Pre-youngster nerves

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Sid these days!
Apr 30, 2010
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I found myself awake in the middle of the night last night, saying to myself, "What are you thinking about getting a youngster? You don't even know how to ride! What will you do first? How will you decide what to do next? AARGGGHHH!"

I think I have read too many books too quickly and my brain is overflowing. I can't even decide what's best to do when I bring him home. Those of you who have had a youngster - where did you start? How did you introduce them to their new environment and friends? Then what???

arrggghhh
 
Step 1 unload
Step 2 lead off
Step 3 pop in a stable
Step 4 crap yourself
Step 5 insure them
Step 6 go home

Step 7 go up the next morning
Step 8 let them out and just walk around and sniff
Step 9 discover they don't know how to tie up
Step 10 go fetch them- learn they are good to re catch ;)
Step 11 order more leadropes to replace snapped one.
Step 12 crap yourself again!
 
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Looking back at my diary it says what she had done in the first week of having her, all good all positive all happy.
The second week says something went "wrong" and another rider fell off. Now hindsight is a wonderful thing, I would have done things a lot differently.
What I am saying is you will get the rough with the smooth, you will get the joys and the jeez what did I do that for moments.
The "wrong" I put right and her outlook about me meant it took months and months to get her trust. I really did screw up in her eyes. Maybe we are stronger for it who knows. I certainly felt I had ruined her before we even started as I had only had two weeks!
 
I’m still struggling with the same panic had Eddie a month but been away for two weeks all we have done is catch walk away from herd and pick feet he does not tie up or stand still
 
Have a look at Faran and Is blog :)

I basically got stuck in with handling and leading and picking up feet then went from there. I never got him into too much of a routine.
 
MrC said:
Have a look at Faran and Is blog :)

I basically got stuck in with handling and leading and picking up feet then went from there. I never got him into too much of a routine.
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Ha I was just looking at your thread, he looks a very similar age and cheekiness! I'll read the blog with interest, and I entirely agree with you about the lack of a routine. I don't want to promise what I have no intention of ever delivering ;)
 
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They're horses. They're young but they're still basically horses. Though @newforest has a point about leadropes, with Jim I ended up buying them in bulk rather than visit the tack shop every few days (don't worry, I don't remember Little In ever breaking one)!

Handle him and get in place the rules that matter to you. Feet can often be a problem area so deal with them straight away, despite what some people think age does not instil manners & it's always easier to work with a youngster than a more mentally mature horse with a few extra hundred kgs behind it's opinions. Get to know him, and get him out seeing things, but do it sensibly rather than overface him.

Turnout wise I don't know your situation. If you've got someone fairly kind he can go out with for the first day or two to make friends with then that's great as he'll then go into a herd knowing someone, but if you can don't inflict him on an old boy as his sole nanny for too long - youngsters like to play and that's not fair long term on someone that just wants to lounge around taking life easy. Other horses are normally pretty tolerant of youngsters though.

If you like him and get him you will be fine, just remember to rely more heavily on commonsense & what you see than the books!
 
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Nothing to add as I know zero about youngsters, just wanted to say ‘good luck’ for today and I hope you both click. Oh and don’t forget photos. :)
 
With mine I just cracked on until I found something they couldn't do, It didn't take long with Bo, I off loaded him and put him in the stable, tied him up to pick out feet before popping him out and he sat his butt on the floor and his front legs went up the wall! (didn't snap the rope tho ;)), then had OH hold him and fronts were OK and hinds I got flailed around for, so those first hours outlined where his training would start :)
Jess I just stuck out with my old boy Phoenix (as Bo was known for rough-housing) and daily she had fusses/groom/feed etc. she led well, tied well, stabled well, her first faux pas (other than taking over half hour to get off the trailer when we arrived home) was after 3.5 weeks, when I had groomed and fed her as normal and I was just stood scratching her shoulder waiting for her bucket, she moved so fast I didn't see it coming, as both hinds landed in my shoulder and put me on my ass! At that point they both went back in with Bo and I let him put her in her place!
When I got nobby cob a few years ago I did nothing special, left a head collar on just in case, popped him out and each day at dinner time I would groom a little, treat his lice, pick feet etc. before dinner, within a month he had gone from a very wary scared baby to totally happy to have anything done.
 
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