Sending away to be started, how long??

SatansLittleHelper

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Rex will be going away to be professionally started at the end of January.
He was bitted and sat on in his previous home but done little since he's been here as he is/was still growing. In Jan he will have dentist, vet check, physio check, saddle fitter, farrier befor he goes to ensure he's in tip top shape.
I had planned to start long reining him but frankly the weather and the ground has been shocking :(
He's fairly chill but does need more desensitization and a bit of work picking up his front feet. I "think" he will be fairly straightforward.
How long do you think he needs to go away for to give him the very best start..??
 
The place I have used and recommended take a minimum of 6 weeks for a horse who is already mannerly, who is confident and has done some work on leading/lungeing.

At the end of 6 weeks the horses have been long reined, ridden in the school in walk, trot and canter, have popped a X pole or two and have walked out hacking in company.

It only generally takes longer if they have had a negative experience already.

That being said, they would not take one for starting in January. They work them twice a day but for very short periods. They prefer warmer weather for best results with a calm and happy horse.
 
Thank you. I have enough money for him to go for up to 8 weeks. My primary important thing is that I'd need him to hack alone without any drama, although I appreciate that this will be an ongoing training situation.
Is sending him at end of Jan/beginning of Feb a bad thing?? I figured he would then be home end of march in time for the (hopefully) nicer weather..??
 
Make sure you agree what the aims are and discuss it in detail. Also discuss exactly how much work the horse is going to get. I agree that 6 weeks to achieve the above would be normal, providing that there are no setbacks. But then the hard work begins!

My neighbour was a very experienced horseman (Pony Club instructor) but thought he was getting too old to sit on a young horse the first time himself. The horse was well handled and would load and could do a bit of simple lunging but he was doing most if himself without help. He sent the horse away and didn't think that the trainer had made enough progress, he thought he would be able to take the horse for a quiet hack, even with company, when it came back, but it hadn't done much more than when it was sent to the yard so he wasn't happy. He wasn't thinking it would come back ready to go, but he wasn't impressed by the trainer. He knew it would still be very, very green.

So be clear what the trainer is aiming for and that is what you want.
 
Orange horse, thank you. Trainer is aware of the aims and feels it's all achievable, they are fairly local so I can go and watch his progress. I'm hoping this will give me more confidence too.
I'm thinking to send him for the full 8 weeks so that any niggles can be hopefully ironed out a little before he comes home.
 
This is something, I am sure you appreciate, that you need to be flexible on - both financially and timewise. The UK weather can intervene to hinder safe hacking and indeed also a suitable working surface on an outdoor. Then you need to factor in the curved ball that all horses throw at us from time to time - especially a youngster moving yards and changing handlers.

So, 6-8 weeks may be something to aim for with a confident individual, with no previous history, and no detrimental external factors (eg bad weather). To be safe, I would ensure that I had double the cost in the bank.....just in case.
 
I totally agree that you need to discuss your expectations in detail with the person who is doing the work. I dont tend to put a time limit on people who start a horse for me, as having done the job myself, I know that every horse is different, and I dont want anyone to rush the job as its so important to set the young horse up for success.

I am not in a position now to start my own, so I do the basics, then I send them away, the last one was sent away in Jan this year as the horse was at the start of his 4yr old year. This horse was well handled, good for farrier, loading, all on the ground handling, and he was happy and confident lunging and long reining in a saddle and bridle, I had also leant over him from both sides etc, so he was ready to get on, so I knew the early steps with the new person wouldnt take long. I asked for the horse to be safe to get on and off without anyone at his head, walk, trot and canter in the school, able to be ridden in company and alone in the school, and to have hacked out a bit.

I told the person that I didnt mind how long it took to achieve all those things, but to bear in mind that I was alone at home, and so the horse needed to be secure in what he had learnt, and everything I asked was done beautifully in seven weeks.
 
I only did one last year and she took 4 weeks from unbroken to hacking out alone and cantering in open fields, however my methods are unusual and she was straightforward. Still very green when she was sent back and no jumping but the owner was super experienced with young horses and just didn’t like breaking so I knew she would be fine. If she was going to someone I didn’t know well I’d have kept her twice that long.
It’s a difficult question to answer. How long is a piece of string?
 
Until he's cooked SLH.

With your health issues you don't want him back half baked,

If you can afford 8 I'd send him for 8 no matter what, if you trust the trainer not to stop just because he's achieved all your goals.

I'd also make sure you go there and ride him in the last week.

.
 
I used to mention to clients that I expected the job to take approximately 6 weeks, but to budget up to 8.
Some might be ready in 4 weeks for a confident owner to carry on with, some took longer. I'd sometimes visit them at home if local to assess, or if coming a distance I'd ask the owner to stay for a couple of hours to work with me so I could see how they handled the animal and gauge their level of competence and what the animal had learnt. Owner would get twice weekly updates (this was before messenger, WhatsApp etc) or more if required.
I would insist that they returned to ride at least once in school and hacking - if not more - before taking home.
Hope it works out for you, but as others say, get a plan agreed with trainer.
 
Until he's cooked SLH.

With your health issues you don't want him back half baked,

If you can afford 8 I'd send him for 8 no matter what, if you trust the trainer not to stop just because he's achieved all your goals.

I'd also make sure you go there and ride him in the last week.

.

This is pretty much word for word what I've been thinking. There is the possibility of leaving him there for a little while longer if needed.
 
Because of the mistakes I've made in the past I think I'm probably getting myself wound up. I'm not as confident as I once was, I think partly because of my health issues.
Rex is a sweetheart though so if I can't make it work with him I think I will give up, sell him and buy a seaside donkey ????
 
I sent mine away for 8 weeks even though I'd had her for 3.5 years before she was backed at 4 and she'd been bitted and done some in hand work. It's like building a house imo, solid foundations last forever.

I'd go as late as you can as it will be much nicer to carry on the work in late March rather than late Feb. I went and rode her twice in the last two weeks she was there.
 
Bobbie went between christmas and new year. I appreciate what people are saying about the weather, but that was a plus in my case. She learnt to work in all weathers and did some of her work in the pitch black so working in the school under lights is no issue. I did find it a pain to get going when she got home, but that was partly needing to change carriage and move yards. I think it did her good to have some down time, and I picked her back up in April time and she was better for it.
 
I sent my 3yo who had only basic handling and is quite a sharp/suspicious character away earlier this year. 8 weeks later he was walk/trot/canter in the school and field and hacking around the block. Only jumped little stuff in hand, not under saddle. If I had been intending to bring him home for me to ride I’d have wanted at least another 4 weeks on the clock.

Oh and he went Jan & Feb and was ridden in bad weather.
 
I think it is a "piece of string" question honestly. So much depends on how he settles in a new place, how happy he is to learn and how quickly he does that. Some horses are better doing it in bite-size chunks and going home for periods to absorb it all. Others go straight through and are ready for the owners to take in forwards from there. I would not be setting any time limits and monitor it closely to see how he is taking it because it is too important to get it wrong for him. Also I would not be starting "bits" of it myself - you may do things slightly differently and it may confuse him.
Exciting, though!!
 
Thank you for the replies. The most I'm doing with him at the moment is basic handling to ensure that nothing upsets him needlessly although I would like to get him walking out in hand so that he knows the area and gets used to traffic etc. I figure if he knows the lay of the land, so to speak, it will be reassuring for him once he's under saddle..??
So should I continue with my plan for him to go at the end of January with a view to fetching him home approx end of March....or see if the trainer is able to start a month later..??
 
The other thing worth doing, is once hes back get the trainer to ride him out hacking around where you live. You can go on foot and watch how he reacts to things. It really helped me when I brought my mare home.

The horses ive had backed have all taken different amount of time. Aria being the best, she was backed and home within 10 days, walk trot canter and some cross poles. Her brother on the hand was away 3 months. Its really down to the horse, and what they need.

Good luck , hope hes an easy one.
 
So should I continue with my plan for him to go at the end of January with a view to fetching him home approx end of March....or see if the trainer is able to start a month later..??

Speak to your trainer. Some like them with nothing done, some prefer them to have done a bit. Some wont want to work in bad weather, some see it as a plus. Have a chat and be guided by them. They are the experts.
 
I have broken a lot of horses and would say average 6 weeks untill the horse is confident at wlk trot and canter with a rider and knows the basic aids and will hack with a quiet horse around fields and lanes.
Hacking out confidently alone would take much longer.
 
Literally just got my boy back on Sunday. She told me a min of 4 weeks if straight forward after the first 4 weeks each week was taken as it came ended up being 7 weeks in total.

He was 3 in October not handled at all until he was 2.5 (When I purchased him) Before he was sent I could lunge walk and trot, pick feet up rug etc. Had a saddle on him on the lunge but not bitted.

He has come back walk/trot/canter on a hack, worked in all this wet bad weather we have had. Excellent with all four feet now and a joy to be around. (he was a nice lad before he went)

I rode him around the farm on Monday and he was lovely just at walk. He will only be hacked once a week for the next year and lunged/long reined in hand schooling once a week as well. When he is four I will send him back for a week of 'schooling'
 
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