Riding on after backing

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almrc

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Hi All

I have just backed my youngster - yipeee! She took it all so weell, she is 4 yrs and 2 months so just been taking everything so slowly! My general question is, how often (and I am not sure if there is an answer to this question) should you ride after first backing and how long for each time?

Thanks all
 
I,ve had 3 young horses over the years and once broken have carried on riding them at least 5 times a week doing as much hacking as possible.
The last 2 were broken in for me and I said about giving them a break but instructor said wait till something causes a break! My present horse had her first time off when she foaled last year aged 10.
You know your horse so just see how you get on, enjoy getting to learn new things her.
 
little and often. repetition is the key for good habits to be formed.
personally they should either be in work as babys or left well alone, disrupted fragmented teaching does no one or thing any good IMO
 
Agree with what others have said. We backed our homebred in March/April, and rode her out probably every third day for about a month. She's been away for a fortnight of schooling/general education and came home Thursday, I rode her Friday and found her much more relaxed about everything, she wasn't silly before, but she seems to have just got used to daily work. I'm riding her again tomorrow morning, and on Monday am riding to a pleasure ride so she can see what's going on (not actually going on the ride, 70 pre-entered bouncing around the woods will be just too exciting, and she's not four until next month anyway!). Going to have to keep going with her after that - and I'd got used to riding my old boy once a week or fortnight, this is as abig a shock to me as it is to her!
 
Thanks all for your advice, so you think every 3 days or so? I was going to keep on with her now I have got this far but wasnt sure how often, I guess how often I have time really! How long should each session be, if there is an answer to that?
 
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as long as you aren't at all big or heavy for her, i'd say ride every day, but keep it to 15-20 mins maximum if schooling, that's long enough to teach a few things but not long enough for the youngster to get bored imho. prob 30-40 mins if hacking. maybe 1 day off a week but that's prob more for you than for the horse! every 3 days sounds v fragmented to me...
 
ditto kerilli. every 3 days is not a good idea for youngsters. they dont need lots of time off, perhaps one or 2 days a week, if you really want to

little and often, 20 minutes a day is better than an hour every 3 days. having that long a break means that everytime you come back to it, you have to re-teach what you did before you can move on...
 
When I backed my welsh (and rebacking my TB) I just got the basic aids in the school and then hacking, hacking and more hacking. That way they build up fitness and when they finally come into the school they have learned how to balance with you on top so they can start basic schooling.

ETA: when they finally come into the school I just start by doing 20 mins 20m circles and lots of transitions, changes of rein and working on an inside track so they don't rely on the arena fence.
 
Thanks all, I'm just going to do what I can and have time for. What you have said has made sense, its nice to see what others do. Thank you
 
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