3 year olds

[SatansLittleHelper]

Ignoring the fact that my own 3 year old is a dickhead, what are people doing with theirs?
Do you bit them, tack them up, are people sitting on them? Leaving them alone?
Just curious as to what people are doing with their young horses.

 

[Nasicus]

Mine will be 4 in may, but late last year I started sitting on her, got her going for a couple little hacks on the lead rein and since then she's just been chilling out, going for the odd in hand walk or doing some groundwork here and there to keep her manners.
Once the evenings lighten up, I'll be getting my instructor out and we'll pick it up from there, but all I really want to do is get her hacking off the lead rein for now

 

[HufflyPuffly]

When mine was three I spent most of year trying to stop her giving herself ridiculous injuries so I could back her!

She got long-lined a lot, then sat on and a bit of hacking at the end of the year (sept/ oct time) before being turned away and coming back into work in her four year old year.

 

[windand rain]

Mine is 4 in April and has just been sat on and lead out on a hack with a rider and her field mate she went in front anf behind happily. My disadvantage is she isnt quite 12hh so cannot do much without a capable rider so she is going away in summer to be ridden away and do all the fiddly bots at lease thye wont have to get a rider on board as she is happy with the novice little girl to walk bout on her. Not sure a wobbly unbalanced child is the best person to start trotting with

 

[cundlegreen]

Mine will be 4 in may, but late last year I started sitting on her, got her going for a couple little hacks on the lead rein and since then she's just been chilling out, going for the odd in hand walk or doing some groundwork here and there to keep her manners.
Once the evenings lighten up, I'll be getting my instructor out and we'll pick it up from there, but all I really want to do is get her hacking off the lead rein for now

Too soon! Most are not developed mentally or physically until at least 4, so if you want them to last and not have problems, give them time.
I have a great big gawky boy who is a late foal, so won't think about lunging or backing him until well into his fourth year. however, he is bored standing in the field, so will probably lead him out for a little hack from another horse.

 

[sport horse]

I have two - they will go out onto spring grass for a month or so. They will then be lightly backed. They will then go back out for more grass until they are 4 when they will do a few months work and then eat more grass. Tough life?!

 

[SpringArising]

Too soon! Most are not developed mentally or physically until at least 4, so if you want them to last and not have problems, give them time.
I have a great big gawky boy who is a late foal, so won't think about lunging or backing him until well into his fourth year. however, he is bored standing in the field, so will probably lead him out for a little hack from another horse.

Do you genuinely think a horse going for a hack at three/four is going to break it?

 

[vickie123]

I think it depends on the horse. We got ours last March and he was turning 4 in the May. He is loaned to my friend who keeps him on my yard. For the first few months he was hacked out in walk with the occasional trot for a few strides. We never pushed him and everything since then has been taken slowly. He’s done a couple of walk trot tests and fun rides just to get him used to being out and about.

 

[DabDab]

I have one rising 5yo, who I first sat on in the November of her 3yo year. Got her wondering around happily under saddle and then turned her away until the following summer. Prior to sitting on her she had been lunged a little, walked out in hand a little, done some I'm hand schooling and been to a show.

I also have one rising 4yo who I have leant over and sat on a couple of times (bareback in a headcollar as I have no tack for her yet), and she's done a little lunging and a little in hand schooling. I'll get on her properly at some point this summer.

My rising 10yo I bought in the Autumn of his 3yo year and he'd done nada.

 

[ihatework]

Against all my instincts my rising 3yo has just been backed. He is small, sharp and reasonably strong. Well handled as a foal and then from weanling-3yo has had a lovely life at stud in a youngstock herd. My preference and usual stance would have been to leave them until this time next year. However I took professional advice and sent him off early - he has just done 8 weeks and come back noticeably more grown up.

He will now go back out with his mates until after Christmas.

For this horse in my circumstances it was right

https://www.facebook.com/695539000548311/posts/1741467319288802

 

[mandyroberts]

You lot have made me feel better. When I started riding my 4 year old out I had someone on foot who could guide when necessary, I thought I was one of very few. Sounds like several of you start that way?

 

[TGM]

When ours was three, he was bitted, did some ride and lead with another horse, went to a couple of inhand shows, did a little lungeing to get him used to voice commands and accustom him to moving with tack on. At the end of his third summer he was sat on and then did a fortnight's work under saddle in walk and trot - some in the school, some short hacks with another horse, and a couple of short hacks on his own with someone on foot. He was then turned away until the following Easter.

 

[splashgirl45]

i sat on mine at the end of her 3rd year and just got the basics of walking round the field and stopping, didnt trot at all and also led her ouit in hand with my friends on their horses and she got used to them cantering backward and forwards past her and saw traffic, loose dogs,bikes etc so when i started again in the following summer when she was 4 she was very chilled and well behaved out hacking. she was 24 when she was PTS and it was mainly due to arthritis and an old injury..just remembered i also showed her in hand at 2 and 3 and she was bitted for the 3 year old classes..

 

[ycbm]

My just coming up four year old was backed at three and ridden for 10-15 minutes twice a week for six months, then increasing the time to 20 minutes in a 30 x 40 m school or 30 minute hack and frequency to three times a week in February. He's had a couple of weeks off for sarcoid treatment and will start again at the same level because he's physically quite young for his age, with the aim of doing an hour three times a week by mid summer. He probably won't jump this year.

 

[Follysmum]

4 yr old in June has been well handled, walked out in hand, has good manners and that’s all we have done so far. He is still very immature looking so am in no rush to start him this side of Easter.

I do think it’s best to take each horse as an individual and start them when you think they are ready. My philosophy is that I want my babies to have a long ridden career so am in no rush.

 

[tda]

My youngster is not 3 until Sept, he is a chunky, well built chap. He has come in at various times for handling etc, recently we have long reined him (off the halter and with a leader) up the bridlepath, couple of walks in hand, and leant over him. This is mainly because he is getting a bit bored and starting to be mischievous 😁
He will do more of the same periodically over the summer, but nothing else. Definitely no lunging.
It's very tempting to do more when they look mature

 

[Leo Walker]

Do you genuinely think a horse going for a hack at three/four is going to break it?

If the horse is 4 in May then its 3yrs and 10months. I just cant see how a nearly 4yr old is damaged by a LW rider hacking it out?!

 

[MDB]

Groundwork and clicker training, yielding the forequarters, hindquarters, etc saddling up, long lining, desensitising with tarps and bags etc etc solo in hand walks for up to an hour. she will be 4 this year and i hope to have her fully backed and hacking out alone by then.

 

[Orangehorse]

Take to shows, so they get used to going out and about and seeing things.

 

[{138171}]

My rising 11yo i got late in her 3rd year, i did bits of long reining, in hand walking and sat tack on her, then we discovered she was in foal so she then did nothingvtill almost 6.

 

[cundlegreen]

Do you genuinely think a horse going for a hack at three/four is going to break it?

Most people go in the school with them though, and I think if it's a big youngster, the last thing it wants is to be lunged. How many people do you know that DON'T start their youngsters in the school, backing them on a circle on the lunge? Nothing against a baby going for a hack, but it's the process before that...

 

[ycbm]

Most people go in the school with them though, and I think if it's a big youngster, the last thing it wants is to be lunged. How many people do you know that DON'T start their youngsters in the school, backing them on a circle on the lunge? Nothing against a baby going for a hack, but it's the process before that...

I don't do it and neither does one of my friends. My other friend who has young horses does and her horses don't last.

 

[windand rain]

Not me we dont have a school they are all well prepared with groundwork and sensible handling from months old so backing is usually a non event. They always look pretty mature as they are shown in hand but I dont like doing too much too soon so although mine is backed she has never been lunged

 

[paddy555]

Most people go in the school with them though, and I think if it's a big youngster, the last thing it wants is to be lunged. How many people do you know that DON'T start their youngsters in the school, backing them on a circle on the lunge? Nothing against a baby going for a hack, but it's the process before that...

I don't have a school and don't lunge anyway. Mine are started by someone riding them and someone walking alongside out on the roads. Before that they have done miles out longreining around the areas they will ride over so they have no nasty surprises, they have seen everything they will have to ride past. They will have learnt to go with another horse both in front, behind and getting left behind and out on their own. . At the same time they will have had everything thrown over, around and through them in the yard and will be bombproof with tractors etc.
My current youngster will start being ridden in Sept at 4 yr 3 mths. I was going to start at 4 in May then saw no point in riding over the summer if the temps are like last year and we are plagued with horse flies. May as well give him an extra 3 mths to grow.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Mine didn't do anything as 3 year olds, just left in the field to grow on. They were all properly halter broken and taught manners to ensure they were no problem to handle in general.

Two were very big horses and one was a bag of nerves so his education needed very careful planning. The third was small but growing very slowly and terribly immature physically. I am a firm believer of the less they do before 5 years of age the more likely it is they will still be fit and able at 15 and beyond. That thought is fine if you are planning to keep the horse, but a non starter if you are a producer and need to sell your product quickly.

 

[jules9203]

Mine is 3 in May this year. She has been to one in hand show last July and I have already had a dummy (an old flying suit stuffed with hay) on her back. She doesn't seem to care. I intend this summer to lead her out around the lanes and introduce some long reining. I doubt I will actually start lunging her till next spring. Once I back my youngsters I never turn them away. I keep them in gentle work but no pressure - hacking and a little schooling until they are mentally and physically ready. I currently have a 5yr old TB who is only doing what I would normally expect a 4yr to do. Each one is individual

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Mine is rising 5 now. She had her 3rd year totally off in the field in a nice herd. She came in each day for a feed and a groom and wore rugs, a bridle and a saddle then went back out to play. As a four year old she was sat on, walked around the paddock and long reined. She hacked out in hand on quiet roads and in the woods and then away we were hacking. She's had winter off and now shes back to hacking out twice a week for 30 mins each time. She's very green as we don't have a school and she was very immature, so this year she will be hacking and might go to pony club over summer. Slow and steady, I don't need to rush her

 

[Nudibranch]

Current 3yo - 4 in August - has been long reined a bit, led out from another horse a bit, and sat on a couple of times. Takes it all in her stride but she's physically immature and needs more confidence under saddle so for now I'll continue the leading out and long reining now and again, and we have a couple of in hand shows this spring.

Last 3yo was a very big horse so did all the groundwork and wasn't sat on until he turned 4. He was so easy to do and had a great attitude. He hacked out alone from day 1 as he was so confident being long reined out and about by himself. The current one I have another horse to lead from, so the easy option is ride and lead, which is why I think she's not quite as bold yet on her own. Must do more long reining!

 

[Nasicus]

Too soon! Most are not developed mentally or physically until at least 4, so if you want them to last and not have problems, give them time.
I have a great big gawky boy who is a late foal, so won't think about lunging or backing him until well into his fourth year. however, he is bored standing in the field, so will probably lead him out for a little hack from another horse.

Most people go in the school with them though, and I think if it's a big youngster, the last thing it wants is to be lunged. How many people do you know that DON'T start their youngsters in the school, backing them on a circle on the lunge? Nothing against a baby going for a hack, but it's the process before that...

I'll admit, this got my back up, making assumptions on 'the process before that'.
You want to know what my process was?

I felt brave one day and sat on her in the field.
Then I did it again.
And then again with the saddle.
And then again but we walked about 10 meters.
Then we walked a bit more.
Then about 50 meters.
Then we went about 50 meters up the road and back.
Then we went to the end of the lane and back, which is about 600 meter total.

And then that was it. That is the exact total and record of how much 'work' she's done, over about a month and a half. She's done nothing since besides inhand walks.

I would never even DREAM of lunging a youngster, because I am well aware of how too much too young breaks them, my older mare is suffering from such at only 15 (I've had her 4 years). Also, I got vet approval (unprompted!) to start doing what I've done because she's very mature and well developed, certainly doesn't look 'gawky' for her age!

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

My welshie I did loads of basics like ground work & long reining, backed at 3 very lightly, did a few hacks with others over summer then left him until his 4 year old year.

The plan with my yearling is to do 1 or 2 in hand shows with him this year local to where he's based. Then bring him home off young stock livery next year (3 year old year) to do long reining, bitting, bit of road work just to see traffic etc then back him late summer - as in just lean over & sit on, no more. I'll then turn him away again to young stock livery until 4 when I'll bring him home to re-reinforce what I've done myself, then send away to a professional to school on. This all depends on how he's developing and maturing though as if he's looking gangly or weak etc I'll push it all back a year - I'm in no rush & his long term health is more important.