Teaching a youngster to move forwards

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MooandBree

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Ok.
I have a 3 year old 16.2 IDxTb.
At the moment im in the process of backing her. Iv got her working well on the lunge, she can turn, knows how to stop ect. She does move forward on the lunge although she is naturally very laid back and needs a lot of encouragement :')
So now i have just started riding her. She has been ridden three times. And has not been bothered in the slightest or fazed by anything :) BUT im having trouble teaching her to go off the leg. I know shes only been ridden a couple of times but id rather get some advice if im doing something wrong. This is my first time backing a horse so yeahhh.......
So she'l move off into a very very slow walk with a small squeeze from my leg. But can only get a good active walk for a few steps at a time either bye a kick or a little smack on her shoulder with a short whip. She has a great active trot, but its just making that transition. It can take a good quarter of the school to get her to make the transition. Any use of the whip behind my leg results in her stopping dead and doing little fly bucks.
The girl who owns the yard did get her moving forward but she really did use the whip, and i mean battered her D: I did say something, but she backs horses for a living, and im only 18, im only young so apparently i know nothing...... :/ Needless to say she has not been near her since.

So anyone. How can i teach her to move forward easily. There must be a way that does not inclued chasing her round with lunge whips and leaving huge whip marks on her ass.?????? :(

Oh and saddles fine, teeth where done last month annddd shes only ridden in a simple snaffle :)
 
When i was backing youngsters we always got on them on the lunge first, rode them round the school a couple of times off the lunge and then took them out hacking (quiet fields and roads), school work can really make them backwards when they are so young. Have to have a sensible older horse with you though that goes forward!!!
 
I think the easiest way to do this is to ride her on the lunge. So that the person on the floor can ask her to trot at the same time you ask with your legs. She'll soon get the idea.

Blitz
 
i found my mare when i backed her didnt get what i meant, sounds strange but from the ground, use ur weight to push them forward back sideways etc, they'll soon get the pressure means move.....may not work but worth a shot, i found it worked, i know say back up and my mare will back up without and pressure, or if i stand to her side and say move, she'll shimmy over a little, she soon got the pressure meant move this way or that.
 
I had this with my 3 yr old i have backed this yr. 1) put them on the lunge and ride them and 2) take her hacking , practice and practice and eventually they get the hang of it. You will have to use your voice a lot and really encourage them and leg etc. DONT flap though or move about in the saddle too much or will confuse them.
 
when backing any horse it is essential that they understand the voice commands for walk trot canter and woah.Another useful one to teach is steady.Once they fully understand it should all come into play quite easily once you get on board as you use your voice accompanied by the correct aids and then eventually stop using your voice so much as they begin to understand the leg aids. I've always used long reining as this helps with learning the steering and going forwards,much as is required once you are on board. I wouldn't be using a stick to encourage forward movement as if the forward movement isn't there it sounds to me as though you need to take a step back again and work on her understanding of the voice aids first. By over using the stick to encourage forward movement you will be creating resentment and it will cause problems later on.
 
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