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Breaking Horse Question
 Schatten | American Quarter Horse October 15th, 2013 5:55:43pm 173 Posts |
I have an unbroke 5yr old Stud who I am starting out. He is doing well on ground work but when I had him ride able before I moved he didnt understand commands or anything on his back. We are planning to cut him but I am going toget him going instead of waiting. So I need tips on how to get him more prepared to ride and once I.get on him. He isnt the first horse Ive broken myself before anyone asks he is the.first stud I have done. He has no ground manners at all but is getting better at that. He stands when tied, stands for grooming, moves from pressure, picks up feet, lunges at a walk and trot and working on canter. Any tips would be helpful as he is willing to learn just doesnt catch on fast.
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  Samantha - see page to know who to contact directly!October 16th, 2013 12:24:08pm 4,333 Posts |
If I understand you correctly, the issue is that once you're on his back he won't respond to any leg pressure or ques?So for that, what I would do is get on him, and then hook him to the lunge line and have someone in the middle ask him to walk/trot/canter/etc. and as he changes gaits for them, you put on the leg pressure, or say voice cue that you want him to learn.Then, once you've practiced a few times, see if you can get him to do it without the line, and if not, go back and do some more on the line. You might also be able to just have the person stand in the middle with the whip if he's used to open lunging.I would love to hear someone else's ideas on this though, as I will be backing my 3 year old soon and would love any other, better, methods :). |
 a z a l i e - 🌵 2024 APHA World,Reserve and Bronze Champion-blitzy still watching- October 17th, 2013 9:26:16pm 1,856 Posts |
You should really make sure his ground manners are superb before riding him...make sure he listens to ALL your commands from the ground...then i would try using the long lines(line on both sides) and keep teaching him the cues to walk, trot and canter... Ive just recently started riding my 12 yr old unbroke arab gelding...He is real touchy with anything touching his hind end, so i would use to ropes and dangle them behind him so he would get use to something being back there, id even make it tighten under his tail(most horses are somewhat "goosey" when that happens)... When i first got on him id have someone lead me around and then the next time i rode him by myself...When i wanted him to go forward the easiest way i found is to turn them either left or right to free up their front end which eventually my gelding started moving forward... he knew all his commands before hand so when i said whoa he would stop(and hes lazy so stopping is easy for him!)...Ive broke 3 or 4 horses from halter breaking to their first ride...GROUND WORK IS KEY!!! A stallion might be a little more hard headed seeing as hes always got girls on his mind!!! So if youre going to cut him(depending on when that is) i would just continue to do ground work before riding until you cut him...by that time he should be pro when you get on him!!! Not sure if this helps...there are tons of methods...i found that clinton andersons methods on ground work are really informational and helpful! |
Schatten | American Quarter Horse October 18th, 2013 3:27:19pm 173 Posts |
That actually does help..... I have done about 3 horses from halter to ride but they were geldings and mares and none have a personality like him. My mare is TO smart for her own good and caught on quick but also learned quick how to get away with stuff so I have to watch out for her. My two geldings I had were both easy to train and were no problem... He wants to learn but doesn't catch on fast and is stubborn. |
aliaɳaɳa •• Akita Empire February 20th, 2014 9:54:59am 65 Posts |
I know this is probably a little late lol Anywho! When we start our yearlings we start with proper ground manners. Making sure they respect us, and our space. We do nothing further until they do. After they respect us, we move on to lunging and perfect the lunge. Walk, trot, canter, switch directions without us having to go up to them and turn them around. Basically, when our horses go on the lunge, they do it themselves. After that we "sack" them out. Work them a lot with random things attached to their saddles such as sacks with sand in them. Basically what this does is teach them to balance with weight on their backs, it also helps them figure out where their feet are, and what not. We also attach other things such as shopping plastic bags, dirt bike tires, anything that will flap around, bump off them, it helps desensitize them.
After this is completed we then do lots of ground driving. Lots, and lots, and lots of ground driving. This helps teach them what the reins mean. This too will help them learn collection, and balance, it also builds muscle and prepares them for having you in the saddle. This process is much easier if you have a round pen, that way you don't have to run behind them, instead you can drape the outside line just behind his hocks, and guide him that way. We absolutely never skip this step, ever.
This is when we would then feel comfortable with riding our horses. By this time, then tend to be two, and be built like little tanks =] Like I said, we spend lots of time with ground work XD Sometimes, depending on the horse's willingness, in the process of ground driving we will also bit them up. We do our bitting up with a lead rope, and only use to bitting rig for our broke, broke, broke show horses. We leave the rope quite loose, but tight enough to remind the little guys to bend into the turn instead of stiffening and looking like a board, or bending the wrong way =] Another balance gaining tool =]
Anyways, I know this is a bit late, but maybe it will help ya out a bit =] If you have any questions feel free to PM, I am happy to help! |
 BANNED February 23rd, 2014 1:37:14pm 1 Posts |
Thanks everyone will help me this spring with him. Its been snowing so much I haven't been able to work him. Alia thanks for the advice I was thinking about doing all that since thats what we do.with our Saddlrbreds who are 2. I need to get the stuff for the ground driving since mine broke years ago. |
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