What next for 3 year old

CocoChanelle

CocoChanelle

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This is the third time i have written this so apologize if it is somewhere else i cant find it!

We've been backing Bodi for about a month now, started very slowly by leaning over etc, now i can happily get on from the ground no fuss and walk around however this is all on the lead rein.

Without the lead rein she doesn't want to move, she just stops dead until mum comes back and leads her. I've tried using my legs and voice but with no success.

What i thought i could do was get mum to go out on Chanelle with me on Bodi behind and give her lots and lots of praise when she walks when asked?

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Im not looking for a quick fix but we have been trying for about 2 weeks now and getting nowhere so we must be doing something wrong?
 
When your on the lead rein are you using voice and leg aids and is she responsive? or just when your off the lead rein? it could be a case of her looking at the leader as her herd and safety zone, or she is not understanding what it is you are asking of her.
 
Have you tried getting someone to lunge her whilst you ride her, not suing legs at first and then beginning to use them so that she begins to associate the leg aids with the familiar lunge commands? I've just begun backing my mare too so I now what it's like :) I'm sure others will probably have better recommendations than me :)
 
Thanks for the replies... she is perfect on the lead rein and does exactly what is asked of her.

We are working on the lunging thing but she doesn't quite get the concept of it at the moment, also we have been working her in the yard and on the track not in the school and she isn't 100% happy in the school as she hasn't been in there much and there are lots of jumps scattered so we are working on taking her inhand then hopefully will be able to try your suggestion, thankyou :)
 
The lungeing really needs to come before the riding - thats the first stage of backing really, and should come well before you try to ride her. its to get her confident with one of your aids - ie the voice before you start to ride her.. Long reining would be good too for her confidence.

Its great that you've got her used to being sat on, but it really sounds like you'd be better sending her to a pro who would get her lungeing and riding away properly. No offence, but if you've been trying and failing for two weeks, you are just teaching her to nap and not respect you - this is neither her or your fault, its just lack of experience. For the sake of your horse's future (don't be responsible for giving her a bad start..) get some experienced help...
 
We have lots of experienced help and have been following their advice from day one with no problems.

As far as lunging is concerned she understands the aids for walk and trot but we have only done a handful of times. Although every time we have done it she understands.

They are as stuck as we are with getting her to walk on so I thought asking on here might get some fresh ideas :)
 
CocoChanelle said:
Thanks for the replies... she is perfect on the lead rein and does exactly what is asked of her.

We are working on the lunging thing but she doesn't quite get the concept of it at the moment, also we have been working her in the yard and on the track not in the school and she isn't 100% happy in the school as she hasn't been in there much and there are lots of jumps scattered so we are working on taking her inhand then hopefully will be able to try your suggestion, thankyou :)
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going on the fact that she is not really understanding lunging, I think the problem is she is not understanding what it is you are asking of her, Lunging and long reining are the building blocks of mounted work, Lunging teaches response to the voice commands, desensitizes to tack and surroundings in a safe enviroment. Long reining teaches this as well as hand and leg aids if used in conjunction with voice commands which your youngster should at this point understand and react to. only once your youngster understands voice and hand and leg aids will it make it more plain sailing for you to get on and for her to understand what you are asking of her. It is a good thing that she accepts a riders weight and is happy in her tack, but sadly she is lacking in the understanding of the aids.
Personally I would try to find someone experienced in backing youngsters to give you some hands on advice and guidance.
 
As i said We have lots of experienced help and have been following their advice from day one with no problems.

It is not the aids of lunging she doesn't understand, she understands that completely, it is the circling, we normally lunge in squares.

Thanks for the replies
 
CocoChanelle said:
As i said We have lots of experienced help and have been following their advice from day one with no problems.

It is not the aids of lunging she doesn't understand, she understands that completely, it is the circling, we normally lunge in squares.
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With respect, your 'experienced help' isn't that experienced or you wouldn't need to come on here asking for help - as you HAVE had a problem. And itSHOULD be far easier for someone experienced to sort that problem onthe spot than for us to know what's going wrong from a distance!

Does the mare respond to voice aids -to walk, trot and halt on the lunge?? And why on earth lunge in squares?? That's making life difficult for her!

The problem with working with a young horse on the lead - with rider on top - is that the horse's focus is on the leader, NOT the rider. (And most leaders do too much - when they should just be a lifeline!)

Backers vary in their responses to the rider and the way in which they comprehend what you're asking of them - if one approach doesn't get the desired result you need to try another. That's where a really experienced trainer of young horses differs from others - they have a variety of approaches and can select the approch to suit the horse they're working with.

I can't tell you what will work with your mare without seeing her - and wouldn't recommend a particular method as the wrong method for YOUR horse could easily result in her taking off or bucking. Not moving is one of the commonest problems in horses we are sent AFTER their owners have tried to back them themselves!
 
The best thing you could do would probably be go back to in hand work in the school. Then start lungeing (in a 20m circle)and after the horse is going well try introducing long-reining. When you get on her again after that try walking round the school using your voice along with your aids. You maybe just need to go back a step or two and take a wee bit longer before moving on :)
 
you have done it wrong way round, go back into the school or field and lunge her walk and trot so she responds to voice commands. you may have to have someone lead her round to startr with so she understands going on a circle but be fair but firm with her. when this is done and she responds on the nail to voice commands then long rein so she ghets used to having commands but going forwards without anyone inview ie; you behind her. once happy with this i also lunge with saddle on adn stirrups down and flapping so if you fall off she doesnt clear off pnicking becuase things flap on her. then get on her and try again. it is tough when you first get on but you hve to be firm, IF not send her to someone else.
 
I have just backed my 3 year old and had the same problem.....he lunged/long reined perfectly, but as soon as I got on he hung to the person on the floor like a limpet! I allowed him to get away with it for a little while, as it was potentially a balance issue, however, it soon became clear he was 'trying it on'!!!

As soon as I became tougher with him, and gave him a couple of smacks, he soon went on his own, and is now pretty much perfect on his own!!! He responds to voice commands extremely well too, but was just trying to mess about!

I have to be clear, that this is a cheeky boy who isnt afraid of much, so a smack or 2 with the whip hasnt damaged him mentally!!!
 
Agree with all the others that you must make sure she is spot on with response to voice commands on lunge before trying under saddle. I wouldn't panic about circles being perfectly round my boy struggled with that last year, but it was the voice commands and being used to the feel of tack etc that was what we were after.
Then you can get on (slowly and gradually) and what we did was initially lead him from a lunge line, then gradually move further and further away until he was lunging with rider on (only in walk he wasn't balanced enough in trot initially). Then he came off the lunge line, but initially with someone on the ground in the school as a support! Then that person sat on fence, and eventually didn't need anyone at all. Whole process maybe 2 weeks for our boy but friends mare who was working at same time took much longer, maybe 6 weeks. Both went back on lunge for first trot with person on ground jogging along initially then lunging on very end of line.
Worked for the two we did last year both now doing well :)
 
Hi. Have u tried getting ur mum to lead her on a lunge line with u on and slowly stepping further and further away from u and him until ur controlling her by self but on the lunge? Have u taught her the concepts of legs on means walk on wen she's walking in hand? (Lol.u prob have but just checking).
What I found helped looads is long reining. I don't know if you've tried it but if u put.her saddle on with stirrups down and pass lunge lines through them and ask her to walk on by wiggling lunge lines which in turn are causing stirrups to move against her side. I think lunge lining is ace as it teaches them steering and stopping from the reins.
Also I noticed that other people were.telling u to send him away to b backed. I'm not saying u should but I started off backing my youngster this year by myself and got to the stage where I was walking and trotting by myself in the arena. Then he started freezing wen I got on and not moving. Wen I asked him forward he basically went mad like proper broncing. I too was fairly.confident I was still ok doing it myself and had lots of experienced people around me so I kept at it. Then a vet came and told.me that he would send him away as while he would back other peoples horses he wouldn't back any of his own as he would have to live with.it if something went wrong. I sent him away to be reached. I felt bad to begin with like I was letting him down but the backing lady was so nice and kind and after initially getting in him, gave me lessons on him. I am so glad I did send him away but pleased as well that I was the first person ever to sit on him!

Sorry about all the waffle. U can pm me if u want any more info or have any questions I'll be glad to help with ur backing or if u have any wa about
 
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