preparing horses to be broken in

[lifewithflash]

How do people prepare their horses to be backed?
I think it's interesting to hear different ways people prepare their horse to be broken in. And as I'm new to the whole groundwork and backing, its informative to see what other people about doing it.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Dave spent some time with lots of rustly moving things & bags of stuff hanging from his roller & yoga balls bouncing beside him & over his back, sometimes they'd balance on his back. Basically everything replicating movement & noise from above.

 

[MissTyc]

I do groundwork to teach them to move off the leg and lateral work, long reining for steering, walking out on roads (as we live on a very busy B road), general handling, a little bit of lunging but only very little as don't like putting youngsters on circles - more to check the gears and teach the words. Where possible, I also pony them out from an experienced horse so they get used to the idea of the human being up above them. I'm rarely in a rush to back or ride, so it's a slow process and at some point, a few months down the line, I realise the horse is now riding nicely and I can't remember when that happened.

 

[maya2008]

Depends on facilities! Years ago I did it by the book with lunging and long-reining. I no longer have an arena, nor do I have anywhere flat to lunge. We now ensure handling is fully there, then lead out in hand and off another pony for several weeks (progressing from no tack to full tack with teddy on, stirrups etc) before long reining down the lane and back. My daughter then does the first sits with someone holding her just in case, followed by my son who begins the actual education. On lead until he has control, then off, down the paths they have been led on, with a pony in front and behind. They already know to stop/go with the ride, and will go from my voice command. Once established out hacking and able to go first/solo, we begin arena hire to learn about corners etc.

 

[Ahrena]

Lots of long reining and walking out in hand both with another horse and alone. Out hacking ASAP when you have stop/start/left/right established.

I’ve always gone by the phrase riding should be the natural next step and that’s mostly served me well.

 

[GypsGal1718]

I do liberty along with groundwork for building trust

 

[ycbm]

I just make sure they are polite to handle, put a bridle and a saddle on them, move them around with the stirrups dangling, lie over and when they don't react to that (anything from 0 seconds to a week) sit on them. It's very old fashioned and what I was taught 50 years ago. As I wrote on another thread, a horse that's only been in small areas on flat pasture won't have a strong enough core and needs ground work first. Better still, turn them out on a hillside for 3 months.

It's interesting to read about teaching leg aids from the ground, because of course if that's what you've always done you will think you have taught the leg aid from the ground when you get on and they respond to a leg aid. I've always found that horses have pre-installed buttons and the leg aid response comes naturally anyway (partly because it's as much a response to body position of the rider as it is to the leg).
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[The Xmas Furry]

If you are backing yourself, then good advice above.

If sending away, having had a good number in to back in the past, I preferred them to be just lightly handled, leading, tying up etc, but nothing else like bitting, lunging, saddling etc.
Often when a helpful owner has tried to do basics, there was a sticking point or issue, only found once I started. Usually minor but a pita to work through at times.
That said, I did have unhandled ones off the fells, moors etc too.

Good luck, hope you have a nice fuzzy to work with

 

[Landcruiser]

I've been preparing mine since I got her 2 1/2 yrs ago. She's done: Leading on a loose rope in all directions. Moving front end away, hind end away, she can side pass, back up. Lots of despooking with flappy things, umbrellas, ropes round legs, walking over different objects and surfaces, through narrow gaps, up things, down things. Worn a saddle, including with big water containers tied either side flapping about trotting on lunge. Only a little bit of lunging though, and probably less long reining than most people because I'm not brilliant at it and don't particularly enjoy it. She's done miles and miles of walking out in hand with another horse, including being led from said horse. Last few months she's led out solo, both on roads, through busy village, and in open grassy spaces. She stands at a mounting block and is happy for me to throw a leg (or a coat, or a rope, or anything else) over her back. She stands still (ground ties) when her rope is dropped on the ground. She has been taught about gates and waits politely as they are opened, and can be sent through in front of me so I can close them behind. She's going to be a TREC horse, but I reckon these are all just basic safety skills for any horse.

A lot of people might wonder why I've done all of this and not yet sat on her - it's because although she's almost 5 now, she's been a slow developer, and had a stifle injury and other issues which set us back. She's still bum high. I'm planning to back her lightly in a couple of months, and have every confidence that she'll hardly notice.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How do people prepare their horses to be backed?
I think it's interesting to hear different ways people prepare their horse to be broken in. And as I'm new to the whole groundwork and backing, its informative to see what other people about doing it.

once I had done lots of ground work

depends which horse I was backing

with my late boy we slowly put the saddle on, then after a day or so we put him in the indoor school and he bronked with it till he got used to it. Then did the leaning over bit, but we are talking of a western saddle.


His mum again slowly got her used to the saddle no girth, then started walking her around with it on, building up to someone leaning over her by mountain block gradually until they could put the other leg over, all the time someone holding the horse, then day by day increasing the time, building up to the leader walking round without holding the horse etc.

welsh a similar to boy,

 

[daydreamer]

With my first and only youngster I recognised I didn't know what I was doing so subscribed to YourHorsemanship which is Jason Webb's platform. I followed his programme and found it very very good, lots of step by step videos that were easy to follow and lots of sensible advice. There are also lots of opportunities to get feedback and ask for help. So we worked through lots of groundwork, moving away, back, work on leading, desensitising to things, standing at a mounting block, having a roller then saddle on, bridling, bitting, long lining etc and worked up to me sitting on bareback a few times. He then went to Jason for 4 weeks to be ridden away properly who apparently found it a bit disconcerting to ask a (new to him) young horse to do things only to find he already knew it!

People all say what good manners my boy (now rising 6) has so it must have been effective (also Morgan horses are very intelligent and sensible so that undoubtedly helped me!!).

 

[SpotsandBays]

I found the “Train your young horse” book by Richard Maxwell really helpful. His other books are great too

 

[setterlover]

I found the “Train your young horse” book by Richard Maxwell really helpful. His other books are

I also found this useful in fact I paid for Richard Maxwell to come out to me for a 4 hour morning session once I had been on board a few times and had him going forward .
He was so good best money I ever spent.
He also was available on the phone to help talk through how it was going .

Is it just me who doesn't like the expression "broken in " an old fashioned expression that I find makes me cringe as implications in my mind are negative and forcing the horse to comply I don't want my horses broken in I want to work with them so they accept a rider as a norm . Probably just me old enough to remember older forceful training that sometimes happened.

 

[Caol Ila]

I did a lot of groundwork for 2 years. Yielding forehand, yielding hindquarters, walking over weird shight on the ground, having stuff thrown over her back, wearing the tack, lunging, long reining, etc. We did a lot of walks in hand. I didn't pony her (I did a lot of that with the first youngster I backed, but my old mare was alive and well at the time) because my other horse was (and is) the most useless horse in the world for that job. I would have done if Fin was less Fin-like.

I sat on her at 4.5 yrs old. For the first few rides, I got led around like a kid on a lead-rein pony. First ride was like three minutes long. Second one was like five minutes. That was all in early/mid December. I rode her a couple times a week until right before Christmas, when OH got a couple weeks off work. With a reliable ground helper, I was able to push on a bit more and get her off the lead-rein. I made sure I had something resembling brakes and steering, then we hit the trails. Because we have about 10-15 minutes of roadwork between the yard and the park, I would lead her in-hand into the park, then hop on. When I felt she was strong enough to manage 15 minutes into and out of the park, along with whatever we did in the park, and had enough steering to be safe in traffic, I started riding the whole way.

 

[MarvelVillis]

I did loads and loads of long reining and walks in hand. Sometimes in company but primarily on our own. He's now rising 7 and great to hack alone and not much phases him out hacking, which I put down to the long reining. Did a bit of groundwork in the school. Introduced him to tack slowly. Had his wolf teeth removed before he was bitted. He was my first youngster so I had professional help every step of the way and then he went off for backing with the same trainer. If I ever got a youngster again I do everything the same as I've now.

 

[MagicMelon]

Lots of ground stuff, I basically set up like a handy pony style course and we play around with each object (over time obviously) like umbrella's, flags (passing over back and waving side to side behind them etc.), I'll throw my jacket over them while walking back up the field, walk them over stuff like tarpolin. Basically trying to de-spook them. Long-lining to then establish basic turning, stopping etc. and lungeing with tack on.

 

[dorsetladette]

I've been preparing my babies since they arrived at 9 months old for their future 'planned' career.

They are taught to be polite and patient. Groomed and feet picked up, then from there, standing for the vet, standing for the farrier. Rugs on and off, walking nicely in hand, gentle introduction of pressure and release, etc.

Then they start wearing 'stuff' - elasticated surcingles, then a roller, big polypad and roller, little saddle, driving harness. They travel, go to shows, walk out for 'hacks', experience different environments. Then we play around with bits and mouthing.

Then we learn to stand at the mounting block. Then me jumping up and down next to them.

Then a bit of long reining and learning steering.

Then we start with the leaning over and taking a little bit of weight.

I basically do everything you can do without sitting on before they are 3/4 years old. I find they are inquisitive and want to investigate and learn at this age so by the time it's time to sit on that is the only 'new thing' they need to think about.

It's worked well for me with a few babies. I have no fancy facilities, just a field and an enclosed area for safety.

 

[FitzyFitz]

Lots of general handling and manners. They should move back or sideways when asked, stand still without being held in place, start and stop when you do preferably without bumping into you that one can sometimes be tricky if they get very attached to and keyed into you, but personal space is still important.

Need to be happy with people above and around them, happy to leave other horses or be in company. Can stand tied up without throwing a fit. Happy having things draped over them and around their legs. Happy to have head and mouth handled. Happy on all different terrains, especially things like mud or brush around their legs, and banks/ditches. Loads of them go leaping about at first and I want that sorted before I get on! Wearing tack can start from a numnah chucked over and slowly build up till they're fully dressed.

I like to do a certain amount of deliberate incomeptence. Sure, i'll start off carefully and watch their reactions, but I prefer to find out what happens when the girth drops off and lands underneath them or something goes clattering cross the yard BEFORE it happens for real. So long as i'm using stuff i'm not too precious about eg roller, old reins, i'll build up until I can untack by shoving it off their far side onto the ground, or pull dropped (not attached to anything) reins around between their legs.

I do tons of walking in hand, but dont start long reining until i'm confident they aren't bothered by tickly things. I also do basic rein cues from the ground for side and vertical flexion, started in a headcollar before a bitted bridle. Lunging is done mostly at walk, and primarily as a way to go over obstacles until they are much stronger. I'll practice lining up by a mounting block and leaning over pretty early (both sides), and by the time they've seen the world in hand, and gotten steering installed by long reining and groundwork, and had me flinging stuff around then for months, me sticking a leg over and having a sit is a complete non event and generally other than the whole oooeerr my balance is all weird now thing, they usually walk on and turn and stop fairly readily. I always have someone on the ground for the first time to reinforce cues in case they get confused but they're mostly there for moral support honestly. First ride is always about 30 seconds then a big fuss, but i get them hacking out slowly in sensible company as soon as possible before i bother doing much more in a school environment.

Every horse is different, so you'll have the odd one that has some specific thing thats much harder than you expect. Listen to them, but other than that the best thing you can do is take your time. However long you think it'll be, it'll be that x3 at least!