Your first 'green' broken horse


Leon

Leon

Active Member
Just looking for people's stories, the good the bad and the ugly for when they had their first very green broken horse.

Easy,hard, best thing you ever did, worst thing you ever did?

I have my first ride on my 3yr old very green broken fella tomorrow :eek:

Had him since he was born so it's been three years in the making.. nervous, exciting and apprehensive all at the same time!
 


wattle6180

wattle6180

Well-known Member
The green-broken horse is like a blank page of paper. To some people you just fill it up - with colour or educated words. To others - you draw a blank and don't know where to start. If the "fully-broken" horse needs to have 1000 (I kid you not) rides, then IMO the green-broken horse is the horse that is 985 rides away from being broken - so lets get going.

You know this horse Leon. You've raised him, you've exposed him to things. You know he's seen the inside of a roundyard. Hop up, and enjoy your first ride :D
 


Leon

Leon

Active Member
Love your last comment Wattle.. known him for so long. He isnt easy, never has been, very smart fella that generally gives you a perfect performance for the first time then after that he 'tests' you until you come to an understanding..

He has done it to me with ground work, feet, floating, feeding time, shows, worming.. you name it he has tried it.. Never nasty and actually so very,very bold and confident about things (maybe too much).. he isnt timid! I just need to remember that 'I' got through those issues and come out the other side.

I have had several just gone 4yr old's OTTB over the years but he is my first 'green' broken horse and I must admit the OTTB seem easier!

Have you had one?
 


Leon

Leon

Active Member
Always good to look back on how far we have come..

Day one!

Onedayold.jpg


Just a few days ago.. I think it was his 5th ride..

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wattle6180

wattle6180

Well-known Member
I've ridden quite a few, including first-time backed ponies & racehorses *#) I also have Charlie up to the same stage as Murph, but I trust him 1million% and he's not let me down :)

Bottom line - there's two ways it can go. 90% you will be up and riding him about a roundyard. 10% he might just choose that moment to forget everything and you hit the dirt.....who hasn't hit the dirt before :rolleyes:
 


GoneRama

GoneRama

Well-known Member
My first green broke horse? I can't remember :unsure: I grew up on ponies that my mother had broken in, ridden 2 or 3 times in the round yard then handed across to my sisters and I to hoon around on.

He's a lovely little horse this one of yours Leon :) You know how to read a horse, you can ride, you know this horse, he's been ridden before so pull your big girl panties on and swing your leg over that fine looking beast and enjoy him!
 


crave

crave

Well-known Member
My first one is the one in my avatar :) I have loved every step of his training and continue to do so, best decision I ever made. He is my one in a million horse. Enjoy the ride Leon :)
 


Pipsqueak

Pipsqueak

New Member
He's lovely!
I guess my only advice is not to try and rush things. Don't worry about where his head is, or what he looks like. Just think about getting him forward, soft and in a nice rhythm ( all stuff you already know I'm sure)

I guess what I'm trying to say is go at your own pace,don't be pushed by others ( or yourself) into thinking he should be going a certain way or doing a certain thing by a certain time.
Remember to praise the small things , but most of all make rides enjoyable for him and yourself.
 
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Gamby

Gamby

Well-known Member
I hated riding my green broken horse haha
I bred him and looked forward to riding so much to find that he was not what I was use to riding. He was generally unbalanced and didnt truly understand everything which is to be totally expected. Best thing i ever did was send him to my riding instructor who put some education on him and he came back an absolute dream to ride. Balanced, leg yeilds, works on the bit and just generally great to ride.

I could have done the work myself but i just wasnt enjoying the true green broken horse.
 


Arnie

Arnie

Gold Member
I've had my guy since he was 11 month old and he's now six and under saddle.

It's no walk in the park. I've had to send him away to further his education and he's still a bit of a full on ride but I'm loving the experience and being able to mould his blank canvas my way!

My next one is being broken in at the end of the year. I doubt ill ever buy a matured broken in horse again :).
 




chick_with_a_chainsaw

chick_with_a_chainsaw

Well-known Member
For me the best thing I could have ever done was buy an unbroken mare and break her in myself.

i had her 4 months before breaking her in. She was easy as pie to break in. Once she had 2 rides in the arena (on the lunge and lead) we took her around the block being led off Mums TB mare.

few rides later she was walking, trotting easily. Cantering initially was an issue because she was loosing balance and would buck.

she then went to adult riders about a month later and her first ridden show was only 5 months later.

we have not had many issues at all

First ride 2010:
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Arabian State Champs 2012:
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blitzen

blitzen

Well-known Member
the love of my life (Blitzen), was born when i was 11 and then i 'broke him in' when i was 14. apart from experience riding, i really knew NOTHING and just went for gold. overfaced him a LOT and it's an absolute credit to the wonderful, easy going nature he has that neither of us died during the whole process.

never rode another horse for the next 12 years. my absolute soulmate. would definitely change a few things if i were to do it again tho (like not 'backing' him in the middle of a massive paddock & scrambling on board via a fallen down tree and hoping for the best!)... eeek! but as a kid you just get on and DO stuff without worrying too much. he was off to pony club, doing major trail rides & mustering sheep pretty quickly. i guess this helped him to be pretty well adjusted? i had problems with forwards, which i have since learned a bit more about. when i was 15 i went overseas for half a year so he was spelled & when i came back i started getting private lessons with a dressage instructor who was AWESOME and helped us with most of our riding issues at the time. we also did a LOT of walking together - something i really don't do with my horses nowadays. i'd go for long walks every evening & drag him out of the paddock with me. easy when you're growing up on a farm & can just 'play'.

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a few years ago, after his retirement. :(
 
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Caroline

Caroline

Well-known Member
Saw you ride Murphy yesterday mate at Freds and well done!! You looked pretty fine to me. Take on board everything Fred suggests as it will make your relationship with your horse so good and so much easier. **)

Murph is a very sweet, lovable, cheeky fella! He will grow into a lovely boy for sure. Perhaps 15.1hh +. :D

Congrats!!:)*:))
 


M

milo

New Member
hi pipsqueak
my boy is going off soon, and what you said about not cantering for 3 months sounds really sensible, and also not letting others think for you and do when you are ready
i agree with you totally
 




Arnie

Arnie

Gold Member
Yay you look great! It's an amazing surreal feeling hey!

I'm having Karla broken this year and I believe that's going to be one hell of an emotional moment when I get on!!!
 


Northern Peregrine

Northern Peregrine

Active Member
My experiences with my first greenie, at an advanced age (me, I mean) is being well documented in my 'Aachilles At the Breakers' thread. I think I have learnt more about horses in the last few months than I have in my entire life. I've basically learnt how much I don't know :eek: My 4 year old Warmblood has all the inbuilt talent in the world ...in fact (all going well) I think he may end up being "too good" for me.. lol. I have some slightly special problems I guess because he's already nearly 17.2 and it's likely he will probably top out at an athletic 18 hands (I'm praying not quite that big because, among other things, it may mean a new float) I'm having ongoing issues about him not going forward, so I have called in a great professional to help me at home and who will ride him for me before it all goes potentially pear-shaped. I'm learning heaps but I'm pretty sure I won't ever have a young horse again...this is one of the most challenging things I've ever done :)
Your horse is lovely..all the best with him :))
 


Leon

Leon

Active Member
Thanks everyone for your stories and photo's- I especially love seeing the first few rides photo's and where you are today.

So first ride was Saturday and today I went back up for a bush ride. It was his 8th ride in total and of course only my second ride on him. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I actually have not enjoyed myself on a horse so much since my fella died a few months ago.

I think I am still a bit on cloud nine, it was amazing. To think I have watched him grow and bring him this far to now starting this new chapter together, it's very exciting! I know we are going to have many challenging days but just for once I am very happy to have a good day. After my ride finished I told Murphy that Stan would have been very proud of him today.

We walked/trot/cantered out in the bush on a loose rein with no issues, I felt so safe and it was good fun.. already looking forward to my next ride and bringing him home this weekend.

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