2yr olds - what do you do with them?

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dorsetladette

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As title really.

What are you doing with your 2yr olds who you plan to back at 3yr old?

Mines out 24/7 with 2 other and some sheep. walking out in the forest and experiencing life. He goes on outings in the lorry. Stands for the farrier (mostly), is good to catch. (mostly) stands to be groomed, he's been to a couple of shows for experience. He's a little nippy which we are working on. He's due to be gelded in January.

FYI - he turns 2 in the new year.
 
Watch them grazing and do the usual foot care, groom leading stuff when needed or the fancy takes me. Late 2 might do a bit of in hand despooking etc but dont do much consistantly until they are approaching 3 and a half years old ready to back at 4 and rideaway don't do much but hack until 5 don't lunge until at least 6
Kitten is rising 4 has literally been tacked up and sat on oncebacked.jpg
turned away until Spring now as due to see the dentist in January for a first dental rasp
 
At this time of year, I try to forget they exist.

My 3.5 yo hasn't yet been sat on and I am also trying to pretend he doesn't exist. It's a warm winter, but the "Winter Stupids" are rife in my herd. They are a herd to the babies have the older horses to entertain them. I just make sure they don't get thrush and are appropriately wormed if needed. My plan is to remember he exists in late Fab/early March when he'll be a month shy of 4 years old. Then I will do a bit of groundwork (did I bit this summer, just basic stuff, traffic safety, loading and traveling, etc), bit of long reining and hopefully sit on in the summer if he's ready. He's such a big baby it's hard to imagine him being ready but they sometimes grow up fast!
 
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I will have a 2yo next year. i am hoping we will have an opportunity to take her somewhere, i have done loading practice but she hasn't actually been anywhere in the box because firstly everything was cancelled and then box was off the road. if nothing else i will try to get her to the yard and potter round the arena on a sunday or something :p

My rising 4yo is also a massive baby MT! totally gormless. he has worn tack and been leant over, understands a little bit about lunging but has only pottered in walk as no facilities. He injured himself last week in a freak event and is now at the yard several months earlier than planned. when he has healed up he can start school to try and keep him out of too much more mischief. he's playing catch up in terms of life experience, that's why i want to get the rising 2yo a bit more worldy as she is MUCH brighter than him and will be trouble otherwise!
 
Ideally just pat them in the field!
That is all Millie has really done, although I have taught her to accept wearing a rug, and our Summer & Winter grazing are in different locations so she has been in both a lorry and a trailer. She’ll come into a stable early next year for a couple of weeks handling before she goes off to stud.

Turnip has unfortunately done more as ended up on 5 months barn rest to heal a dodgy foot. So to get a headstart she did the whole bitting/roller/leaning over thing but quite frankly she could be less ‘bovvered’ about it if she tried! She’ll be a doddle to back next year ?
2A530B26-755C-439A-9429-D7B055A0CD71.jpeg

ETA the now 5yo was completely and utterly ferel at 2. You could barely catch him let alone do anything else with him. He is now one ultra cool dude!
 
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Mine lived out until 3rd birthday, so the absolute minimum basics to be honest. Came back and then quickly adjusted to stable life and has now been backed and taken to everything nicely.
 
Must admit covid has binned our usual showing careers for these babies so they have done far less travelling bathing and seeing the world than usual the one that has been out and about is now 6 and is the solid gold kids pony yes we started with a good temperament but the kind of haphazzard handling has turned her into a diamond great on or off lead rein happy to be crawled over and under can take a kid over a 70cm fence and adult more, her biggest fault is she is too careful with her precious cargo and could use being just a tiny bit more forwardwinters2.jpg
the kid learned to ride by backing and riding away this pony and pops over the little fences as she is not very confident. On this occassion the pony was loose in a 20 acre field with big horses galloping around her and leaving her alone she didn't turn a hair. Hacked out the day after in heavy traffic and in spite of the older horses spooking at sheep etc she plodded on without so much as a look, I am very proud of both these youngsters
 
windand rain said:
Must admit covid has binned our usual showing careers for these babies so they have done far less travelling bathing and seeing the world than usual the one that has been out and about is now 6 and is the solid gold kids pony yes we started with a good temperament but the kind of haphazzard handling has turned her into a diamond great on or off lead rein happy to be crawled over and under can take a kid over a 70cm fence and adult more, her biggest fault is she is too careful with her precious cargo and could use being just a tiny bit more forwardView attachment 84301
the kid learned to ride by backing and riding away this pony and pops over the little fences as she is not very confident. On this occassion the pony was loose in a 20 acre field with big horses galloping around her and leaving her alone she didn't turn a hair. Hacked out the day after in heavy traffic and in spite of the older horses spooking at sheep etc she plodded on without so much as a look, I am very proud of both these youngsters
Click to expand...

They are both lovely looking ponies @windand rain and their temperament is a credit to you. You are right to be proud of them. I really hope Robin calms a little after gelding, the world is a very exciting place for my young man.
 
It just depends...if you have had the horse since birth/very young you may have a head start with some stuff but by the time our youngsters are 3 we want them absolutely solid about being caught, haltered and handled in the field (obvious but some 2 year olds can be rather feral...) and safely leading, happy to see the vet and dentist for basic stuff (not necessarily wearing a gag but happy to have mouth and teeth looked at in a kindly way) and understand that when being handled to be polite/move over in the stable or field at a word or touch. I like to teach the youngsters to enjoy grooming too so we work out what they like and don't like. It's really important for us to know that we can put hands on wherever might be needed; it can take time but it is hugely important that there are no 'no-go' zones as we want to certain that we can deal with any physical/veterinary issues. We like to take our later 2 year olds for in hand hacks to see the sights - alone and with another horse as there is really nothing like giving a horse time and opportunity to 'see' stuff before they are required to deal with it under any 'skool' type situation. We love doing that too - they get to see bikes, prams, dogs, neighbours, all manner of vehicles etc etc but you have to feel that both horse and person feel safe of course! The older horses accompanying in hand rarely complain about an unriddden stroll either. It is a lovely thing to do. :) We also do this kind of in hand work off road so that youngsters can start to consider terrain challenges but it's all very small scale and 'fun'.

We do tiny bits of playing with loading until we think horse has 'got it' and then leave that; we don't tend to take young horses anywhere like shows etc because that isn't our thing but I have taken youngsters to a local event for fun. It is generally very, very tiring for them and I have learnt that sometimes can be unhelpful if they then have to consider loading to go home; too tired to think about that ask and then some good work can be undone.

If all is chilled with these sorts of essentials we do other playful stuff - putting a numnah and sircingle or roller on (I often do the in hand hacks with that in place if they are unbothered) as well as a little rug as well as very basic voice commands about 'halt', walk on and if safe and happy even 'trot on' for in hand/straight line bits.

The thing is to keep things very short in terms of time and very positive as well as with specific, very clear asks. I find it easiest to have a plan but be prepared to change that completely so that anything you do has a positive outcome. If I head out thinking I am going to try x but horse is being somewhat 'playful' about being caught or leading nicely/spooking etc then we work on that rather than whatever I had thought. It really is about putting in and solidifying the basics for a horse to live in a domestic setting at 2/3 and that work pays huge dividends for the rest of the horse's days. Good manners on the ground, confidence to see veterinary professionals and safe, confident acceptance of basic 'clothes' and loading are essential in my book but everyone is different and every horse is different. It is always a privelege to work with young horses though and we shouldn't really have too many expectations of what they can manage!
 
I don't have young horses a more.
When I did during the summer of their two year old I would a period of catching up grooming learning about getting their legs washed that sort of thing wearing a light sheet ,understanding about stables is a must although I did that as foals and after weaning .
I would take them to garage in the lorry a couple of times to fill up with fuel ( these where home bred so most had not had to travel .
Then I left them alone to be horses and did minimal handling my experience is you need to as little as possible to get them to three knowing the things they need to do .

Over handling young horses easily leads to rude bossy horses who are can be difficult to back .
When I worked on a yard that started a lot of horses the worst where not the almost feral ones it was the home bred over handled ones .
 
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