sedating to back...

[Arizona]

I want peoples opinions on this...

Someone asked me how I was getting on with Stuart today so I said I felt it was going well, he lunges in tack and side reins and Ive leant over but there seems genuine fear from him of me making an attempt to get on, he actually shakes so Im taking my time building his trust leaning a litle more each time, today I leant on him from shola, no actual reason jus we was walkin them side by side I was on shola and leant over which he seemed unfazed by shola however was like ewww get me away from him HAHA

ANYWAY

She said to me, why not give him a tube of sedaline to mong him out and get on???

Personally I think if you need to sedate to get on then its not right, I want him to trust me and let me on I want him happy with the situation not too sleepy to be able to do anything.... whats your thoughts?

[clippi]

No! no! no! Sedating seems an horrendous idea. It's hardly going to build trust and create a calm experience on which to build

[fairyfeet]

I really can't see the point of that unless you are going to sedate him every time you get on.
He needs to learn that you don't mean him any harm, and he's not going to learn that by being sedated.
Carry on doing exactly what you are doing, he'll get there and be far better for it as will have learnt to trust you in the meantime.
People sedate to shoe, clip and have dental treatment, and have to continue to do so
as the horse doesn't learn no to be fearful.
That's fine as its only a now and again thing, but not for accepting a rider on its back.
Patience and consistency is the key to successful backing.

[CityLights]

No! what a stupid suggestion, one with they are doped up they could possibly trip up and hurt themselves, and you, and how do you intend to follow on from that you cant always dope up a horse to ride, you just need to work it more get it to trust you and spend some time on it

[Arizona]

Just for the record Im not going to do it I just wondered on peoples opinions as she says her friend who backs for a living does it

[munchkin65]

I would say it is totally wrong I like to feel that if treated well and backed kindly will want to be ridden it seems underhand and sneekyto do it under sesation it should be a partnershop

[bimba]

Really don't see the point in doing that as backing is all about getting the horse used to situations, tack, rider etc. and to be honest if they don't like it then sedating them isn't going to do anything as they'll still react the same when it's no longer being used. If anything I think it could be dangerous as the horse will be unbalanced already with the weight of a rider they're not used to so making them more unbalanced is just a recipe for disaster.

[Rolo2010]

Thats not right fair enough a calming suppliment to help if needs be but sedation is a no go the horse will not learn anything from it