backing up?

Question

i have been practicing more and more with my horse backing up. but, no matter how much i practice with him he won't do it any better. he tosses his head and refuses to back up. it takes at least 2 trys to make him back up just a couple steps. how can i make him back up better???

i am in the saddle

Answer 1

I have never seen so many completely different answers to such a simple question, and I won't comment on any of them, but I personally have a couple of solutions that use simple, widely accepted and positive methods of teaching your horse what you would like for him to do. That is the secret, not force him to do something, find a way to communicate to him, in a way that he understands, what you really want him to do. Here are a couple of things that you can do that work, no gimmicks, just tried and true methods that, with patience, simply WORK. If your horse simply doesn't understand anything about backing, walk him up to a fence or the side a barn and stop and pet him...if he wants to turn one way or the other, use your hands (reins) and legs to keep his body straight. once he settles, pick up your reins, make contact and apply pressure...constant, even, mild presure to his bit and at the same time, tap, tap, tap backwards with your reins, squeezing with your legs to ask him to move. (If he moves, which way is he going to move? backwards!.) The reason that u use the tap, tap, tap to begin with is because you always want to try the lightest aid first that will get you the results that you want. If that doesn't work, hold the pressure on the bit steady, I didn't say harshly, I said, evenly and steady, (still signalling that you want him to move with your legs) until he give just one little step backwards. Stop there, pet and praise...let him sit there and think about it. Now, walk him around, walk him back up to face the barn/wall, whatever and let him settle....no short cuts, don't leave any step out...repeat the process that you used to get the desired results before...if you get one step or two, stop, pet and praise and let him absorb the whole thing that just happened...now, go do something that he likes, walk around, go outside the arena, just let him be rewarded for doing what you asked him to do. Start over with the same process the next day, don't leave any steps out...maybe you will get 3 steps today, maybe 4, who knows? don't forget the reward. sometimes it's good enough reward to hear it in your voice and feel it on his rump with your hand. Keep in mind, as soon as you are certain that he really GET'S IT, lesson the pressure that you are using on the bit, try getting the same results by just picking up on the reins, there is enough weight in your reins to provide enough pressure to signal backing. This method is simply the easiest way I have found to teach a horse to back without having a big tussel with him..after all, if they are mad, scared or simply don't understand your command, they aren't going to get it, so keep things calm, quiet and pleasant and you will progress much faster. I do hope that I didn't make this answer so long that people won't read it, but there just wasn't a shorter way to explain how to do it. good luck

Answer 2

I don't know if you've ever used Parelli but I do this thing with my horse on the ground that gets her calmed down, I realize that's not what you are asking but the more you work on the ground and get your horse to understand you the better it will behave in the saddle. I take a lead rope and hold it as if I were in a showmanship class (looped once in my left hand and the slack held by my right). Start walking your horse and then stop randomly and back up, don't turn around to back him up, just take a few slow steps backward yourself. If he doesn't realize you're backing, start to shake your arms (kinda like and chicken, i find that a heavier rope works best) until he backs with you. My horse has gotten a lot more comfortable backing in the saddle since I have started doing that. Even just from pen to pen I stop and make sure she's paying attention. After awhile I don't even have to shake the rope, just step backward, maybe he's just uncomfortable about footing, get him good on the ground then try again in the saddle.

I have a very troublesome horse (got bucked/jumped/reared off today) and I've found that the more she understands simple ground routines, the more she trusts me enough to do what I ask in the saddle.

Answer 3

Are you in the saddle or on the ground trying to make him back up?

If you're in the saddle you might try having someone stand on the ground and back him up while you give the cues that should make him back up from the saddle. Stop and praise him as soon as he backs up a couple of steps, let him go forward for a little while, and then repeat the exercise, this time making him back up farther before letting him go forward. Eventually try backing him without the helper on the ground, and shower him in praise the moment he steps back. You also might want to look into a slightly stronger bit, nothing too horrible but something that will make him listen to you a little bit better.

Answer 4

If you are in the saddle, apply steady pressure on the reins. Let him toss, but as soon as he takes a step, lessen the pressure and let him stand. During your work, stop him and have him back up one step as you did above. After a day or two of this, get him to do two steps by applying the same steady pressure but only ease off after he has taken two steps. Gradually increase the distance of how far you back him up. Releasing the pressure is his reward for taking the step back wards.


But if you are on the ground, hold the lead rope about 6in' from the snap, and pull towards his chest. If he does not recognize this signal, put your hand on his chest and push and cluck to him. If he does still not respond to this, make a shank over his nose with a normal rope lead rope, by making a loop in the rope, and passing it through the noseband of his halter, and loop it over his nose. When asking him to backup, pull slightly on the lead until shank tightens and he feels the pressure on his nose. Do not yank when you have the shank on, because it could seriously injure his nose. The shank is only to be used as slight extra pressure when needed and is not a punishment, but just extra guidance. Hope this helps.

Good Luck

Answer 5

I didn't read the other replies sorry.

But for backing, make sure he does it on the ground verbally first. Stand in front with a halter and put pressure on the nose and verbally say back. Perfect it this way first

Then ground driving, make them back with long lines on.

Then move to saddle.

If anyone of these do not work, encorperate an assistant who will stand at the head and reinforce your cues when you ask and the horse doesn't cooperate.

Answer 6

If you are working by yourself then you need to start on the ground. Stand in front of your horse and while the bridle is on, take the reins in one hand and pull them as you would in the saddle to cue the horse to back and put your other hand on his chest and push him to back up saying back! back! back! As soon as he goes backwards release the pressure on the reins. Practice this a few times, master it without using the hand on his chest and just by the pressure of his reins then get on him and resume again in the saddle. Pull back on the reins saying back! back! back! at the same time with leg pressure and he will have it down!

Answer 7

i used to have a horse that was tough to back up and i found that you had to make sure your hands are kept low, lift your seat a little but dont lean forward. as soon as he takes a step back release the pressure and pat him and try for another step. dont continue this for too long. take him for a forward walk around the ring a couple times before going at it again. i also found squeezing your legs ever so slightly helped too.

good luck

Answer 8

the best way to solve any problem under sadle to to first perfect the skill in hand. Gradualy teach him to move off pressure and voice with only a halter and lead rope. Its is less stressful and easier to understand on the ground (it also teaches him manners, which is most likely his main problem). When he is good at backing on the ground then proceed to to it in the saddle. Don't forget to squeeze with your calves and pull back lightly

Answer 9

Like the others said, have someone stand on the ground to help you. If no one is available, try pulling left rein, then right, then left, then right, not at the same time, but interchangably. It really helps you get in control! :)

Answer 10

If your in the saddle, You need to use a strong bit, like a curb bit. My OTTB, King, has been using a Curb bit and backs up with out a problem on it. You squeeze with your leg to cue them to move, but you have to pull back on the bit at the same time, horses move away from pressure, so they should choose to move backwards, and you can use a command as they do it, like BACK, but you have to time it right, and start out small., the second they put a foot back, give them lots of praise.