[stina3246]

I was wondering....if you are breaking a young horse in an english saddle, do you post on the first few rides?
I was working my 3 year old today, I've only been on him a handful of times. I asked for a nice easy trot and he picked it up pretty good. I started posting (just habit in an english saddle) and he began to get upset. His head came up, ears went back, stiffened...so I stopped him, started to trot again but this time sat still and we had better results. I'm thinking I should let him get used to carrying me at a walk, trot canter before posting on him.
What do you guys think?

[HUS_WP_lovr]

I did not post on my 2 yr old HUS gelding for a while. I would just let him get used to you riding him 1st before you start inconviencing him with your body movements

[idlewild]

Yes, it is much better to sit the trot on a youngster the first couple times you trot on him. Once he has figured out how to carry your weight at the trot you can start posting, and even then just minimal posting so that you are barely making a movement and your butt is hardly coming off the saddle, make sense? Then gradually increase it until he is comfortable with you posting normal.

Just remember that with a youngster YOU need to keep the balance for them because they don't have it yet

[horseyfrk145]

well....it depends [IME] bcuz i have my young horse, and when i bought him greenbroke as a 2yo about 8 months ago - and at the time, sitting was better (although he was very bouncy!) and now, he's better at the sitting trot but my trainers always say posting trot until he's really well warmed up so at this stage, i would say sit for now.

as Emily said, posting makes them balence themselves - which many youngsters arent ready to do yet

[JBandRio]

Actually, it is healthier to post. The young horse's back is not fit enough - lack of conditioning, lack of finished growth - to support the weight of a rider constantly sitting.

If the horse gets upset when you start to post, then work on some groundwork where you are standing above the horse - mounting block, for example, and do a lot of motion above his back/head. Lack of desensitization to that is likely what got him upset.

[Jenje!]

I actually do, partially because I personally am more likely to become unbalanced and hinder the horse at the sitting trot. A posting trot allows me to stay out of their way a bit better.

[stina3246]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

Actually, it is healthier to post. The young horse's back is not fit enough - lack of conditioning, lack of finished growth - to support the weight of a rider constantly sitting.

If the horse gets upset when you start to post, then work on some groundwork where you are standing above the horse - mounting block, for example, and do a lot of motion above his back/head. Lack of desensitization to that is likely what got him upset.

Normally I'd agree with you about why he was bothered (I always LOVE your advise) but in HIS case, he was probably more bothered by the feel of it then seeing me bounce up and down. He's been VERY desensatised to most things visual but I'll work on this part too.

[5x_SpeedLover]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

Actually, it is healthier to post. The young horse's back is not fit enough - lack of conditioning, lack of finished growth - to support the weight of a rider constantly sitting.

If the horse gets upset when you start to post, then work on some groundwork where you are standing above the horse - mounting block, for example, and do a lot of motion above his back/head. Lack of desensitization to that is likely what got him upset.

I was thinking the same thing you are about his back. It would probably be better to post on him. When i first started posting on my mare (she was way past green broke) at first she hated it and she would try to break into canter, throw her head up, whatever she could to make me uncomfortable too, but now she is actually noticably happier when i post rather than sit. Maybe he just needs to get used to it.

[Dawn]

Is it possible that your 'style' of posting is throwing him off. If you're in a chair seat, you're going to be hard on his back. If you're ahead of the motion, you're going to cause him to be very off balance. If you're just moving too much and being unbalanced, that's going to cause issues as well.

I apologize in advance as I have no idea of your riding level.

[Xiphias]

I posted on all the young horses that I broke to saddle, I just posted really low, and easy at first, to get them used to me moving, they all got used to it quite fast...Cathy