‘She was terrified of humans’
SOMERSET-BASED rider Jacquie Billington took on Uralita, an unhandled broodmare, as a six-year-old. Uralita arrived in the UK traumatised and terrified of humans, and it was another two years before Jacquie tried her under saddle as a rising eight-year-old. “I started her off using the Academic Art of Riding by Bent Branderup, teaching her the secondary aids in groundwork, work in-hand and slow lunge work, all using a leather cavesson and no bit to preserve her delicate mouth before introducing a bit for her to hold in her mouth only,” explains Jacquie. Jacquie was adamant that she couldn’t back Uralita until her original terror of humans had been overcome, which is what occurred with long-term gentle, sensitive handling. But, equally, she is an advocate of late backing. “Backing a horse late is better for horses, but impatient humans want to get on and ride sooner than the horse should be ridden,” says Jacquie. “Mentally, horses are often more prepared to accept new things when they are older and stronger, but only provided they have had some education prior to backing. Just because you don’t back your horse at three or four doesn’t mean that he can be left in the field untrained until you want to ride. Educating a horse is not only done from his back.”