re-backing a horse that's already been worked lots! opinions...

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Morgan123

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hello, anyone ever re-backed a horse that has already been worked for a year or more?? any opinions/experiences?

i'v been doing so wiht my w cob who is 9 this winter, but everyone at the yard sems to think i'm crazy! i dont really mind as i think it's the right thing for him specifically (he is nervy and 'welsh cobbish' about life - i.e. i'm scared, oh, this is fine, no now i'm bored so i'll pretend to be scared, no wait omg now im really scared etc etc, and also i know he wasnt backed very patiently initially and has lots of problems which have come out of this whihc haven't gone away on thier own just in this general course of life, e.g. being scared of saddle, being scared of me getting on etc).

he had already been ridden for about 4 yrs, but i literally took him back to basics and gave him some time off, then re-introduced the saddle (in no-pressure environemtns and short bursts etc), then me putting my foot in siturrp etc. i think it's making a difference, but will see when he is back in work when he's ready i guess!

anyone have any opinions on doing this or tried it? has it made any difference??
 
No Im starting my 18 year old again shes been ridden all her life, I was competing her in dressage but she had KS surgery a year ago and I want to restart her because she had been in pain all that time and had always been hard work to ride so i want to reeducate her to trust the contact!

does no harm, you'll end up with a safer happier horse! No point rushing things and expecting too much!

xxx
 
Years back I helped a friend out with a lovely horse that had a few issues. One day I was standing in the middle of her 20m circle and forgot she was riding and started giving voice commands; the horse instantly went forward and started behaving. Turns out it was not really any more complicated than he had not "got" the part in his education where he learnt the go-forward aids, so she used loads of voice for ages along with the leg aids, and he soon learned!

Not quite re-backing, but a similar issue so I definitely think, if you are prepared to put the time in, it can be worth doing, Good luck!
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I can't see that it would do any harm although unless he was difficult to get on I'm not sure what benefit going right back to the beginning will do.

Sounds as though he could have some trust/confidence issues to it could certainly be worth just spending time with him and maybe doing some ground work.

He might take to long reining in a safe environment. We put up mini "assault" courses for our youngsters eg. plastic sacks, wheelie bins, etc and get them long reining round it. Some times as a rider we can unwittingly tense up at something 'scary' which only convinces the horse that it is scary.

Good luck with your boy,
 
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