Starting your own horse

How many people actually started their own horse or what percentage did you contribute ?

For example did you start your horse very young and sent it to a trainer or did you do it all 100% or just finished what was already started from when you bought him/her.

With Chloe she had basic ground work (could lunge) and was very green broke. She basically knew not to buck (even though we still got those). It took a lot of work, had a few lessons and in 2 years we were showing well in the local shows.

I bought April when she was 2 and she had about 20 rides on her. I took the time to get back to the basics with her over that summer and didnt do much more the trotting with her. After the winter she decided that I wasnt going to get on, before I could even get my leg in the stirup she would either be spinning or trying to fight me. I would get on and ask her to do something and she would have a fit. So I gave in and had 60 days put on her by a local guy. Night and day difference. But I still had to work on leads, collection, general behaving, and other things (we are still a work in progress).

Growing up though my parents would have a foal every few years. I broke out a few of them to the level of trail riding (basically no show ring stuff), and we would sell them. I also took my sisters pleasure mare and did some team penning and gaming with her.

Joshua came with 60 days of training under his belt, or so they said. He was just three when he came to us. His internet ad stated he'd had six months of training. He'd obviously not had much training.

He's boarded with our trainer. Per the trainer, said with a sniff, he was "an arena horse." He'd not been out in the woods, stepped in mud, or crossed a creek. Our trainer works with him and has worked with us, teaching us how to train. He's a very willing boy who has a good attitude. He's going to be a great kid horse. He's nice, very smart (sometimes too smart), but won't be a dead horse with no go. He's gone from the silly arena horse to one that can be ridden by a kiddo.

He came without his buttons installed and we continue to work on that. We've been ill a lot this fall and winter, which has limited our riding. We certainly are not anywhere close to being able to start a horse but we're learning more and more all the time.

I "helped out" starting horses when I was a kid on my Grandpa's farm...but now that I'm all growed up, I tend to look for ready to go horses. I know that I have bad habits and a lack of time with 4 kids running around. Maybe after the kids get older I would consider starting one up, but for the most part I've discovered that in life there are a few things worth paying someone else to do...for me, starting a horse is one of those things.

I started one.

I'd love to start a young horse from scratch one day. I'm just not ready experience wise. But that is one of my life time goals...I'd really love to take my TB mare really far in dressage and eventually breed her to a high quality stallion (of what breed I do not know...I havent gotten that far in my dream world LOL) and raise a really nice horse. This is many many years away though.

I just bought a 20 month old filly. She leads and picks up her feet, and that's about it. She is being very pushy right now. I plan on training her myself, but I will send her to a trainer if she turns out to be too much for me. I'd rather swallow my pride and have it done right.

I got Thunder when he was 18 months and supposedly he had some groundwork done, but that wasn't all true I don't think....he didn't even know how to lead! With much advice, I have done all the work myself and as soon as the helmet I ordered comes in, I will be the one to ride him. We took one clinic and have worked a couple lessons in groundwork with a "trainer" who actually gave him some hang ups that I have to fix. So that is why I will only work with him myself.

Athena:
I bought her already broke, but she was still very green and was barely ridden at all. I rode her as much as I could, took lots of lessons on her, and went to many places, and now she's great.

Snafu:
He's an off the track Standardbred that had gotten injured. This ended his racing career, he went on a 4 year break to recover, and now I just started riding him. Since he was a harness horse, he doesn't mind the bit much or putting a saddle on (tightening the girth and all that), so it's more like riding a green horse. I do plan on taking some lessons with him to make sure we're going along right, and I'll probably take a few to help me get him to canter under saddle.

Neela:
I've known her since she was born, and I've messed around with her ever since. She has very good ground manners, stands perfectly on the cross ties, and allows me to ride her around bareback with a bridle. I've put a saddle on her, and let her run around with it. Let her get the feel for it. I've been on her with the saddle, and she doesn't mind. She's only 3 1/2 yrs. Old, so she doesn't now much under saddle. She's learned go and stop. Turning is alright, walking in a straight line is kinda hazy. By the time I get the money to buy her, she'll probably already be broke by me. I'll probably take many lessons to make sure she's learning the right things, and so I can get some tips as well. There's always something to learn.

Phoenix:
I got him when he was 17 he was my first horse, and he was a total headcase, he had been through so many owners and taught so many things that he didnt know which way was up anymore. He was grumpy and smart but after bonding with him and working with him daily he turned into the great horse that I knew was in there. He got to the point where I could get on him bareback with a halter and jump a course. He's 24 now and retired but he's the best.

Liberty:
I have been riding Liberty for the past 12 years, he was my lesson horse long before I owned him. He got hurt about 6 years ago and I took him to keep him from being sent to auction, I nursed him back to health and we competed for a couple years in 2'6-2'9 hunters before his old injury flared up again and restricted him to jumping no higher then 18" but he was always dead broke and amazing.

Amber:
I just got her 2 months ago, she's 4 years old, she leads, xties, loads in a trailer, etc. and is green broke. She walks and trots under saddle, still has some turning issues and will once in awhile get "stuck" and refuse to go anywhere. But she's coming along nicely she's the first horse im starting and its a thrill