Re: Saddle Training Snafoo?

["Karen Sullivan" <greymare@jps.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry & Susan Milam" <milamj@agtelco.com>

> All  right.. This isn't a purely "endurance" related question....but I
> NEED HELP:( Please.. I am trying for the first time to green break a
> youngster. I have no experience prior to this. ..I'm sure I didn't
> touch his rump on the way down.
>
> Anyway, my 10 yo is waiting to get on and see what he's like. Dandy
> refuses to stand next to the mounting box.

I can share a few experiences from "starting" a three-year old last summer,
with the help of my 12 year old daughter.

Same as you, no previous experience, just seeing tapes, reading articles,
but what we mostly did was common sense very slow starting.

I was trying to get weight on this filly, and she had not been handled a
lot.  Did lots of handling and hauling; a very sweet baby.  I started when
she had her head buried in a big tub of beet-pulp-leaning on her, etc.  One
day I sort of slid over her back, keeping feet on side of stall, and a
plastic chair, suspending my weight from the pipe barn rafter. She had no
problems with this, so little by little over the weeks, added my weight, and
got her used to saddle blankets and even a saddle.
Everytime we got on or off, we moved on her back, leaned forward to hug her
neck, drug our toes over her butt,and generally acted like no matter where
we touched her, it was no big deal.  My kids practiced sliding off her
butt.....anyway, all out lessons that first 6 months were under 10minutes.
and LOTS and lots of goodies and rewards. We all felt she was not grown
enough to really start riding, but we wanted her used to people being on her
back, and how to walk, stop and turn.

John Lyons makes the point that the first time you mount, get off
immediately-that will answer the question for the horse that this rider
won't be on his back forever!  He also says, that if you are less than
graceful getting on or off (aren't we all?), and you think that some day you
might drag your toe over the butt, then do it the first time!

If I were you at this point, I would do a lot of mounting and dismounting,
with your colt's nose in a bucket of grain.  Make a very positive experience
associated with people getting on and off.  Give treats from his back, then
get off.  The more often you do this successfully, the move likely it will
become a habit.  I believe in using whatever reward works for training the
horse.

Anyway, over the past year, we took the filly on lots of short trail rides
to get her used to the whole thing, and develop her balance and muscles. Not
riding on these outings, but letting her run along loose. We were in no
hurry to really ride her-having too many other horses to get conditioned.
But she was used to all sorts of terrain, spooky things on the trail.  We
were probably on her back about 60 times, very short lessons.  Sometimes
bareback, sometimes with a saddle, and on and off both sides.

On Saturday we did about a 4 mile ride at a trotting pace, with her loose.
We had 2 loose babies, three dogs and several kids on horses along-in other
words, a lot of commotion.  On the way back, in the rain, we put the saddle
off one horse on the filly (Passion), on the trail, and my daughter got on
her rode her back to the trailer. She had gotten her ya ya's out earlier.
We only walked, but practiced yielding and turning from one side of the road
to the other; stopping and backing, for about 10 minutes. Then my daughter
got off and jogged and we trotted-I rode the other mare bareback and ponied
Passion (stirrups flapping). After 10 minutes of a slow jog, my daughter got
back on her and rode her another 10 minutes back to the trailer.  Very
short, but very positive.  Lots of praise and treats.

Sorry that got so long, but that is how I am doing it, and seems to be
working.

Our plan is to wait until the round pen drys out, and do some daily
lessons-VERY short.  Five to 10 minutes.  I think we get out there every day
for a month or so, we will get the basics down again.  I will continue to
take her loose on the trail all this year.  Occasionally my daughter may
ride her a mile or so on the trail, but I still don't feel she is matured
enough to be carrying much weight over varied terrain.  By fall, maybe we
will do short trail rides, but, again, we are in no hurry, and our focus is
to lay down habits of willingness and calmness. This filly will be
4 in April.

Who knows, we may hit some stumbling blocks and have to send her to a
trainer at some point, but so far, she seems to be doing all we ask.

Karen