Have any intermediate riders successfully developed a green horse?

[Momateur]

I’ve ALWAYS wanted to bring along a green horse. I bought two in my younger years, and lost them both (one to colic, the other to a freak turnout accident). I have horrible horse luck, but that’s a different story.

I’m not getting any younger, so if I really want to do this, it needs to be sooner than later.

I work with a trainer. She would ride the horse 1x/week. I love her dearly, but she’s still young and learning herself. It’s a small town and she was the best option. So basically, I would be doing most of the riding myself (with trainer instruction from the ground, of course). I would call myself an advanced intermediate rider (lots of experience riding h/j up through 1.15m for almost 30 years, but limited experience with greenies)

Be honest…is this a recipe for disaster? Can someone my level bring along a green horse successfully? I’m not trying to get it to the Olympics. I’d be absolutely thrilled to get it up to the AA hunters, but satisfied if it just winds up a nice little stirrup horse or pre-child hunter for someone.

[lcw579]

Why not? Back in the day that’s how people got their nice horses - they made them.

[hj0519]

Amateurs can absolutely bring green horses along! At the barn I ride at, it’s very common to get a green horse and bring it along in the program. When I got my horse, she was green under saddle, had no lead change, and could kind of bop around a little course. I brought her up through the adults, doing most of the riding myself. My trainer showed her a bit in the baby greens and in some prep classes in her first couple of show seasons, but I moved her up to the 3’ myself. I was hoping she would be an A/O horse, but an injury has limited her now. (I also have terrible luck with horses!)

[SCI]

I say do it! I bought a 3 year old (he’s 25 now) that had 30 days undersaddle when I bought him. At that stage, I turned him out to pasture for a year because he was growing so much. Then, I brought him along myself without any professional rides. I kept him at home and would trailer out for lessons. Initially, I lessoned about once a month. As he got to the stage when we were going to start jumping, I tried to trailer out for lessons about 3 times a month.

[Scribbler]

A solid rider can certainly bring along a horse that is broke but green. By which I mean can w t c under saddle and is safe, but doesn’t know changes, hasn’t jumped, is unbalanced on circles.

Be aware that any flaws in your own riding will show up as problems in the horse. Also you will want to educate yourself on training beyond what your trainer knows. Young trainers sometimes think that you train by just riding a horse into whatever maneuver.

Lateral and in hand work at walk in hand and in saddle is very very useful.

And don’t buy anything that is too much horse for you.

[EmilyM]

yes. absolutely. riding a really green horse is a bit different than a made one. you have to put all the buttons in place. . the biggest difference i think is that you need to release them as soon as they yield to the aid you are using. and sometimes they have bad/tough days and patience and sometimes bravery is required. look for one that is kind and good natured as primary requirement, and you will be ok.

[BrownMareDon_tCare]

I agree with the above- it absolutely can be done! It does help to have someone on the ground who can look at you periodically to call attention to things you may be doing that you don’t realize you’re doing (as Scribbler mentioned above).

I have also noticed that it always seems to take longer for an ammy to put together a baby than for a pro to do it. Just something to be aware of- I often got caught in the rut of thinking we would be further along than we were at any given stage…

[MzCarol]

Absolutely! I bought Ayah as a weanling in 2010 and this year will be her first showing. I’ve done all the foundation work myself and we started jumping back in February with a wonderful trainer. It’s been the most incredible ride…literally

[amt813]

I bought a coming two year old when I was pregnant with my first child. Did a lot of ground work with her and when she turned three had someone break her and put 90 days under saddle on her. I then rode her until December of that year, when I was at the end of my first trimester with my second child and gave her the winter off. I then had my trainer start her back in the spring as a four year old, took back over the ride myself that summer, and have continued to ride her myself this whole year. I have done some little shows with her and it has been great! Granted she is super easy to ride, and I rode a lot of green horses growing up, but am a total ammy with two young kids and a full time job. In the right program with the right horse you can totally do it. Good Luck!

[DarkBayUnicorn]

I have made up several over the years, from fresh-OT OTTBs to the current string.

I got my mare as a just-backed three-year-old and right now she is leased out as a schoolmistress Children’s hunter (I ran out of things to win with her at 3’). I bred her mid-career and have raised her son, now six, from birth onwards.

I was the first to handle him, lead him, groom him, pick up his feet. The first to lunge him. The first to saddle him. The first to ride him. The first to jump him.

He started showing signs that he wanted to be something special, so I did move to a barn with a full-time pro rider known for developing nice young horses to give him every chance. She rides him 2x a week and I ride him 4x a week, including one lesson. She did him in hunter development young horses classes last year with some nice wins, and he will Pre-Green this year. If all goes well I will also show him later in the season.

Pack your patience, be open to new ideas and methods and always remember that every single thing you do (or don’t do) is training that youngster in some way.

If it ain’t gonna be “cute” when he’s 17hh at age six, it ain’t cute when he’s just a lil’ goober! This applies to your own handling, but also to interactions it has with your friends and family and barn staff. It’s up to you to set clear parameters on what is and is not allowed.

[Scribbler]

OP what is your goal? Starting a green horse is a huge learning curve but it will take you much longer than it would a pro to get the horse into a show ring.

If you love the process it is fantastic. If you are goal oriented and feel you are running out of time to show (other thread) you will get frustrated.

Pros can train faster plus muscle a green horse around a course very early. Most ammies not so much.

Ammies come to grief when they buy a green horse that’s way too hot. Maybe a giant WB becease yearling is all they can afford at that level of quality or OTTB because its practically free. If you do get an OTTB give it a year at pasture to let down. Makes a huge difference. They are just like normal horses after that.

[Momateur]

@Scribbler

OP what is your goal? Starting a green horse is a huge learning curve but it will take you much longer than it would a pro to get the horse into a show ring.

If you love the process it is fantastic. If you are goal oriented and feel you are running out of time to show (other thread) you will get frustrated.

Pros can train faster plus muscle a green horse around a course very early. Most ammies not so much.

Ammies come to grief when they buy a green horse that’s way too hot. Maybe a giant WB becease yearling is all they can afford at that level of quality or OTTB because its practically free. If you do get an OTTB give it a year at pasture to let down. Makes a huge difference. They are just like normal horses after that.

Fair question. The way I’m thinking about this is that the development process of the horse could be a new, different goal (since showing is becoming less and less of a priority/reality for me).

Hot greenies are out of the question. I would never do that. Quiet and level-headed types need only apply :). I have a good enough budget to buy a good-minded one, thank god.

[GoodTimes]

Absolutely! The oldest horse I’ve purchased in the last 15 years was a 4yo. The rest have been weanlings.

My current hunter was purchased as a weanling, I was the first one to sit on him. I left him with the trainer for 30 days, I was away for part of the month anyway. He got the winter off and sent him to the trainer for two weeks for a spring boot camp as a coming 4yo. He’s now 10 and I’ve shown him up to 3’6". Since that 4yo boot camp he’s only ever had a handful of pro rides.

My mom and I split on a weanling who is now coming two. She’ll be another hunter fingers crossed, she’s quite the looker. I realistically don’t have time for two horses so I’ll probably have our trainer ride the baby at least once or twice a week once she’s under saddle. If she’s ammy friendly enough for a 60yo she’ll step up to be a super fancy horse for my mom and I’ll show her, otherwise we’ll sell.

Be aware that babies are all about the small victories. They will try your patience. Don’t do it if you’re a nervous rider, don’t do it if you don’t have a secure seat, don’t do it if you aren’t prepared to seek help if there’s a problem, don’t do it if you think it will be easy.
In the end it’s worth it though. Getting compliments on a horse that you’ve done 90-100% of the work with is second to none. Realizing how far you’ve come together, thinking back on that first ride together. It’s a lot of fun with the right team.

[GoodTimes]

@Momateur

Hot greenies are out of the question. I would never do that. Quiet and level-headed types need only apply :). I have a good enough budget to buy a good-minded one, thank god.

If hot greenies are out of the question then I’d recommend buying a 4 or 5yo who has already started to figure things out. I’ve known more than a few babies who were super quiet until they stopped growing and found their balance, and then they took a few months (or years) to test out their new legs
I’ve also found that many have very different personalities under saddle vs on the ground. Of course that doesn’t just apply to babies.

[Haylter]

Ummm it totally depends on the person and the horse. Some people have what it takes and some horses take a pro in the beginning

[Momateur]

@GoodTimes

If hot greenies are out of the question then I’d recommend buying a 4 or 5yo who has already started to figure things out.

Oh yes, I totally agree. By “green,” I mean a 4-5 year old who is already w/t/c under saddle quietly.

[LaurieB]

I did it. I was a 47 year old re-rider who had had a serious career as a junior but had done almost no riding since. I figured at that age it was now or never. I bought a lovely 3yo sport bred Thoroughbred filly who had been ridden 4 times. But–big but, huge but!–I did it with a ton of help from my trainer.

The first six months, I took four lessons a week on the filly. My trainer rode her once a week while I watched. One day a week, I took the filly for a trail ride. The seventh day she had off. After six months or so, the trainer stopped riding her and I took five lessons a week. I know that’s not feasible for many people but it worked out great for me. Because I never got a chance to make any stupid mistakes with the filly when no one was watching. :lol:

It took longer to do it that way than it would have with only the pro riding her but this way was much more fun. Three years and a half years later, she was very competitive showing in the adult amateur division. (It turned out I was too chicken for ammy owner.)

The whole process was a blast. But I never could have accomplished it without my trainer.

[PNWjumper]

If there were more homogenous groups of “amateurs” versus “pros” this might be a different question. But as it stands, there are amateurs who are better than professionals and vice versa. As such, of course an amateur can develop a horse. I’m an ammy and I’ve done it my whole life through high pressure/high travel jobs through having kids, and everything in between. In some ways I think it’s easier to be an amateur with a youngster than a trainer. I was often forced down the patience road by the timing of work and had to be okay with where my youngsters were at where my trainer friends wanted to be further along because…well…they could be (or should be based on time spent). But in all seriousness, there’s no hard and fast rule about who you have to be to bring along a horse. I buy from a specific set of breeders who are able to recognize “that brain” (you know, the one that every amateur wants) in young horses. They have sold me incredible young horses over and over and over and over again. Honestly, a monkey could develop these horses into whatever they wanted. Find a horse like that and just enjoy the ride.

Short summary: buy a fabulous brain and the rest doesn’t really matter. You don’t mention needing to make money off of the horse. So if your primary goal is to enjoy the process of developing a nice horse, then go for it.

[Arelle]

I took a very cute, 90 days under saddle POA and flipped her as a child’s mount for a nice profit several years ago. Was fairly easy, she had the brain for it.

I think that’s the important part. Brain > Talent, if you have to pick.

I currently have three “babies” - a 2016 by Stallion A, a 2017 by Stallion A, and another 2017 by Stallion B. While I do love all three of them, only the one by Stallion B am I planning to attempt to put the first rides on myself. Both of my Stallion A babies are just reactive and quick enough that I want them going to a colt breaker for the first 60-90 days. :lol:

I think it’s most successful when people don’t have a hard, set rule about their plan. If you need help, ask. If you get stuck, find help. But don’t be so egotistical that YOU have to be the one to do it. If it’s better for the horse to have someone else do x/y/z with them, then make the choice that’s better for the horse - both short term and long term.

(Also, work has been crazy and this post has taken me a couple of hours to write, so if I’m repeating someone - sorry in advance.)

[Manni01]

Not a HJ rider but a 55 year old dressage rider and ammy. I bred my own horses and started my last baby 2 years ago. My now 10 year old homebred got me 2 4th level silver scores and we are getting closer to PSG every day 😀. Please don’t use the word AA like this… Being an AA has nothing to do with riding ability…