Starting the young horse?

So I need to link you to his story page lol
My Gelding's Story

Bandit is three this year approx.
He has had 2 years of hands on work.
I called a lady I know and inquired as to her training fees to start him properly but I'm not working and have recently had three vet visits and theres atleast one more in sept so I'm kinda strapped for cash so can't send him to be trained professionally. So I will be doing it myself.

Now I've had several horses and been riding since I was 3 but all my horses have come to me broken, I'm just wondering the steps I should be taking.

He's had plenty of lunging, leading and being bridled and saddled. I've been on him several times, had no buck no rear no nothing, I was quite surprised after hearing some stories saying that as soon as they mounted horse went nuts bucking rearing etc etc, but no bandit stood there and looked around.

The worst he's done was tossed his head a little. And that was on the recent ride.

Now the hard part is I don't know, I've had him on the lunge many times and he moves out ok, he's been bridled a few times and led off the bridle fine. But mouthing him, getting him to know the turn signals and stop is a little harder to gauge, I mean, easy when I'm at his shoulder leading him he follows my body language, but when I was on him I was in a set of stock yards, I mean he could really only go left or right no need for me to actually TURN him. But he stopped and backed easily enough.
His only issue I can fathom at the moment is getting him to move off.
I was asking him with my seat and legs and clicking my tongue but I think he may have misunderstood as I wasn't there beside him to ask him on.
I also tried gently tapping the crop on my leg in his view and that seemed to get him to walk on, but he mostly took a few paces and stopped. I didnt want to *censor* upset him with flicking reins crops or kicking him

Should I be spending more time on he ground verbally asking him to move on or use my voice more from the saddle?

I was thinking of getting a kanicade training system this week for him but what will it achieve if I don't know how it works, or how to work it?

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the new equipment, I was taught the basics by my mother a long time ago and have self taught everything else. I come from a 4 child family if it wasnt cheap or free I couldnt have it.
I have short videos of the most recent ride but havent uploaded, if it would help I could upload some.


First ever mounting:


The recent saddle and ride:







Any help much appreciated

With my girls, I use voice commands in my ground work so when I get to where your at they will know what "lets go" with the added seat/ legs pressure means. I use my verbal command all the time with them on a rope or free. As my horses are in my yard they have to know to move off when I ask.

I would say he just isnt sure what your asking. I plan to use a sureshingle ( misspelled) and 2 15ft lunge lines to train my girls from the ground what I am wanting from them when they get their bridle & bit. When I feel that they understand stop, forward, left, right then we will move on.

A well conditioned horse should not buck kick jump or anything when you mount for the 1st time. I have sat on my 3yr old with nothing but the lead rope & halter, my husband thought I was crazy, but she walked of her own free will with no freak out.

Your lil guy in beautiful & good luck in your training. I guess the only other thing I can add is find a mentor that can answer your questions or assist.
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Bend him with a rein, press and maybe kick a bit with your inside leg. Release when he moves his hindquarters laterally. If 1 leg means move the hindquarters laterally and if the horse does it correctly (step under with the inside hind, vs step behind) then naturally both legs will mean go forward with the hindquarters (obviously pushing the rest of the horse forward).

Also seeing as this horse probably has no concept of 'on the bit' yet, try slacking the reins when you're not using them, as you don't want to risk desensitising him to the bit.

Yeah he would bring his head and neck around but to took a bit to actually get him to move at all. I tried the crop on my leg and gently on his shoulder, the reins (are splits so slapping gently on shoulder and rump) and of course the leg and seat. I didnt want to get too heavy with the crop, reins or leg as he's had abuse in his past and I didnt want to undo all my work to get him around that.
I will note these down. Thanks

I don't know all too much about breaking horses but I know a bit. I would get on him and really get him used to being ridden. Don't expect them to listen automatically to your leg and hands. Go simple, just make sure they're on the right bend until they get to be good at that. I would also keep him really entertained (if he's young) with a lot of figures so he doesn't get bored. Doing laps is one of the worst things you can do.

Also with the ponies I've trained, they like to try too hard and move their feet way to fast. If they don't need to, they shouldn't, do a lot of circles to make him give his bend to you and relax his head down. He also can't go at such a fast pace if he's making circles.

That's all I can really think of right now so, Good Luck!

Thanks for your advice, but im limited to a set of stock yards (set up for cattle work) at a neighboring property, not going to risk riding him out of it till I know he will listen to me a little more as its a 40 acre spread, theres room enough to lap but not really room enough to circle very well. It takes a lot to keep him going, I think the best I got was 3 or 4 laps without him stopping, he stopped then stepped on a little. He trotted then stopped and refused to move, I refused to dismount until he did something I asked to end on a good note.

*NB: he's currently being fed several times a day living in the yards as he was recently gelded and there are mares in the next paddock to the paddock he will live in, so he will be in the yards maybe a few days more then moved (if he's not been moved already) over to the paddock by the preg mare, just so he's got some horse contact. But she's in a paddock with electric fencing so one touch of him to her fence will get the "NOT FOR YOUR PLEASURE" message across to him lol