Backing the new Horse

I love the stage of getting to know a new horse. I love finding out their quirks, personality, what methods they respond best to and generally just building our bond. Estrid is clever, she’s sharp and she’s a thinker, which has meant she’s also an incredibly quick learner and quite sensitive.

I’m by no means a professional at backing or training a horse in any way but I love to do my own. I get it wrong all the time, I kick myself when I haven’t responded to a que or I forget how I’m meant to react to a behaviour, or I haven’t given her enough time to think and push her a bit too soon, but there are also times where I feel like we’ve done really well, our objective was achieved with no drama and I have a happy responsive horse.

Estrid is pretty brave, she’ll be the first to see something, she assesses the situation and then she’ll act accordingly, so far she’s never overreacted to anything and takes most things in her stride. Prams, traffic, BT guys up a telegraph pole, flags, me jumping around on a mounting block, pigs…..the scariest thing she’s encountered are the ornamental rocks on one of our walks….truly terrifying!

I started the backing process with ground work, my main method is pressure and release with the concept of we’re working until you get it right and then we’ll stop. I started off with basic leading commands, then added some obstacles. We finish each session at the mounting block learning to stand and getting used to me stood above her.

I then moved to ground tying and running a rope over every inch of her, followed by a numnah and circingle, then saddle, then stirrups. Bitting was fairly easy as I covered the bit in some mollases and she basically nibbled it into her mouth herself!

We then did a few walks fully tacked up, our and about and in the school. I then started putting my foot in the stirrup at the mounting block and leaning on the saddle. Finally I got Dan to have her on the lead rope while I lay across her and then sat up in the saddle, we had two dramatic bronk attempts and then 3 lovely stands and dismounts.

So that’s where we’re at, the next step is literally to take some steps whilst I’m on board and just continue to give her a varied training routine of hill walks in hand, pole work, educational obstacle type stuff and some ridden bits.