Tim Gredley's top horse Omelli was brought as a 7-year-old and had started his career as a showjumper. However many of Tim's younger horses come to him unbroken. Here Tim explains his method of breaking and loose schooling the showjumper.When breaking in a show jumper we always take time to introduce them to everything and are careful to keep them calm and relaxed at all times. Nothing is ever rushed as our show jumping horses are very vauable and you can ruin a very good horse with incorrect handling.

The introduction to becoming a ridden horse is a process that must be done professionally and effectively. The more we do with the horse as youngsters the easier and calmer we find them to break in. We build into their routine as much handling as possible, although most are well handled from a very young age and will be well adapted ti rugs, boots, grooming and general yard procedures. However arriving at a new place is always a strange experience for any horseand this is taken into account when new horses arrive at my yard in Newmarket, suffolk. By immediatley establishing a routine the horses will begin to settle and feel secure in their new enviroment. This enables us to build a bond with them and to build confidence. All the horses are allocated stables on arrival which we try and stick to, in addition to their training the routine includes, turnout to help the horses unwind and regular grooming which is part of thebonding process. We normally expect a settling period of anywhere up to six months, depending on the horses natural temperament. Many of our imported horses have travelled many miles and can be a little quiet for the first few days. After several days rest they begin to find their feet and can be fresh, but in a short time this normally passes and they then begin to show signs of contentment. We begin bitting the horses at age two or three depending on how much they have been taught when they arrive. We generally use a breaking bit for the very young horses which has special keys that can be played with by the horses tongue. The older horses wear a snaffle. We start the process with the 2-year-olds by leading the horses with their bridles on.

Slowly we begin to lead them around so they get used to moving forward with some pressure on their mouths, at all times keeping them forward going and relaxed. Our 3-year-olds normally arrive with some education behind them; most are happy in bridles, have been lunged and are at the stage of introducing rollers and saddles. The slow introduction to accepting a saddle begins by using a surcingle. This we can tighten during lunging to allow him to play at "blowing out" his tummy against the new feeling of a girth. If he shows any resistance or wants to buck he can do this safely in a controlled environment. Horses soon learn that if they cannot remove the sensation and it is not causing pain that they just accept it. This is on of the reasons I love horses so much, on the one hand they are big, powerfull, intelligent animals yet very submissive and gentle creatures. They are a pleasure to work with and educate. As we gain the horses confidence on the lunge the saddle is introduced. We start in the stable by placing the saddle on the horse and very slowly tightening the girth when the saddle is secure we ask the horse to move a few steps. This is always done in a small space as if the horse is spooked you do not want them to have to much room to run around with the saddle flapping on their back. This would scare them.

The next step is to head to a small area suitable for lungeing, this will allow the horse time to accept the saddle, the noise and movement of the saddle without a rider. Following this we begin long reining with a groom leading the horse to teach him that we need hom to move forwards. Long reining is a brilliant way of introducing the horse to the fact that the rider will apply the pressure to the bit from behind him. Until this point in the training the horse has only ever been lead from the head or lunged from the side. Long-reining helps them to understand that despite pressure now coming from above them they still must move forward. This takes us a step closer to the feel they will get when we begin to ride them. We long rein them until each horse is settled and happy without a groom at their head, and understands the aids for stop, turn and go. The initial ground work can vary from one horse to the next some learn quick others take a lot longer. You are now at a stage where the horse is hapy under tack and is forward going, reponsive to your voice and ahppy in the required work. The final stage is to introduce the rider.

The horses usual handler will stand at their head, to reassure them, whilst a lightweight person is slowly lifted to gently lay over the horses back. Normally the weight does not cause the horse an issue and they happily accept the rider. We take a few strides forward so they can feel the rider move as he walks, again as long as the horse has been calm up until now this does not make them worry as we use our voices as a training aid and also as a reassurance. Slowly the rider then makes a gentle movement to sit astride the horse keeping low to the horse's neck. We do not want to worry the horse with the view of the rider above him. This could potentially spook the young horse, making him shoot forward and unseating the jockey. Sitting up slowly and continually reassuring the horse normally results in a quiet and calm acceptance of a rider. When we feel it is safe the rider slowly and gently takes a light hold of the rein. We do not ask the rider to use his stirrups at this point as if there was a problem he would be able to make a quick exit if required. Keeping the horse moving forwards with confidence is now tested completely. As long as he has been well prepared this does not pose a problem. If at any stage the horse worries we simply go back and revist the part of the process that worries him to build more confidence.

Loose schooling a show jumper allows us to see the natural ability of the horses jump without the weight of the rider. We introduce loose schooling at the time of lunging. Again it promotes a forward going attitude and movement whilst allowing the horse which is bred to jump to enjoy his time playing in the arena. We have two grooms in the indoor school with lunge whips to keep the horse moving in the right direction at both ends of the arena with a jump or combination on each long side. It is a great way to introduce the youngsters to jumping and it is quite a thrill to see their natural ability to leave the ground. Being part of a big team is what makes the breaking process so enjoyable and rewarding, if we ever come across problems we have a lot of experienced people in the team.

RIDER PROFILE
Name: Tim Gredley
Hobbies: Mainly socialising with friends or playing squash
Pets: One naughty pug dog called Pugsly
Favourite food: Indian
Favourite TV programme: Hollyoaks
What got you interested in your discipline: I started riding when I was ten and focused on Working Hunter Ponies. Due to my age at the time and the size of pony required for the classes I found that the jumps weren't big enough.... Hence the venture into Show Jumping where the fences are definitely more my height!
Tell us about any really memorable horses: I guess Pebbly Tuff Stuff was my first memorable pony as he brought me the success at many levels. However he was no easy option and he was the first pony who really taught me to ride. I actually realised that if I wanted success I needed to look the part, put the work in and ride rather than just sitting there looking pretty. This tough lesson has supported me well and it is something I still think about today.
Which rider has inspired you: John Whittaker John is one of the most successful showjumpers around. He has an amazing ability to make it look easy. He is able to ride any horses and make them go well but seemingly effortlessly. As well as tremendous success he has bred and produced some amazing horses, he has knowledge and expertise and he is always willing to help or advise you. He is also a very successful businessman.
Which top horse do you most admire: Omelli
He is in the first instance my favourite and always will be. He is incredible in temperament, his ability and his determination when jumping. I trust him 100% and know that he will always try his best. We have been together 6 years in which time we have been successful at The World Equestrian Games, he has been picked for numerous Team GB competitions and most recently a big Win in the Munich Grand Prix. We have seen disappointment when he was out of a year with injury and just missing out at the final hour for the Olympics.
Any other information that you think our readers would love to know: Although I am predominantly based at the Show Jumping Yard I also work in the property division of my Father's company.

HORSE PROFILE
Name: B F Utopia            Height: 16.2hh
Stable Name: Gus          Age: 12
Owner: Mrs Gredley        Breed: Warmblood
Colour: Bay                    Sire: Lord Z
Sex: Stallion                   Dam: Unknown

Introduction
Tom brought Gus just a few months ago as a 12 -year-old Stallion who to date had not really been pushed to his full potential. Since being with Tim he has been jumping confidently over bigger tracks of 1.40 + and has proven to be very careful and capable. Most recently he made a very credible appearance at Olympia.

His Strengths
Even in the busiest arena hes very calm and unfazed by everything. At home is lovely to look after and even though he is a stallion he really doesn't know it. He makes a concious effort not to knock the poles and gets cross when he does. This is obviously an excellent trait for a Show Jumper to have.

His Weaknesses
At 12 he should now be well into his career and have been competing at a high level for several years. Having only really stepped up a gear in Tim's ownership and at times he can still be a little green. He has improved so much in so little time that Tim thinks it won't be long before we see some really good things from him.

Future Plans
Gus will be part of a team of 9 horses heading for the Sunshine Tour in Spain for 6 weeks. After a short rest on his return he will then be campaigned throughout the year both at National and International Shows. He would be rated as one of Tim's top 5 so will travel abroad a lot for the Global Championship Tour Series.

Three Secrets
He's very vain and will often whinny/flirt with his reflection.