Anyone with youngsters out there?

[Calsanjo]

Newly broken? (Not two year olds please!!!!) Just wanna swap stories and experiences, mine went four in July and was backed in April. I am hoping to jump him in the future, he was bred for it so *hopefully* he will enjoy it!

[Mehitabel]

not at the minute, but i've been breaking in and bringing on babies for about 10 years now, so i have plenty of stories! what is yours like?

[Karenr]

I've got a 3 year old Native Cross, she was broken when I brought her 6 months ago, but was a very rude little horse! I have gone back to basics and she is now quiet polite, but still learning. She is as good as gold to be ridden but I feel riding is only 10% of owning a horse.

My other girl is 8 but going on 2! I've had her since she was 4, again she came to me already broken, but with a lot of "problems". She is a bred showjumper - and she can seriously jump - but due to her problems has been away for re-schooling a couple of times and eventually sent back to me with the statement "She will never be ridden properly the best thing would be to shoot her". She had a seriousl problem about people riding her - if she didn't want to do it - she didn't!?!

Obviously I didn't! I moved home and brought a farm 2 yrs ago tried again with her schooling but it was a nightmare, she then became ill so had April last year to February this off mostly on box rest. I then contacted an Equine Behaviourist who has been fantastic with her and taught me great ways of dealing with my girl. Her pet hate in life is cars and anything new or strange - she will go into an absolute explosion and becomes dangerous to handle. Now with the altnerative way of handling her we can get past, near or upto most obstacles on the farm - she still can't deal with cars I guess something awlful has happened in the past which I need to approach at some point.

This year I would say my 8yo was started again from scratch taking everything at a very slow pace - she is now so wonderful to handle and I actually trust her 100% I sat on her for the first time in 18 months the other day, we took it very gentle step by step and she was fine - we had a short walk round the farm with absolutely no pressure on her at all and I think she actually thought it fun - she looked so pleased with herself. We are a long way from any competitions but at least she is going in the right direction
;)

[Dace]

Hi, Calsanjo! My horse is just the same age. Turned 4 in July 19. He was backed in November last year and started slowly by very light work in winter and spring. He too has good jumping bloodlines and I have him jumped already. Nothing really big mostly 2' and till now we didn't went over more than 3'.

In the moment I can't remember any really funny stories, I just realized how much did a horse learn in one year, like being tacked up, standing still while mounted, all the basic aids for riding, turning, sorting the feet over cavalettis and jumps, hacking out, being washed all over (in hot summer days), starting working on the bit and long and low.

Otherwise he is a gelding with stallion attitude, like in the saying "tell the gelding, discuss with a stallion". If he don't want to do something it can come to the battle horsey vs. human. He is totally bombproof and there are no really scary things at all… like big laud cars passing by the schooling area or jumps made with plastic things flapping in the wind. But from other side – when he wants to play (when the human is "on board") he just does it, including some bucks, jumping with all 4 in the air and from side to side. I'm learning to enjoy it.

Dace

[Tootsie4U]

The horse I am going to buy, and who I am currently ground training and backing, is 3 (4 in June). He's a holy terror! He was going to be kept a stud for breeding (he's gorgeous) but he was too crazy, so they gelded him. Im doing a trial with him now.

We have been working on voice commands while lunging and he has it mastered already. He learns quickly so that gives me hope for the future...

His ground manners are terrible. He pushes everyone around, spooks at butterflies (joking), impatient, very testy, but clean in his stall.

My work with him has progressed ALOT so I am not giving up hope. He was so unruly before, but he jsut sat in the field 24/7 so I dont expect too much from him yet.

[Calsanjo]

Dace - I notice you're from Latvia! My Grandad is from Riga hence my surname being Latvian (Hans)/

Those of you who said yours are bred to jump - how are they bred??? I haven't really started jumping him yet as he's not strong enough and still pretty green on the flat.... but fingers crossed for next year!!

[Wally]

We have always got one in the process of basic training, 4 yo daft stallion is this years project.

[Jay.o]

i got a 4 year old stallion and in breaking him now, lying on his back while he goes round on a lead and a lunge!!!

[Dace]

How do you breed a horse for jumping? Well, you take a mare and a stallion and... LOL
Usually breeders look at the pedigrees, how good the parents are, what foals they gave before and so on. Than you look at the horse – how big it is, how build, how does he jump, how much natural talent does it have. The rest is a question of training. Of course not all horses will make it to the Olympics… nor will all humans, but an average sound horse will jump let's say 1.00-1.10 meter (3 feet something, up to 4 feet) without any problems.

Although all the said could mean nothing. There are a lot horses that don't have a breeding for jumping (or no "breeding" at all i.e. no one really knows it), horses who are too small, too big, horses with incorrect conformations and so on, but despite of that make excellent jumpers. These horses we call "a horse with a soul", they want to jump and they like it. That means a lot.

Calsanjo – nice to meet someone who is similar with my corner of the planet. Where are you from?

Dace

[Calsanjo]

Dace - I didn't mean it like that!!

When I said how are they bred, I meant who bred them, who was the dam and who was the sire etc!!!

My boy's sire is Calvaro Z and he was bred at the Zangersheide stud in Belgium by Paul Schockemohle (sp?!) which is why I am hoping he'll enjoy jumping under saddle as much as he does loose!

[belle]

I have a 5 year old Arabian mare who has now been broken in 4 weeks.:)

[unicorndanca]

My gelding is coming on 4yo. It is so rewarding to see how far they come since you buy them and watching them grow and mature. I have had mine for a year.

[Lucy J]

my youngster is now 5 and was backed about 11 months ago. we have had (and still have) various problems, but onthe whole everything is progressing nicely.

mine 2 was bred for jumping, and although great when she wants to be consistency is still something are working on, although i believe confidence (or lack of) is our biggest enemy at the moment.

[sara1]

I have a 3yr old 16hh Hanoverian x welsh cob x TB. I've had him since he was a foal. He was gelded in December 2001. I have been walking him out in traffic and long reining him since he had just turned 2. I decided inJanuary this year while giving him a groom that i would sit on him, and i did. He was great!! a week later i was hacking out up a private track. Everyone on the yard couldn't believe it. He's now been turned away and i intend on bringing him into work next spring. I think the art of backing all stems from the good ground work you gradually build up early on. :rolleyes:

[Waikato Valuta]

I've got a 17.2hh 4yo tb built like a warmblood in the makeing at the moment. I would say he is freshly broken because he has had 12 races but he know nothing about the leg rains or turing a circle so he could almost be called just broken.

He has realy improved and just last week we got a butiful colected canter. I dident even ask him to come on the bit he just sprung on to it and stayed they for about 2 laps of the manarge with lots of impolsion. Very proud of my boy.

I hope to do dressage on him but have only had him for 5months and most of that has been rest since he is of the track.

[ggabby]

just got back from my 4yrs old first jumping show,he is a pure breed connemara,breed in ireland .only did 2 clear round classes but he seemed to love it.roll on next week.