# Breaking a 2 year old QH filly



## Arab123 (Jun 25, 2009)

hi everyone I will be breaking my 2 year old QH filly if anyone has tips please tell! Thanks ~Arab123~ PS Her great grandfather is Jessie Tivio a champion horse!


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Find a good trainer to work with you.


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## Arab123 (Jun 25, 2009)

well my aunt is in love with horses she could help me.............but really we cant afford $300 for about 2 weeks!


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

How much horse experience do you have?

Just think of your horse as an investment. The solid foundation you put on her now will last forever. It'd be worth it to try and find someone that could come and help you.


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

what have you all done with this mare? what kind of groundwork? Has she even had a saddle on her?


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## Arab123 (Jun 25, 2009)

yes I have had a saddle on her but the girth was too big so it really wasnt tight. She can lunge, do halter ( like showing halter), and she is ok at picking up her feet. I am thinking about putting a saddle on her tommorrow if it is not too hot. I have been with horses for 4 years now.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Your question about breaking a two year old filly tells me that you likely don't have the necessary experience. A two year old baby is about a year too young to ride. 

If you don't do this correctly you could set your filly up for life long problems. Could you get an extra job for a short time to make the money to pay for training? I'd suggest 30 to 60 days at least. Around here, it costs about $750 a month.


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## Arab123 (Jun 25, 2009)

Well I am really under 16 so no job. My parents are letting me break her myself


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Well, if you absolutely cannot afford a trainer, I'll give you a loose basis of my own methods:

Groundwork is absolutely key. I prefer working with foals because it can never start to soon. Before my horses are started under saddle, they behave perfectly on the ground. That means listening to voice commands and respecting my space. I can snap my fingers at my Arab mare to make her move because she's so in tune to what I may be asking of her. This is all from starting her from birth and a lot of leadline work. I ask them to move forward, backwards and away from me based on pressure, body language and voice commands. If you solidify the voice commands during basic leading lessons, it makes it a lot easier when you transition to lunge work. Once you move to lunge work, take your time and again only be satisfied when your horse is listening 100% - that means obeying whatever signal you give for walk, trot, canter, whoa and change of direction, consistantly.

After you have developed a respectful horse who listens attentively to you, you can move on to saddle work. Again, time and patience is key. Move slowly - introduce new things one at a time, and only move on to the next thing when it has been accepted completely. This could mean allowing her to get used to the weight of the saddle, and then moving on to doing up the girth when she's yawning from the saddle. Don't ever be "timid" - don't try and sneak the items on her. If she's rolling her eyes from the saddle being lifted up to her back, then stop and work on just that. If she's dancing when you do the girth up for the first time, the respect you earned during intensive groundwork should follow you. If it doesn't, you need to go back to groundwork and having her listen to "whoa" and "stand". Obviously everything should be done quietly and smoothly, just don't act scared or you're preparing for a blowup when she suddenly realizes what's going on and reacts negatively to it.

Common sense is the biggest factor. If she's acting nervous about something, don't move on to the next thing. Don't rush the training, don't allow her to flinch nervously when you lift up a saddle but then continue on to bridling anyway. Give her ample amounts of time to be not only accustomed, but completely comfortable with each new action or item you're introducing to her.

Obviously I'm sure you know a lot of this, or have done a lot of this already, but it's my own personal general guidelines. You can take everything I've said and apply it to different sequences, such as mounting and riding for the first time. Think exactly about what you want to teach her, how you're going to teach her, and what you're going to do if she gets upset. Don't just approach it with a "hope for the best" attitude, make yourself a gameplan for every training aspect so you can be prepared to deal with it. Thinking everything out will make it much easier for both of you. If she's flat out not accepting it, step back and rethink your gameplan and consider why she's not accepting it.

Anyway, hoped that helped a little. Good luck with her.


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## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

Wait a year, as she's young, and save up money (babysit, mow lawns, ect) so you can get help. Work with someone who trains horses and learn from them.


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## Lawrite_Haflinger (Aug 3, 2008)

Cheyaut is right(imo) what is the rush? Would you rather break her out now and risk giving her leg problems from the time she turns ten and/or screw her up so you really need a trainer or save up some money and pay for a trainer next year when she has matured a little. It would be safer and better for this filly.I'm not completely against backing her but only short walks or maybe trots around until she is older.

I am training a three year ATM and I have only rode for 4 years also but this mare is one the sweetest most laid back horses I have ever seen. If you know what you are doing and the horse is relaxed you can try to ride her just remember not to rush things it will help her understand what you are trying to get her to do.


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

When I was 16 I had a job, but with the economy and all it "could" be impossible to find one, I also got my first horse, a foal that we had bred, but I had tons of experience. I have ridden and been around horses all my life. I was a working student at a professional show barn and schooled and rode many green or young or green and young horses. We always waited till they were at least three. But what I am seeing is that you are 16, without professional instruction, and talked your parents into that really cute two year old filly that I'm sure cost much less than a reliable, trained horse that you probably need and deserve. All of this spells out disaster! As I stated I got a foal at 16 but I still had to wait till 19 to ride her. She was a filly, and iMO a gelding would have been easier. Even still I was given three years to play, work with, pony, harass, sack out, and establish manners or limitations. I also had a trainer who assisted me with the first ride (no problem, she was so used to people it didn't matter) and some of her training. Even with the help and experience I still had moments where I was frustrated, scared, fell off, embarrassed, and clueless. This was all for the sake of my improvement of skills with training and starting horses, and I have since made a nice, competent, well schooled, polite 10 year old horse. But if anyone had seen her at 3 with a peacock, or kicking the side of the ring, they wouldn't have recognized her. This was one of my best growing experiences, but I was set up for success, and had a long history of specific training on green broke horses as well as schoolmasters for my own imporvement. I do not recomend you undertake this task by yourself, if at all. I know you may be attached and its to late to find a more suitable prospect, but finding a reputable trainer is key! Find one with references and experience with young horses, because any joe-shmoe can call himself/herself a trainer, and your baby can be put into the wrong hands. If you work with a trainer, and are willing to step back if things need to be handled by experience, or step forward when you can add to the experience while also learning, it can be successful. Most experienced horsemen agree they would rather have a horse with little or no training than ones given bad instruction and have to be re-taught. With that in mind, the reason we have experienced those horses with bad schooling is because innocent people with all the right intentions and little or no experience think they can grow with their horse and learn together. Usually this ends badly, so please seek the advice of a professional who can help you, and also take the opportunity to ride more schooled horses to advance your own skill level. Also, you haven't really stated any goals so no training methods can really be suggested until you set a goal for what you want from your horse. If you want to make a nice pleasure/trail horse, you will probably have successfully done so by the time they are five or six with a skilled trainer. Good luck, and please understand I am just coming from experience and I have no way of knowing your exact skill level/training/ability.


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## Deej (May 5, 2009)

Two years old is not old enough! Your fillies tendons and bones are not done growing. Either are her ligaments. Just because they train racing thoroughbreds at two does not make it right. Let your baby mature for another year. I know how hard it is to wait, but in the mean time you can finish her ground training. You said , "Shes just ok with her feet". She needs to be very good with her feet. When you do start her training go slow. Does she flex her neck yet? Will she put her head down to the ground when you ask this of her? Does she back without hesitation? Have you sacked her out yet. Will she walk over a tarp, logs, ect? If you want a well rounded and eager horse you must acomplish these things and more. And again go slow, The end result will be well worth the wait. Good luck.....


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

She is still young, but it's okay. Don't to tremendous amounts of riding but I suggest starting to ground drive her.


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## DakotaLuv (Mar 21, 2009)

I trained my first horse when I was about 14, BUT I had a trainer. I have been around horses my whole life so I knew what I was doing, but it was good to have the trainer there with me. At age two, I had my filly sacked out, lunging, and ponying daily for 3 months and then twice weekly until she was 3 and at age 3 I was able to get on her. Also, if you have a trainer you can have them go out with you on your first ride and help if anything goes wrong. So a trainer is VERY important to me, at least when you're starting out. I agree with other posts too that you should probably wait until she's three even if she's good sized. I have a 2 you colt that won't be worked to hard til he's at least 3, probably 4.


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## huntergrl (Nov 26, 2007)

I am breaking my 4 yr old horse and that I believe is definately a better age but you can definately start with ground work. I agree with MacabreMikolaj because once you establish that respect you will remain in control even when you're doing your first ride together.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

I think it's great to start working with a horse at birth. Two is a great age to start ground driving and putting a bit in his mouth and saddling him up. Possible doing small short rides. Three is the age I think most should start riding them under saddle longer. It depends on the breed I guess. I know quarter horses are fully mature at 3 and start to fill out more at 4. But TB don't stop growing until they are 6.


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## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

You say your aunt is going to help you. Has she ever trained horses? Does she ride?
In the 4 years you've been "with horses", what exactly have you done?


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## Cayuse (May 28, 2009)

First good luck.



> yes I have had a saddle on her but the girth was too big so it really wasnt tight.


Don't put the saddle back on until you get the girth fixed. If that saddle rolls under your horse you just went back 10 steps.

I train horses all the time. Im working two right now. Alot of people don't like starting them at 2 but many do. The AQHA and the NCHA both have 3 year old clasess so there are plenty of pros out there training and riding 2 year olds. Just be easy and take it slow. GROUND WORK GROUND WORK GROUND WORK. If you dont have anyone to work with you get some videos. There is SO much to say and do, its impossible to tell over the computer. Some of the first things I start on is moving a horse, sending it in the direction you want, engaging and disengagin hindquarters and forequarters, bending, flexing laterally and vertically. At a minimum this should be done well before you ever think of mounting the horse.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

AQHA actually has classes for 2 year olds. If you arent planning on showing in big shows then I would not rush. I'd do a lot of ground work, in hand, work on picking up those feet etc. I wouldn't worry about getting on it's back for another year if you have the time to wait. You really need to find yourself someone that has knowledge and experience that can guide you. The internet, books, and magazines can help but a real person with real experience is what you need.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

farmpony84 said:


> If you arent planning on showing in big shows then I would not rush.


Agree. 

I have not, until this year, ever started a two year old. The only reason I have one that is being started this year is because we are showing her in the NRHA futurities. 

Give her another year to mature...do tons of ground work with her this year, earn her trust and learn to read and understand her. 

PLEAE DO NOT PUT THE SADDLE BACK ON HER UNTIL YOU GET A NEW CINCH! I nearly chocked when I read that...that is a very good way to wreck a horse. If she would have bucked and that saddle went under her belly you would have been starting over from square one but it would have been a heck of alot harder to earn any kind of trust again! PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN!


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## ILoveGeorgieMyPony (Apr 19, 2009)

I would say definetley get a trainer to help you. Just for now, just work with her on the ground eg. lunging walking grooming so she gets trust in you and respects you at the start.


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