Tips for handling & backing

[Ani]

I bought a five year old two weeks ago, who was halter broken but that was all, you couldn't run your hands down his legs or touch his tail, i am always interested to hear how others have tought young handling so would love tips on anything from getting them used to rugs, picking up feet, leading, introducing to traffic, long reining, tack, initial backing and so on and so on. ok i'll start. i used an old bath scrunchy unravelled to get him used to things touching his body, over his back and fastened round his belly. i attached an old glove to a whip to get him used to his legs being touched. after two weeks i can touch him anywhere, get a rug on, have had a roller and breast plate on him, have had a bit in his mouth and lead him up and down the yard in it and can pick out his front feet and pick up (briefly and only low) his hind feet. i would love to hear other successful techniques you have used to teach your young ones.

 

[scotsmare]

I find repetition is key and not to get stressed if things don't go according to plan.

 

[Damnation]

Repetition is how horses learn, and everything done quietly, and patiently.
They soon realise that nothing is going to eat them

 

[sarahhelen1977]

Keeping things quiet, and moving on at a pace that the individual horse can cope with has always worked for me - also not making a big deal of things, and letting the horse work out that the rug or whatever isn't going to kill it! With picking up feet, being quiet but firm, also building up trust between you and the horse first helps - I also try to have an assistant to hold the horse, and do it in a stable until they are happy to let you pick up all of their feet (that way they can't pull back etc) - we have used an old walking stick to pick up hind legs before for the particularly sharp ones!

 

[ajf]

I always like an older "sensible" horse on hand for learning about most things. I allow them to be really inquistive about what were doing to the others and they see the older ones aren't worried so this installs confidence in them too.
But most importantly staying calm and not try to push things along too quickly.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

1 Put them in a field next to the school where older horses are working, they love to watch and are eager to start joining in
2 Remember that if they struggle with something they may come out next day and be able to do it straight off
3 Do lots and lots of groundwork then backing is a doddle
4 Use a schoolmaster as a tutor, as they copy like mad
5 Long reining is a lot more useful as riding training than lunging, and better for young joints

I found ironically as a nervous rider that I was better with my youngster than with my older horse as with the baby i felt she was relying on me to be calm and that she would listen and be influenced by me more than selectively deaf and very large other horse!

Oh and get good experienced support from someone who has done this before.

 

[Ani]

This is great i love hearing how others work. i have been breaking young horses since a child, irregularly and used to always long rein them rather than lunge them. i too have always found it much better to teach them stearing and stopping with a lunge line on each side of the bit. my new one is unusual to me though, as in the past i've always had them from birth or a young age and handled them from day one, but my new one is 16.3hh five yrs old and hardly handled at all, (a bit more of a challenge!) luckily he seems to be turning out to be a sensible sole.... wait for it,famous last words.