a lot of people start horses by "backing" them and then leaving them a
while and then starting under saddle. There is so much prep work that
goes into starting a horse. I think now that you've backed him if you
wanted to you could start on the intensive prep work and then riding.
One main thing would be to have him stand dead still at the mounting
block while you climb up, waggle the saddle, lean your weight over,
grab the saddle and rock back and forth, take a crop and wave it in
the air and then reach over and whop the other side, pony the horse in
a saddle... I used to take mine for long walks like a dog on a lead
the year before riding and I remember when I would first start walking
them in a saddle when long branches would flap or drag or scratch
along the saddle or catch the stirrups and cause them to flop they
would be jumpy, then got used to it. etc. all of mine I started I
did about a year or two ground work like this, then one day just
slipped a leg over and rode off with not a minutes trouble. Only
found out a COUPLE of yeras later I should have taught them to "whoa"
but i had done so much ground work I rode em two years without a whoa
with no problem! can you imagine.... but even with my mistakes I
know it was better than sending them off to a trainer and taking a
chance...
Janice--
yipie tie yie yo
