Backing a 4 year old - how long?

Janice Corbett

Janice Corbett

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Aug 20, 2001
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Rowney Green, Nr Alvechurch, North Worcs
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Fairly well handled 4 year old -
fine with headcollar being put on and taken off
groomed all over - not particularly ticklish
is led daily from stable to field, field to stable, but it's only 10 yards
is fine with feet being done
has had saddle on with girth done up but only when in stable eating hay net
has not been lunged or long-lined,
hasn't yet been bitted (been offered bit but won't take it)

She is supposed to be going away to be backed this weekend, for 4-6 weeks. Owner expects to be able to ride her (hacking and schooling) when she comes back. Is this likely, in 4-6 weeks????
 
I would think that would be about right for a well handled pony, obviously that is just the beginning and there will be lots more work to do after that
 
Assuming that the horse is well-handled and takes to each step of the process easily, then there's no reason why not.
However, personally, I would back, spend a few weeks going over the basics already covered during the first few ridden experiences and then turn away for a little while. I think it's a bit much to expect a horse to go away for backing and then to start building on that experience straight away.
 
i know yards that do the backing process so fast and will return the horse walking, trotting and cantering within 8 weeks. I think the fact the horse is not bitted may slow things down slightly. If it's not bitted then it will not be familiar with a contact. My youngster is lunged, longreined, bitted etc. so the actual riding process is a natural progression and technically shouldn't take long. It's the previous ground work that's taken me 18 months to establish.
 
It took me about 3/4 months to have megan doing w/t/c as balanced as possible. (not in an outline tho)

The hacking took longer and the introduction to jumping and poles even longer. Will be taking the same length of time if not longer with any new one I get.

Better to take longer and have a better result than rush it and have to back track when it causes problems :)

Nikki xxx
 
Initially, as Sez explained, 4-6 weeks would be fine for establishing good groundwork, backing and the basics - after all, Monty Roberts backs in 30 minutes - then turn her away before schooling and developing her education further which will take years (a continual process I suppose).

x
 
If horse had done all groundwork ie lunging, long reining ect and it was just a case of getting on then 4-6weeks would be ok. I would expect the horse to have basic walk trot and conter but nothing fancy or even consistant!

Personally to be hacking and schooling regularly and to be fairly consistant about it I would expect 6-9months at the very least to be fair to the horse and not rush it.
 
I think 4-6 weeks is ample time if the horse is already well handled and accepting the weight of the saddle.
think how many days that is. if the horse is taught a little each day - even for fifteen minutes or so (probably advisable with such a green horse!!) i don't see a problem.
I agree with other people that after such a brisk (not rushed!) break in, a spell would be a good idea to let the horse mull over what it has learnt.
 
in that case i think it's a touch optimistic. when i quote for six weeks (which i dont; normally do as i do think it's too intensive for some horses and can lead to problems later - but that'sa different thread) i would assume working 5/6 days a week, sometimes twice a day.
twice a week for six weeks is only 12 sessions - that is nowhere near enough time to allow the musles to build up to carry a rider happily for any length of time.
 
A horse has just been backed and broken near to us recently

he was backed and broken very quickly but the real work is going to take them they reckon they best part of a year

He is very rideable but he is now learning to work effectively and to respond well to commands (ie he does go to canter but not always straight off, on the right leg, and into a nice collected canter - often he sort of runs into a disjoined canter). They are working on schooling him now

He's a dream to hack out mind you.

He's not bad btw, just a bit green

They aren't hurrying it with him

He was broken and then turned away for about 3 months and then has just started being bought back into work, with 3 - 4 schooling sessions a week and a couple of hacks

Seems to be coming along really nicely

I've never backed or broken so I know nuffin as they say! I can only go on what I've seen in the last few months.
 
i think it also can deoend on t he horse, my mare was professionly broken walk,trot,canter bothe reins with no probs in fours weeks but she is 5 so maybe bit more mature in the head, our gelding took four weeks as well but he was the biggest dope you could ever meet and agin both had been with me since babies, although i have to say twice a week isnt much at all
 
2-ponies on our yard have recently been backed and broken and to be honest it was a fairly quick process. I must admit though these ponies were handled daily and pretty good at everything. Within the 3rd time of sitting on one of the ponies they got a small canter out of her, they have both been hacked out lightly and will be hacked out regularly over the spring. Both ponies have taken to ridden work like ducks to water and seem to really enjoy it.

Again like Snowyboy they reckon the hard work will come over the next 12-months in working on this foundation without spoiling them.
 
every horse is different. Personally I hate the sending away thing. The whole point of backing a horse is building the relationship up with it and having seen what some of these people do to back them and their methods well........

If you cant do this yourself you have to think how you are going further its education when its returned to you.

Twice a week oh thats going to be a long time then especially when hardly any ground work has been done which is the most important part. They should be looking at a couple months. Rushing is the worst thing that could people do to back them.
 
When I broke Fern it took me 8 weeks to get her in a fairly balanced walk trot and canter, being worked on daily for 15 - 30 minutes, but with only an hours lunging on sunday. She was only 3 and as soon as she'd done the 8 weeks + 2 to firmly settle it in her head, i put her out at grass with the shetland mares for 3 months, because she was so young. then I've spent the last about, 18 months just bringing her back in and schooling (shes now 5) and we're about to start jumping. But with Milo my 10 year old, it only took him 5 weeks to be backed and ridden away. So it really depends on the horse and how mature they are tbh. :) But 6 weeks twice a week wouldn't be enough for any of my horses :D
 
I got Max as a yearling and started groundwork with him then - leading, backing up, walking over poles etc. At about two we started introducing him to tack and harness, moving on to longreining. At three he was backed, ridden for no more than 10 minutes a day, most days. He was turned away for the winter, and then when he we 4 we really started his riding and driving education. By the end of that summer he was riding Western and driving, going out on hacks, to shows, and has been wonderful ever since. So I guess it took me about 3 years!!!
 
I would have though sending a horse to be backed with this level of preparation you would get back something ready to walk and trot in a school and possible hack in quiet company with a rider experienced in young horses in six weeks.

Certainly not ready for general hacking/schooling unless you are storing up future problems.

There again I am a philistine who believes education starts the day a foal is born and finishes when a horse retires. It does also depend on the type of horse, canter in confined spaces with larger horses takes time to develop and I often would leave that totally until walk and trot are very established in lots of different circumstances.

With horses working well over the age of 20 what is the rush?

We take on 'projects ' rather than unbroken so obviously have to undo past problems but I would personally not like to take a horse who's only 'experience' is being led 10m and wearing a saddle in a stable while stationary and turn him/her into a riding horse in six weeks.
 
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