# Advice on backing young horse (long, sorry)



## BBP (2 April 2009)

I need some of your expertise please.  I bought my gorgeous young horse approx 8 weeks ago and have spend over a month working on basic ground work.  He now lunges, longreins and works in hand beautifully, over obstacles, through the village etc.  I have also laid across him and am now sitting up and walking him around, he accepts a contact and the leg.  

All in all he is behaving brilliantly so we decided to try a little trot with me on board on the lunge, just a couple of steps and then walk.  he is a very reactive sharp little horse and going into trot seemed to panic him and he launched into a rodeo act.  After the first 2 bucks my neck strap snapped and i rocketed into the floor, hurting my back (and i think misaligning my jaw...its hurts!).  Obviously i got back on, did a couple of attempts in hand and he was very tense, then walked around and called it a day.  Next day we went back to walking with me being a little more proactive in terms to waving my hands, giving him more direction and doing rising walk etc, in case it was the extra movement that startled him as i had been sitting very quietly before.  Monday we tried in hand again and he was much more relaxed but almost wouldnt go forewards at all.  Yesterday we were both knackered so had the day off and then with the cool weather this morning he was so full of it on the lunge we just worked in walk.

So im really looking for advice on the best way to introduce trot.  I know he is going to have another bronching attempt so do i just try to ride it out until he settles (have a breastplate, neckstap and saddle strap to help keep me and saddle secure).  I dont want to scare him as i realy feel i have been doing well so far with backing my first horse as i have a happy, willing intelligent little horse who wants to do things with me, i also dont want to get hurt or shake my confidence.

I do have a very experience helper who has backed TBs all her life and is brilliant but i thought some other viewpoints would be helpful.  Thanks very much.


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## checkmate1 (2 April 2009)

I'm sure you already have, but just incase has he been lunged in trot and canter with saddle on and stirrups down and tied together? Only because my young horse has a big rodeo session when trot was introduced with saddle and stirrups, but very quickely decided to accept and was fine. When I introduced trot with me on her my helper was leading me, and although she did a few tiny bunny hops she was very good, I think it helped with the helper on the ground by her head, then when she was more settled I was lunged on her.
Anyway, I am no expert and am interested to view others replies!


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## BBP (2 April 2009)

Yep, hes had stirrups down, tied together and even untied but short so they dont bang his elbows, he didnt like it much at first but is fine now.  He is very bright and it seems to only take a day or 2 to get used to something new (he bounced me off during the laying over phase too but was fine the next day) and ity took him 5 mins to go from snorting like a dragon at a tarpaulin i brought in to walking all over it and dragging it around with him, without me even holding him.  he seems to just need time to see its all okay, but i dont want to scare him by letting him bronc and then either losing me again or him falling over.  Similar though, he likes someone at his head.


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## louisesb (2 April 2009)

My god - your horse did exactly what mine did last summer as a three year old - unfortunately I sat for three rodeos and then came off as she kicked back and ended up with 11 stitches above my eye and a broken cheek bone!!  
	
	
		
		
	


	








I found what was worrying her was the up down movement of me in trot - she just couldn't cope with me moving as we trotted for the first time. I went back to being led round in walk with the lunge line attached for a few sessions and then once she was happy and settled doing this I did the following: Picked a bit of the field where it's a slight incline and then very gradually got my helper to start jogging and I made sure we half walked/jogged and I remained sitting. I also made sure we only went about 10 metres and then came back to walk - cue lots of pats etc. I did this whole sitting trot for a few more sessions and then once she was ok with this I started to very very slowly rise out of the saddle - the first time I barely got out the saddle, more just moved my weight up and forwards. Gradually my handler would move further away and then unhooked the lunge line and just jogged besides me. It took a few weeks but she's now fine. 
Sorry for the long post but I hope it helps!!


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## BBP (2 April 2009)

Thats good, thanks, reassures me that im kind of working on the right lines!  The slight problem i had was that when working in hand he really backed off, almost stalled, but i guess its a case of giving him time to work out whats wanted, not trying to do too much.  Was so excited as i watched him on the lunge today, he really is going to be the most fantastic moving horse if i dont cock it all up!


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## sam1am (2 April 2009)

what we used to do was trot them up and down on concrete with a rider on and being led.as they hate bucking on concrete,
obviously not for too long though!!


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## Rana (2 April 2009)

I am by no means an expert, but...

Are you rising to the trot?  I just ask because you mention it's the up and down movement of you which is worrying him.  Can you hover lightly to take the weight off his back, without actually rising?  Almost like sitting trot, but without your full weight in the saddle.

Just a thought anyway, although I expect you've thought of it already


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## BBP (2 April 2009)

Interesting.  Although I hate falling off on concrete for some reason, so if i test the theory and its wrong i'll cry.  Also cos the only concrete i have is the main road I will also then get run over.


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## Maesfen (2 April 2009)

You could try rising while stationary or at walk too.  Just do it very gently, just raising your weight at first before actually rising.  Also get him used to waving your arms and altering your body direction, anything that makes you move your weight as he will be finding it very hard to balance with your weight on top, especially if always on a circle, try to ride large sometimes even if you're lunging.
You sound to be doing a great job so far!


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## BBP (2 April 2009)

Im trying to keep movement to a minimum.  i think its a combination of everything, just being asked to go faster with extra weight on his back, the neck strap pulling against his neck and then snapping (hence now have a strap on the d rings of the saddle) and like i said i think i had been a bit too passive and quiet in walk even the extra bit of leg movement on his sides startled him.

I was thinking i would try again tomorrow when the sun is out and he has had it shining on his back for the day to relax him.  I think it would be easier to get him to go forewards on the lunge as he doesnt trot well in hand, so do i work on trotting him more in hand with no rider for a bit then do it with jockey, or do i try the lunge but on a small circle so my helper can bring him in if he gets a bit wild (dont want my helper to get kicked tho)

It means i cant do my walk work without someone on the end of a line as i know that if he starts to jog he will erupt with no one to hold him.  (Dont get me wrong, he doesnt scare or worry me, i just so badly want to get it right for his sake)


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## BBP (2 April 2009)

yep, been doing that for the last few days, rising in walk, flapping my arms, brushing my legs back and forth along his sides, touching him behind the saddle and on the rump.  All elicit a brief reaction where he bunches his little neck up but then he settles very quickly, which is why i think that once he understands trot he'll be fine.  Will try shifting and turning my body in the saddle a little more too. thanks guys, this is really helping my confidence.


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## BBP (2 April 2009)

This is him by the way!


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## jesterfaerie (2 April 2009)

Have you got someone around to lunge him with you on him?
If he lunges well and is good with voice commands he may well find it easier to accept if he is used to being lunged. Get your handler to lunge him before you get on then have a walk around on the lunge then get your handler to ask him for trot not you, hopefully he will get the transition much better from being lunged that from your aids then once he has picked it up you can start to apply the leg aids for the transition as well as your handler then gradually swap roles so you as the rider is asking for everything not your handler.
If that makes any sense?


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## Theresa_F (2 April 2009)

Though my little boy has never given me any trouble as such, when he was just backed, I asked him to turn like an experienced horse and when he backed off, tapped him very gently with the whip - the combination of being asked to turn, being a bit wary of where he was going and the tap resulted in one hell of an explosion.

I too managed 3 bucks before being launched.  He was terrified that I had come off, and has never repeated this.  Luckily he hates his rider not be onboard and if you start to feel unseated stops and waits for you - little angel.

What I did do was to do lots of things in walk, swinging legs, arms, waving whip around and wriggling, the doing rising so he got used to move moving about - he was led whilst I did this.  I also adjusted girths, stirrups etc so he was very used to me not sitting still.

Progressed to me walking around moving a lot in the saddle unled.

Our first trot was again led and I just sat still.  Second, I rose - still led.  Then trotted on the lunge and then off - he never had a moment problem with this.

Canter - we actually trotted over a slightly raised pole and as he landed he went into canter and I just went with him - very easy way of doing this.

Hope this might help.


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