youngster putting back up when saddle on? nervous connemara

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diana1991

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I have ridden a few youngsters and looking for a 4-5yo conny that's backed. Found one, he is 5, backed as 4yo and been off work since feb time.

came back into work 2 days ago and lady said he was fine, just put his back up when saddle was put on.

when we came out, he braced his back up when saddle was put on but then was fine? Badly fitting saddle maybe?

to ride was fine but if you sat too deep then twice I felt his back come up against me but it was my fault for sitting a bit heavy maybe?

He was also very nervous ? Walked backwards when leaving yard to hack, stopped dead as a car went past on country lanes and walked backwards due to a parked tractor.

He also got upset and scared himself as I patted him not expecting him to scare him and he startled himself when I got off and he heard my feet hit the floor.

Almost sounds like maybe I was just too big a rider for the little chap but I am below 5'2 and below 8 stone and not heavy in my seat at all but I did sit little deep when his back went up as I was holding him togeather without remembering how green he is and to get off his back a bit more?

I know one horse that gets a bit humpy and back up when being bought back into work, but ive never known any other youngsters to be so sensitive? Just wondering if I should bother with a vetting and can someone reassure it could just be nothing?

Thanks in advance. Also, I know of 5 conny's and they all seem to think life is out to get them? This one is not from ireland and do not think he has had a hard life from what I can tell/been told but dont think he has that regular handling so maybe it's just being overall a tad sensitive?
 
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Sounds like it hasn't been broken in properly.

But on top of that could be in pain/badly fitting tack etc.
 
amymay said:
He's only been back in work for 2 mins.......

And has no hacking experience by the sounds of it.
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I know, sorry it's not so much the hacking anyway it's just from personal experience my youngsters ive hacked out for first time have been surprisingly bold so wondering why he might lack confidence... So just going off personal experience with his reaction to that.

Same again with the back up, I know one mare that does it and we always thought it was just normal as she's a bit more sensitive to your seat, but wondering if it is common in youngsters coming back into work as my own have never done it?
 
LouS said:
Sounds like it hasn't been broken in properly.

But on top of that could be in pain/badly fitting tack etc.
Click to expand...

Not sure :S
Girl who said to of backed the pony was a top show producer and lovely rider. Horse was in a D ring in pictures though, but a wilkie when we got there, not aware of the detail of this bit as anything that isn't dressage legal I've never really looked into so not sure but ignoring that he was already very well schooled from the work done around christmas time.
 
I think given that he has only just come back into work he will need time to adjust and get back into the swing of things, probably before he was put up for sale. Patience and time is everything, plus you are completely new to him in every way so your way of riding might be different to what he had known months ago when he was broken.

If he has no hacking experience then that would explain his reaction to the strange things, but he doesn't sounds like he was reacting all that unusually for a sensitive 5 year old having only been ridden twice after 5 months off to mature!
 
Sounds very much like my new lad,supposedly been turned away last year after backing but is reacting like he had never been backed at all.To make sure he was started properly I have sent my boy away he is due back at weekend ,he has blotted his copy book once in all that time so hoping he will be good lad once home.Mine is fine ridden but reacts nervously with mounting the time when you sit up in saddle is most frightening for him.My trainer gets on with leg up and lays over saddle hard bit for me is training from mounting block.Like yours he arches his back little.I have fitter out on 16th to make sure everyting is as comfortable as possible.
 
Thanks everyone. Think i've just lost the plot. Got too many youngsters so really wanted something still young, but backed so I can actually compete atm.

Also caught some very dodgy people out lately and had some near misses on some cr*p that people are trying to flog. Problem is some young horses just need 2 handlers all the time for safety regardless of how comfy you are with handling/dealing with them, and as I hack, compete, travel and ride on my own, it has to be fairly sane.

But the conny is ever so well schooled still from last year, the girl that backed him was a great rider and couldn't put it down to being badly backed or anything. But I am now looking for faults far too much because can't seem to beleive anything I'm told :S damn horse searching, not as fun as you'd think.
 
Why not go back to long reining in tack to build his confidence in things. Very much doubt you are too heavy for him, but sitting deep he will feel if he isn't used to it.

Currently training youngster to stand dead still whilst I get on as not as agile as I used to be. Scoop of nuts does wonders. They have to stand in the right position & be still to get the reward. Can then chomp when I mount, she's cottoned on in only 2 goes. I then make sure she stands some more, & I'm not tempted to rush her away from the block once I'm on.
 
Currently training youngster to stand dead still whilst I get on as not as agile as I used to be. Scoop of nuts does wonders. They have to stand in the right position & be still to get the reward. Can then chomp when I mount, she's cottoned on in only 2 goes. I then make sure she stands some more, & I'm not tempted to rush her away from the block once I'm on.[/QUOTE]

Hey I might try this as I have the same problem with my mare, do you hand her the treats yourself or do you have someone else give the treats? :)
 
Sounds a little like mine- he has always tensed right up when having his bridle and saddle on. Saddle has been checked numerous times by different saddlers, back lady has been out, have tried different bits and had his teeth checked, all is completely fine. He was very tense when ridden at first, but now is so laid back. He throws in the odd buck, but think thats because he seems to enjoy it- he always has a good buck in the field when playing :)
He does tend to get a little nervous, but with a few bombproofing exercises he calms right down and always surprises me :) he isn't great to hack thanks to an idiot in a car when he was three scaring the living daylights out of him, but I'm sure he'll get there with time and patience.
Depends on how much time and patience you have as to whether or not it'll be the right one for you.
 
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