Who is breaking in/backing a horse/pony this year?

Vikki89

Vikki89

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Just generally interested in who is backing their horse/pony this year, how old are they and will you be doing it yourself?
My boy will be 3 in March and i am still debating whether to start sitting on him then or wait a bit longer, and i will be doing it myself, with much apriciated (sp) help and advice from others.
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Our boy who will be 4 at the end of May hoepfully but damaged tendon sheath last September hence education ceased for the last few months. As so big nearly 17.1hh will be going away to boarding school.
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I'm re-backing mine, he is nine!! wasn't done properly the first time and as a result her has loads of fear issues, scared of his saddle and in general a diffiuclt ride.

i think three is fine though - jsut make sure eveyrhting is really nice and positive, and that you work with him in his own time. i've backed quite a few, and find the best thing is to take it REALLY slow particualrly if you are nervous about the actual moment when you change form leaning to actually sitting on them - i.e., when you think you are nearly ready for this, put on all the relevant stuff (body protector etc) each time, and give yourself at least a week of doing it every day (wiht a few rest days interpspersed where you just feed and make a fuss of pony). Every day act as if 'today will be the day', even in your head; one day just put your foot in the sitrrup and hop a little, the next day just a fraciton more weight etc. you'll find that there will be a day when it's just easy, and it's the right day to do it. you won't have psyched yourself up going 'i'm going to sit on him tomorrow' which is the worse thing, imo. before you start all that make sure you do lots of days with saddle and bridle on, etc.

some ponies are much better wiht another pony next to them. depending on the horse, i sometimes prefer to back bareback first, but that's personal preference.

the first time you actually sit on him properly just stay there a short second, get the person on the ground to give lots of praise and you give a ncie (quick but calm) neck-scratch, get off, lots of fuss and put him away immediately.

some horses freak out when they move and find they have to balance differently. i find the best thing to get them to take a step is to get your helper to hold a treat a step away - this way, they are thinking about getting to the food and not how weird it is to move wiht this weird weight on them, adn also they immediately are rewarded for their first effort.

this way does take a week or two longer than more conventional 'sit on em and let em deal with it' methods, but i have had the best results by far form doing it, and given that it's such a massively important time i think it's worth taking time over it. others may differ though!!

do let us know how you get on...!
 
I broke my girl in last year (April), she was 3 years old at the time. I have turned her away for the winter and probably around March/April time I will re-back her again.

I've alway broken my own horses in, I can't afford to send them away. At first you feel nervous taking such a big animal on but as long as you have created a bond and have already established good groundwork then all falls into place eventually. I recommend you know exactly what to do step by step first of all - Richard Maxwell has great book out called 'From Birth to Backing'.

It's so satisfying in the end, and I'm still learning as well as my horse! Roll on Spring!
 
I've got two that will be 3 in April but I will not be backing them until the autumn at the earliest, I don't believe in doing it too early, but they're extremely well handled and I've done as much with them as I would expect for their age. This summer will see them being a lunged (only a bit though - it bores me silly) and long-reined prior to actual backing. They've both had tack on several times already.
 
My pony is 3 in May however I won't be backing him until next year when he turns 4 as I just think it's far better to give them that extra bit of time to mature physically and mentally and just grow into themselves more.

We will this summer however be out showing and getting him used to new experiences, he will be bitted and wear tack whilst long reining. Hopefully. It really depends on how he takes to it all though. I'm in no rush though and we'll take it at his pace.
 
I'll be backing my rising 4 yr old in the late Spring / summer. She came to me having done nothing last June and I did 6 months of prep work - leading, long lining, in hand hacking to get her used to traffic - then progressing to long line hacking to get her used to going forwards without a leader. I also introduced proper close inhand work to teach her acceptance of a contact and the outside rein concept. Got her used to wearing tack, and did lots of travel training. Loose schooled her over poles and small jumps, introduced very short lunge sessions...pretty much a full basic education of everything she needed except having a rider on as she wasn't physically mature enough last year

Gave her the winter off completely - turned out in a herd in a massive meadow to chill out and I'll be starting from scratch again in a few weeks to fix the lessons in her mind and build up her strength and balance ready for backing her when she's ready.

Really looking forward to it!
 
I'll be backing my Dales filly in May when she's 3. She's very laid back, been out to County Shows and seen lorries, walked in hand through village but hasn't worn any tack yet. Really looking forward to sitting on her as I've had her since she was 6 months old.
 
My filly is rising 4 (April) and she was sent away fro breaking on Saturday. She has been well handled and was sat on late last summer. She is now lunging nicely and has tack on and a mouthing bit. She will be long reined next and should progress to being sat on in a week or so. I'm very excited to see how she turns out.
 
I have a 4.5 yr old cob x Cruising(grandsire) that was untouched when we got him in August.He has needed a bit longer to grow into himself so there has been no hurry. He has learnt manners on the ground, has been to a couple of shows and is lunging nicely. He will be my hunter for next season so thats my goal! OH wants to do inhand with him as he is a very unusual colour- dapple grey with black leopard spots!
 
i have 2 to break. ted is 3 in may and pal is 3 in july. i will break ted in first as he is older and then start work on pal in august/september. im hoping to keep pal and show him next year and if all goes well he will be my 'full time' horse lol and pal was bought as a project horse so he will be broken in august and sold next spring.
 
Crumbles!
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Faith is 3 this summer, just waiting for the right time. I've balanced a saddle on her back and put the girth on (she's not bothered). We've done alot of bonding work and out of the blue last week just before my birthday a very light weight friend sat on her and she didnt bat a eyelid
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. I'm just taking it slow, she likes jumping, because when we go into the school to bond and play, she jumps over the small jump on her own and gets quite proud when I squeal with delight
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I suspect we will be getting some in back at work. We usually have a few through out the year. I don't have my own to back but did do one of my own last year.
 
I have 2 this year - Mr Poo, the little arab, will be being sent to boarding school - as Nelson11 put it! He is a bit of a live wire, and I think he will definitely benefit from having things done constantly to be broken in - which I can't always guarantee to do due to work and other commitments. He is 4 in May, and I think he is ready to have something to give his little brain something to think about!

Flo is 3 in May - but she is very much more mature mentally than Mr Poo - she has never been at all worried about having tack put on, I had her out on the end of a lunge (just walking and a few strides of trot) at the end of last summer, and she just takes everything in her stride. ALso at the end of last summer she was making such a fuss when I was lunging Mr Poo that I got her out and tacked her up with the aim of just leaning over her a couple of times - but ended up popping up on her for a few minutes! She was sooo stressed, that my Dad actually had to hold her head up.....
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Mr Poo will be being sold once he has done a little work, but I think Flo will be sticking around for a little bit longer, as she is such a sweetheart, and also the first foal that I have ever bred!
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My mare will be 3 in April and so i will be breaking her in and bringing on slowly with a view if all goes well to try for BYEH next yr. she has has saddle and bridle on and long reined and i am very light and sat on her just before winter and was o.k. keeping fingers crossed.
 
Thanks for the advice, it is appreciated
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. Monty has had all tack on. Hasn't really reacted badly to anything yet, fine with bit, bridle, saddle, girth done up. Have long-reined, briefly lunged with one line and two, walked over a few poles, walked in hand round the village in company and on his own and has been fine in traffic.
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If only it would all go well, i know there are going to be hiccups along the way
 
i have a little mare who is 4 this year, i did a lot of ground work with her last year, in hand with a lead bridle and headcollor round feilds and on small roads, builing up a trust, started long reining before lunging, thought less strain on her legs at only 3, get her used to transitions and voive commands, slowly introducing a saddle, i started leaning on her in october, slowly sat up after doing that a few times and have bin slowly progressing her, hoping 2 turn her away in febuary, left her late to break, to give her time to mentaly grow up a bit more and mature, they are so different depends on personality, dont rely on books though, we have no way near followed there advice, it depends on your horse to pace you move at really and what age you start doing things with them we have never rushed her and shes bin a little sweatie taking it her stride (so far he he)
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i'll be backing my 12 yr old this year. had her at 8 years completely untouched as a companion but she's too good to be wasted so have decided to go for it.
 
It depends how mature my rising 3yr old (3 in may) is looking!

He's done all the prep work - LOVES long reining, bitted, had saddle and rollers on. Been sat on very breifly a couple of times in the begining of winter.

However he's only just started to look more like an adult horse and has grown significantly in the last couple of months so if he shots up and looks all fugly again in the spring I'll just leave it until next year.

If he IS broken it'll only be 15mins walk about to teach stopping, turning and going.
 
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