what to do with youngster??

Difficult one as depends on your experience and confidence, I feel there is nothing more rewarding than breaking them in yourself............

My youngster is only 2yrs but I have already decided that I will break him when the time comes but send him away for schooling / further education.
 
i broke my youngster in myself to walk and trot fairly easily. then encountered some problems where he bronced me off 2 times so i sent him away to a place down the road where they gave me lessons on him once they had sorted him. They were really nice and kind.
The vet told me that he would always send his horse away as it is his horse and he doesn't want to mess it up or anything for the future and i decided that my youngster had too much promise and i didn't want to mess him up, though i am glad i was the first one on him and i learnt so much!
I am just buying another youngster now but she is just a 12hh exmoor who i will break in myself as im thinking it'll probably be easier with a smaller one and exmoors and generally laid back.
I think its personal choice really. Just if you send them away, be careful and if you have the time, go and watch them loads as there are some quite dodgy backers out there!
 
I think it depends on what experience you have, what help you have and how confident you are?

I've always done my own but my last one was my current mare who is 15 now!! So been a while and I now have a family so am considering sending my current yearling away when we reach that stage, still not decided though.
 
Ditto what everyone else has said, If you feel confident and experienced enough to do it imo getting lessons of someone really decent and on the same wave length as you and doing it yourself is fab! I think it's a great feeling to have produced a horse totally on your own.
But do whatever suits you and your horse :)
 
if you feel you are capable then do it and have a brilliant experience. the fact you are questioning it makes me think you dont feel good enough? in which case send him off so he knows the basics and have lessons when he's back to bring him up to maturity yourself. depends on if money is a factor really
 
I think it depends on the youngster as well. we have 2 youngsters that are 2 yo and 1 of them my filly is going to go away as she is so strong headed and i want her broken properly. She is also nearly 16h at 2yo. the other a gelding is so gentle and wants to please so we will break him ourselves .
 
i am brekaing my gelding at the moment - he is my first youngster and belive me it is much harder than i thought!!!! i am really lucky though and my friend is really experienced and has helped me a lot. the wee hrose is generally quite level headed but we have had our moments - also don;t think you can do it all on your own you will need another set of hand most of the time - even if it is just to hold them while you get on!!! Good luck although it is hard work i am loving watching him come on and it will be worth it in the end :-)
 
All 3 of my boys I started myself. I got them working in basic walk and trot, and then brought someone in to have lessons with. I didn't want to send mine away, I wanted to see for myself at all times what was going on, and I believed that being sent away might unsettle them as well. However, I did call my trainer in, because I recognised that there was only so much I could do on my own without some more professional help. If I had another youngster, I'd do the same again rather than send them away.
 
My 17.1hh just turned 4yo is away being backed at the moment and produced for me. The reason being although I have done my other youngsters myself. I am getting older, had some nasty serious falls and don't bounce like I used to.

This lad was prepared at home, lunged,long reined, futurity, loose jumped etc etc but sent him to a professional for the initial backing stage.

I am a vet physio so whilst I know there are always risks with horses didn't want to increase them too much as would stop me working if hurt myself backing him.
 
I am in the same position!

However, I am more worried about the actual backing than riding away. I feel I have the experience to school on a baby but not the confidence to get decked the first time I get on or ask for a gear change :s

I really want to do it myself for the satisfaction but its deciding if I actually have the bottle to do it (and if i dont have the bottle the horse knowing this and decking me anyway :D)
 
I do mine myself but have broken in several horses before all varrying temps and difficulties so have a pretty decent knowledge for someone my age and have a very good support and back up system for adivce and help,

as long as you have someone there who can offer help advice and show you how to do things then i see no harm in doign ti yourself and would personally do it myself everytime
 
I have never backed a horse before, but I wanted to do it....or certainly be very involved.

I rang a local instructor and she has given me 'lessons' in what the next stage is all the way along, which I have then practised at home.

He was an angel to back really.....but he is a small-ish cobby type.....I am not so sure I would have been as keen to jump on a TB or any other large flighty horse!!!

I have turned him away now; I am planning on hacking him 3/4 times in about October, before the weather turns really bad, and then leave him until next Spring.
 
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