Ok so I am now at the point where I would call myself an experienced rider. I have had 3 horses first of these reared and bolted :/ 2nd was pretty good but did try her luck and liked to buck and bolt a lot. 3rd is the Pony I have now who is uhhm unpredictable. She had planted napped bucked bronked reared bolted and done amazingly well with jumping. This horse is 9 and had ony been hacked so I schooled her myself ... not perfect but we are getting there. Ater deaing with all these horses I feel that I am an experienced rider and am now thinking about getting some experience in breaking horses in. Does anyone know how I would go about this ?
Breaking a horse - experience.
- Thread starter Jenny--x
- Start date
A few questions:
1) These 3 horses - did you improve their behaviour, or did it just not worry you? Having difficult horses is not a good indicator of how good a rider you are - it may just mean you're very confident and have a grippy seat...
2) Have you other horse experience other than these 3?
3) Do you have the money to call in professional help if you need it?
I have 2 ponies - one I bought as a 2 year old, backed and trained myself, who is now 9 years old, a bombproof hack alone and in company, schools nicely and jumps for fun. I'm very proud of how she's turned out. I took advice from as many people as I could, tried different things, enlisted the help of experts and instructors where necessary, and have a super pony at the end of it.
My second pony is now 1.5 years old and I got him at 8 months old. He's bombproof to lead out and about, easily caught, moves away from pressure (wherever it comes from), ties up, picks his feet up and holds them, is good for the vet and farrier, loads himself, has been to a show and behaved (mostly). I'm also very proud of him and intend to train him to be as good an allrounder as my mare.
I'm by no means a super horseperson, but I know what I want to achieve and work towards that every day. My key interest is to have horses that are safe and fun to be around, and that means no kicking, no biting, no barging, no bolting, no bucking and no rearing.
If you still think you can train a horse from scratch and want to try, why not phone around your local studs and dealers and see if they'll take you on and train you up - they'll get free help and you'll get experience. Good luck!
1) These 3 horses - did you improve their behaviour, or did it just not worry you? Having difficult horses is not a good indicator of how good a rider you are - it may just mean you're very confident and have a grippy seat...
2) Have you other horse experience other than these 3?
3) Do you have the money to call in professional help if you need it?
I have 2 ponies - one I bought as a 2 year old, backed and trained myself, who is now 9 years old, a bombproof hack alone and in company, schools nicely and jumps for fun. I'm very proud of how she's turned out. I took advice from as many people as I could, tried different things, enlisted the help of experts and instructors where necessary, and have a super pony at the end of it.
My second pony is now 1.5 years old and I got him at 8 months old. He's bombproof to lead out and about, easily caught, moves away from pressure (wherever it comes from), ties up, picks his feet up and holds them, is good for the vet and farrier, loads himself, has been to a show and behaved (mostly). I'm also very proud of him and intend to train him to be as good an allrounder as my mare.
I'm by no means a super horseperson, but I know what I want to achieve and work towards that every day. My key interest is to have horses that are safe and fun to be around, and that means no kicking, no biting, no barging, no bolting, no bucking and no rearing.
If you still think you can train a horse from scratch and want to try, why not phone around your local studs and dealers and see if they'll take you on and train you up - they'll get free help and you'll get experience. Good luck!
Yeah that is the sort of thing I would love to be able to get a young horse a do.
I have had other horse experience and am always helping people round the yard and things. Lungeing etc. Well I schooled Whisper who I have now and her behaviour has improved although she has her days. Dolly who was the second horse I had improved a little but not all the way as she was a loan and was taken back although I still ride her at times. Ginger vastly improved from nutty untouched horseyy to forward going and strong but sane riden horse. And I would not have trouble getting help if I needed it. Yeah I have thought about this but would they be happy to have someone breaking there horses the first time ?
I have had other horse experience and am always helping people round the yard and things. Lungeing etc. Well I schooled Whisper who I have now and her behaviour has improved although she has her days. Dolly who was the second horse I had improved a little but not all the way as she was a loan and was taken back although I still ride her at times. Ginger vastly improved from nutty untouched horseyy to forward going and strong but sane riden horse. And I would not have trouble getting help if I needed it. Yeah I have thought about this but would they be happy to have someone breaking there horses the first time ?
They probably wouldn't let you do it yourself, in fact, they almost definitely won't, but you'll get to watch them do it and learn from them firsthand.
I
*IcyRider*
Guest
Sorry to butt in
But i think breaking's such a horrid term for it.When someone talks about "breaking a horse in" i always think of it as there fire being put out and spirit being squashed.
Wouldnt words like "starting" or just training a young horse for riding.Although a much longer term,be a nicer way of putting it.Not getting at the OP but just a thought i had Im sure other's would agree.
But i think breaking's such a horrid term for it.When someone talks about "breaking a horse in" i always think of it as there fire being put out and spirit being squashed.
Wouldnt words like "starting" or just training a young horse for riding.Although a much longer term,be a nicer way of putting it.Not getting at the OP but just a thought i had
Im sure other's would agree.
ditto everything, I think it would be important to watch and learn before you try it yourself - though make sure you go somewhere reputable, you don't want to collect a load of information that means squat
*IR* - people keep saying that on these threads but I never do, i just get imagery of someone leaning over a horses back
I
*IcyRider*
Guest
I think it stems from when i helped with starting the young welshies and they used to be broken.They would go from something with a bit of fire and magic,to a bog standard ponie.
Guess i just put the two together
Guess i just put the two together
*sighs*
breaking, whatever- dont think we need dictionary definitions.
from your post, no i dont think you should try and break a horse in yet- you dont appear to have trained these horses for the better, as in stop them bolting (well if it was a bolt, but thats another thread- i have ridden one bolt, and im not ashamed to say i ruined my saddle, im not easily scared but there was nothing there, he ran completely blind taking no notice of anything, see this thread it was by no means taking hold and going for a jolly and stopping if they met a 6 foot brick wall- he would have gone straight through a wall aswell if he had met one!)
if you could talk about these horses, as in well they now showjump or event or dressage or whatever and we hack out safely and they are doing well then it would be different, but you appear to have only 'ridden' them (and stayed on and pointed them at a few jumps when they obliged) rather than train them to be a safe, sane, well mannered ridden horse.
3 horses, does not make you experienced im afraid- nor does 30! (IMO if your still counting your doing it for the wrong reasons, there is no target)
breaking, whatever- dont think we need dictionary definitions.
from your post, no i dont think you should try and break a horse in yet- you dont appear to have trained these horses for the better, as in stop them bolting (well if it was a bolt, but thats another thread- i have ridden one bolt, and im not ashamed to say i ruined my saddle, im not easily scared but there was nothing there, he ran completely blind taking no notice of anything, see this thread it was by no means taking hold and going for a jolly and stopping if they met a 6 foot brick wall- he would have gone straight through a wall aswell if he had met one!)
if you could talk about these horses, as in well they now showjump or event or dressage or whatever and we hack out safely and they are doing well then it would be different, but you appear to have only 'ridden' them (and stayed on and pointed them at a few jumps when they obliged) rather than train them to be a safe, sane, well mannered ridden horse.
3 horses, does not make you experienced im afraid- nor does 30! (IMO if your still counting your doing it for the wrong reasons, there is no target)
i'm afraid i agree with the above. I've been riding for 22/23 years now. Both my first two horses were newly backed (MUCH prefer that term to breaking!) and i brought them on. My cob is now working at elementary level at home, hacks well and is generally a nice chap. Our mare did all PC activities and was a great allrounder. When she passed away i bought a 2 year old. Despite my experience i still had to call in experienced help to guide me through sticky patches. What i think i JUST as important as experience is sensitivity and understanding of what the horse is trying to tell you. We started backing the baby at rising 4, he told us "no!" so we backed off and left him another year. He's now a bombproof, unflappable, well mannered little horse who's a joy to ride, and he's only had a rider on board since may. that i put down to us having read him and given him the time he needed to mature.
I would watch as much as you can. doesn't even have to be backing, just watch different people and how they work with their horses. Patience is key too. Remember, YOU are setting a young horse up for life, if you muck it up you have potentially caused huge problems for whoever takes that horse on later. my older cob had been badly backed and it took me 3/4 years to sort out the damage they'd done.
I would watch as much as you can. doesn't even have to be backing, just watch different people and how they work with their horses. Patience is key too. Remember, YOU are setting a young horse up for life, if you muck it up you have potentially caused huge problems for whoever takes that horse on later. my older cob had been badly backed and it took me 3/4 years to sort out the damage they'd done.
I agree with the others. No harm in you helping others to back horses, but I don't think you sound anywhere near experienced enough to be doing it yourself.
I have just backed and brought on my youngster - first one I have done on my own, after a few years of helping others to do theirs. I have been riding for 21 years, am a qualified instructor, and also have the benefit of training with a couple of world class instructors from the Cadre Noir, who have given me invaluable guidance on training my young boy. My horse is completely well mannered on the ground and under saddle, he hacks alone or in company, front or back. He has reared and bucked during his initial training, but if I said he still did it, after a year of training with me, there would be some failing somewhere. If you back and train a horse correctly and give them time to learn, there should be no reason for them to throw tantrums and be naughty.
Having a naughty horse does not make you a good rider or trainer - I have much more respect for those people who can produce a sane, well mannered horse! Naughty behaviour is not really desirable
I have just backed and brought on my youngster - first one I have done on my own, after a few years of helping others to do theirs. I have been riding for 21 years, am a qualified instructor, and also have the benefit of training with a couple of world class instructors from the Cadre Noir, who have given me invaluable guidance on training my young boy. My horse is completely well mannered on the ground and under saddle, he hacks alone or in company, front or back. He has reared and bucked during his initial training, but if I said he still did it, after a year of training with me, there would be some failing somewhere. If you back and train a horse correctly and give them time to learn, there should be no reason for them to throw tantrums and be naughty.
Having a naughty horse does not make you a good rider or trainer - I have much more respect for those people who can produce a sane, well mannered horse! Naughty behaviour is not really desirable
I agree with the others. No harm in you helping others to back horses, but I don't think you sound anywhere near experienced enough to be doing it yourself.
I have just backed and brought on my youngster - first one I have done on my own, after a few years of helping others to do theirs. I have been riding for 21 years, am a qualified instructor, and also have the benefit of training with a couple of world class instructors from the Cadre Noir, who have given me invaluable guidance on training my young boy. My horse is completely well mannered on the ground and under saddle, he hacks alone or in company, front or back. He has reared and bucked during his initial training, but if I said he still did it, after a year of training with me, there would be some failing somewhere. If you back and train a horse correctly and give them time to learn, there should be no reason for them to throw tantrums and be naughty.
Having a naughty horse does not make you a good rider or trainer - I have much more respect for those people who can produce a sane, well mannered horse! Naughty behaviour is not really desirable
I agree, being able to sit a rear or a buck dosent automatically mean your a good horse trainer. Its about all the bits you do before you back, sensing and understanding the horse and understanding why theres a possible issue before it happens and so on. If you can sit a huge buck or rear then thats simply a bonus!
I got my first 2yo when I was 21 yrs old, and had my own horses/ponies since before I was 10 yrs old.
I'm not saying that I was very experienced at the time - it just happened that way - I was not even looking to buy another horse when I bought him. I did have the time and the patience to bring on a youngster, and I was lucky that I had lots of more experienced friends around me to ask when I experienced any difficulties.
Charlie turned out to be a fabulous fun horse - he hacked out on his own and in company, was a responsive, calm, sane and sensible ride, he did very well at stressage (I eventually sold him to a stressage home), and he would willingly pop round a BN or Discovery course. I only sold him because I went through a particularly nasty divorce.
Since buying him as a youngster, I would never buy a ready-made horse now and Lexi is my 4th 'baby'.
I'm not saying that I was very experienced at the time - it just happened that way - I was not even looking to buy another horse when I bought him. I did have the time and the patience to bring on a youngster, and I was lucky that I had lots of more experienced friends around me to ask when I experienced any difficulties.
Charlie turned out to be a fabulous fun horse - he hacked out on his own and in company, was a responsive, calm, sane and sensible ride, he did very well at stressage (I eventually sold him to a stressage home), and he would willingly pop round a BN or Discovery course. I only sold him because I went through a particularly nasty divorce.
Since buying him as a youngster, I would never buy a ready-made horse now and Lexi is my 4th 'baby'.
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Sitting the rear/buck/tanking horse is one thing ...
Teaching them from the start not to perform these behaviours is another.
I have helped back & bring on many horses, both as the rider in the saddle (with trainer on the ground) as as the trainer on the ground (with a competent rider in the saddle!) . I have also ridden many school masters, difficult horses, easy horses, strange horses, green horses -- each had something to teach me to contribute to my general knowledge and understanding of equines & the art of bringing out the best in a horse.
.. but despite this experience I am only now attempting to do my own from scratch without any additional help. And even there, I am more than prepared to pay for professional help if we ever hit a deadend or if I feel I am no longer able to bring out the best in him on my own.
so it's a question of what you want. I think it's a great experience and it's good fun! The bond you can forge with a horse is amazing. But you also have to be realistic about when to call in experienced help (sometimes right from the start, sometimes only when starting to school to a higher level)
Teaching them from the start not to perform these behaviours is another.
I have helped back & bring on many horses, both as the rider in the saddle (with trainer on the ground) as as the trainer on the ground (with a competent rider in the saddle!) . I have also ridden many school masters, difficult horses, easy horses, strange horses, green horses -- each had something to teach me to contribute to my general knowledge and understanding of equines & the art of bringing out the best in a horse.
.. but despite this experience I am only now attempting to do my own from scratch without any additional help. And even there, I am more than prepared to pay for professional help if we ever hit a deadend or if I feel I am no longer able to bring out the best in him on my own.
so it's a question of what you want. I think it's a great experience and it's good fun! The bond you can forge with a horse is amazing. But you also have to be realistic about when to call in experienced help (sometimes right from the start, sometimes only when starting to school to a higher level)
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