Your backing routine.

[Hanz]

Take your average TB x Welsh 15h gelding.

Don't just speak off guide books, I want to hear your personal opinions on when you would start working a youngster (as in long reining, lungeng, introducing to a bit etc.) To when you would start breaking them, and whether you would turn away.

Just wanted your views and experiences

 

[vhf]

Would depend mostly on the horse, on you and on the time and facilities to hand to be honest.
A mature mind can handle more learning than an immature one, and likewise with the body, but they don't always go together.
If you don't have an all-weather surface, you need to make sure that when you really need an enclosed space, there's going to be one that's safe to use for as many days as you need it.
You also need to know when there's going to be someone knowledgable round to help with the bits that need two people - no good starting something, then not having a second pair of hands around for another ten days...
Otherwise, training from foal to first show can be so gradual they never really know they're moving forward, yet there are people who swear by letting them "be a horse" for x years and then make the whole transition to riding horse a very formal process.
After 30-mumble years of bringing on ponies/horses, the main thing I've learned is each one needs treating as an individual!

 

[Enfys]

The only thing I have had hammered into my head was to take things slowly, end on a good note and be prepared to be flexible according to each horse's ability.

I was reading through a very (has to be over 30 years now) old Pony Club book the other day about breaking horses in and wondered whether people do things the same now as they did then.

For instance, backing a horse for the first time, in a stable. Is that still done? Recommended? I, personally would have my reservations about an enclosed space that small!

 

[magic104]

Depends on the horse & how they accept things. Bits would have been introduced before the age of 3yrs if the animal had been shown in-hand. When it has turned 3yrs it will by then have been used to rugs etc, so a roller with a pad should not be a problem. I will attach side reins & while it is tied up (via headcollar/leadrope) spend time grooming etc. I would then walk them out, again something they are used to. Then with someone at their head they would get used the the lines, & long reining. Lunging again would be started with someone at their head, once they were happy then they go solo. Mine are used to people being above them, because this happens when plaiting, they will also be used to someone leaning on them, so once they are happy with the saddle, I would sit on them rather then lean across the saddle. Again though you would have to read the horse & some horses wont be so accepting. Touch wood I have been lucky & because of the handling they have had as youngsters, starting them has been fairly straight forward. They are given a short holiday to think about things & grow a bit before coming back into work. They will be started with long reining/lunging again & then ridden. They will have worked on the contact from the lung work so that will be carried on in the ridden. Also I insist they work off the leg from the start. I also insist they stand to be mounted, if that means giving them a polo, then fine, but I can't abide horses who wont stand to be mounted, it is dangerous. I always have a neck strap, & try to keep the tack as simple as possible. They would start hacking out with a sensible companion, being asked to go in-front as well as behind. Again though mine are already used to traffic & going out in-hand on their own. There is no time frame, because each is an individual.

 

[Hanz]

Thanks, just I am very interested in buying a 2yo and starting from scratch by myself, as the ponies I used to be sent from Ireland were all 4yo's who had been broken but just needed further schooling/taught to jump.

I find that in most cases, you leave a horse to be started by somebody else and they usually mess it up, and the horse has bad habits, I have been involved in starting horses too so am not throwing myself in the deep end, just was interested in hearing peoples personal opinions.