The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Advice: The best way to train my youngster...?

1K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Cordillera Cowboy 
#1 ·
Hi there,

I have recently bought a 3 year old IDxTB mare that is only halter broken so far. I just wanted some advice on the next steps I should take with her to back her.
How long should I estimate roughly to back her?
Should I long rein her?
Is it a good idea to turn her away for a while after the initial backing?

Grateful for all replies.
 
#2 ·
If the horse is tame and can be caught it should not take long. Most will back up after a few minutes of training. They do this naturally but just not on Human command.

The key to backing is getting the horses to move off of pressure. This pressure may come in different forms depending on how you attempting to back the horse. This can be steady pressure applied to the halter or from a bit. It can also be rhythmic pressure from the lead rope or a flag if you attempting to back them from a safe distance. Either way the key to teaching this is to release this pressure as soon as the horses attempts to back up, thus rewarding the slightest try. As we know horses learn from the release. The amount of pressure used will vary from horse to horse as some are more sensitive than others. You will always start with light pressure but will increase this until you get the desired result, then release. Again the horse will learn from the release so timing is important. Over the days of training as you repeat the command you are looking for the response of “backing” with a more subtle cue “less pressure”, so always offer them the opportunity to do it with a light touch before being more assertive with your command.

Best of luck,
 
#4 ·
'Backing' a horse in UK speak usually means 'getting on it'
I would work on her ground manners first - she needs to be perfectly behaved to be led, groomed, feet handled and move backwards and sideways when asked
You can then start her on lunge work using either a proper lunging cavesson or a well fitted headcollar and a breaking roller and once she has that fully understood introduce the saddle and bridle into the mix - she should still be lunged off the cavesson/headcollar. Using side reins loosely from the bit is up to you
Long reining is worth doing if you know how to do it or have someone who can help that does
Once the horse is working well on the lunge and on long reins you can move to the next step of getting on
 
#6 ·
Rein back when you're riding, from the ground - step back, back up are most commonly used
When someone says they're going 'to back a horse' you'd expect them to mean they were going to get it used to having a rider on its back.
 
#8 ·
It appears that the language barrier has sidetracked the original question.

You didn't mention your experience level. I'll assume, since you're asking these questions that you've never done this before. The conventional wisdom from folks on this site is that you should hire a professional. If you are a new rider as well, I'll advise the same thing. You'll need a few years of experience with the many different things a horse can throw at you. If you are an experienced rider, I'll say that every horse trainer had to have a first time.

"How long should I estimate roughly to back her?"
As long as it takes. Don't stress yourself or your horse with a deadline.

"Should I long rein her?"
I have no experience with this. Folks say that if you don't know what you're doing with this, you can make a mess of things. The folks who do it say it helps the horse learn to take cues from the reins and bit.

"Is it a good idea to turn her away for a while after the initial backing?"
If by that you mean put her out to pasture to grow some more, I would say no. Once I have a horse accepting a saddle and rider, it has to earn its keep.

Those are your specific questions. I'll go a bit into things you didn't ask, then I'll shut up. Start with ground work. Everyone has a different definition of that. But the more trusting and responsive the horse is on the ground, the fewer troubles you'll have in the saddle.

If you're interested, I'll outline my basic routine for you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top