Coming up to the big day - suggestions for backing Pablo!

[Esther.D]

Well Pablo has a new saddle (a lovely 2nd hand Barnsby saddle) which the saddler came out and fitted a couple of weeks ago...and he is long reining fine...and he is accepting people leaning over his back....so it is time for the final big step..

We have a clear three days immediately ahead of us in which we thought we would make the step from leaning over to mounting as we are off and so won't have the usual time constraints...

Currently he is fine with Stephen lying over him and patting him all over from that position etc..he is a bit tense but accepts it ok without moving or objecting.

So has anyone got any suggestions for a plan to re-introduce the rider? How long would you work in a session and at what point in the session would you introduce the rider and for how long? Bearing in mind he has been already backed almost two years ago but was very nervous with a rider. However he is generally 100% more confident now.

I want to make sure we do everything in the most controlled manner and give him the best possible start this time.

Suggestions welcomed...and we will keep you informed...fingers crossed;)

[Lgd]

Do his usual session and finish the first day with Steve actually getting on from the leaning over position but lying forward on his neck. If he accepts this do it a few times and stop.

Day 2 the same but ask for a couple of steps in walk - advantage of being leant forward is that it is easy to dismount quickly if ther is a problem. If he accepts that try sitting up while stationary.

If he is happy with all of that you can try a few steps in walk while sitting up.

[Horsey Bird]

I have no ideas but just wanted to say how amazed I am with how far you've come with him. Having read the various sagas (:D ) in the last couple of years, what you've done is just fantastic!

Good luck with this latest one!
M.

[Mehitabel]

have you done the walking round with steve lying over? this will help him get used to moving and balancing again but with less risk for steve as you can slide off easily.

the other thing they usually object to, if they're going to object to anything, isn't the weight, it's seeing someone above and behind them - in exactly the position a predator would be if it was pouncing from behind. so something i work on a lot before sitting on is standing on a mounting block at the shoulder and leaning over but staying quite upright, and moving and waving my arms around so they're used to movement they can see out of the corner of their eyes and used to having a human in that position.

another halfway house thing is to mount, but not swing the leg over - so you have your weight on the saddle but are kind of standing on one stirrup with the otrher leg behind you - how you are just before you swing the leg over. (harder to describe than to do!) you need someone holding the other stirrup quite firmly.

to begin sitting on and moving, i start with the horse facing a fence - not too close, but so that they can't take a huge leap forwards. stand there and do the leaning over, half-getting on, and the sitting on and staying forward. when steve first sits up, make sure he keeps his head turned to the side in case pablo throws his head up and nuts him in the face. i've had a few bloody noses from that before i learned!

so when you are sitting on and pablo is happy, go back a step. have im about 10 feet from a fence and have steve do the half-on thing - then walk him to the fence with steve in that position. when he is happy with that, have steve get on properly and walk to the fence like that. then steve gets off, pats him and you do it again. it's only about 3 strides, so not long enough for pablo to get up any momentum, and a definite end point so he shouldn't get stressed. gradually go further back from the fence and when he is happy, turn (smoothly) and start walking round the school.

steve also needs to talk to pablo all the time - a constant stream of gentle chatter will mean steve keeps breathing so isn't as tense, and pablo will always know where he is as he can hear daddy, and a reassuring tone of voice is always useful. i am a champ at wittering on about nothing talking to baby horses! doesn't matter what he says as long as he is chatting away and keeping a calm and matter of fact tone of voice.

[Tootsie4U]

Um, I cant remember if you guys have stalls and if not, this may be worthless :D

When I first sat up on Bon, I did it in his stall (where he feels secure). I had hubby stand beside to reassure Bon from the ground while I hopped on. I immediately dismounted and tried again. I think being in his stall helped him.

Otherwise, I really like what Es suggested! Especially about having Stephen lie across his back so that if anyone gets upset, he can just slide off.

G'Luck (and get some pics - this will be funny, Im sure :p)

[Esther.D]

Thanks all, good ideas, keep them coming! Tootsie - no we don't have any stabling unfortunately.....and yes I will try and get some pics!

[chev]

Nothing to add really, Es pretty much covered it. Just wanted to say good luck, hope it goes well! :)

[nat17]

Same as chev, good luck esther and steve, and pablo be a good boy:D

[CityGirl]

Esther -
how did it go? We haven't heard anything. Hopefully Steven & Pablo both came through with flying colours!!

[Esther.D]

Sorry for lack of response - have been snowed under at work and busy sorting the house out:rolleyes:

It was a bit of a non-event.....Pablo was lame :( He has managed to cut the inside of his hock, not too deeply but bad enough to make him stiff and keep opening it up if he moves about too much. It is healing well now but it stopped out plans last week:( He was very cross and jumpy as we were spraying it with antiseptic spray which must have stung...

Put his saddle on anyway but he was very out of sorts and bucked slightly when I did up the girth (first time he has ever bucked) and then was really difficult about having his bit in..... He was very upset so we just concentrated on handling the saddle and running the stirrups up and down etc until he settled (at first he was holding his breath and flinching when we touched the saddle). He settled down after a while and we took the saddle off and left it on a good note.

We have left him since then so that the cut can heal and have just been up feeding him and checking his leg. It is healing now and hopefully by the weekend he will have decided we are friendly again (he does this every so often - because the spray stung he decided that we were out to torture him :rolleyes: ). If his leg is better we'll take him for a walk with Rupert (ridden) as he likes that and it will calm him down. Then when he is properly better we'll try 'take two' :rolleyes:

[nat17]

I hope it heals quickly esther and allows you to get on with his training soon:)

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Esther.D
It was a bit of a non-event.....Pablo was lame

Oof. Rats.

Better luck with take two.

[FreedomStar]

darn. Hopefully Pablo will recover quickly and well.