood still and would stop moving to explode, so as long as we kept her moving we were ok!!
But every horse is different, and everyone has their own methods, but at the end of the day it comes down to how slow you take it and how well you know your horse :) GOOD LUCKKK :D
 
All joking aside, please be careful!

I am now recovering from a broken back from backing a youngster, and believe me, I took plenty of time getting him used to everything. I had actually sat on him a few times before he exploded, and I had someone very experienced leading him. If you aren't sure what you are doing, please get help from someone who does.
 
Im not even considering getting on her yet, she needs to get used to being handled, groomed etc...before i consider getting on her.....but i will be very very careful
 
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