4 yr old ....

[maxapple]

All being well I am aquiring horse number 3 in a week. He's a 4yr old ID x - a real sweetie.

Just wondered how much other people do with their 4 yr olds? (He's just 4)

I am hoping to do lots and lots of hacking, schooling twice a week max (don;t want him getting fed up) - and once he is settled taking him out to try some xc practice over teeny jumps and some local clear rounds.

 

[irishdraft]

Sounds good

 

[Equestrian92]

Yep that sounds good, I have a rising 6 year old and I dont school him properly more than three times a week really as they do get bored!
Xc is great he'l love it, hacking yes do loads, he gets to see different things. It depends what you want him for I suppose, but Im taking Buddy to a good few shows this year just to get him out and about and try loads of new things, its exciting with a youngster, just think about everything you do as its all your doing!
Good luck hun and dont forget to put piccies on x

 

[EgerdenFarmStud]

Hi... We breed about 15 a year and my boyfriend breaks them all himself ( It's his family business )
They get broken at 3 1/2 ( if they are strong and big ) and just learn to walk trot and canter round the menage, steer and hack up the road following someone, nothing more. This usually takes 4 - 6 weeks ( as they are wild when they come in ), they then get around 6 - 8 weeks holiday in the field to digest everything they have learned. Then come in again and learn to canter around a small set of fences and go out to a training show ( just very low level ) so that they can see what being grown up is like. With hacking too, Then another holiday for a month or so then into grown up work as 4 year olds. We breed them to be nice competition horses ( showjumping ) so they do have a time limit to be out and ready for the age classes as 4 year olds. Saying that, there are only 4 or 5 shows in the whole of the year that run 4 year old classes so there is never too much pressure on them to do too much. I think as long as they are started sympathetically and correctly and not rushed to do things they are not ready for they will stay happy for you. If you get one that could turn into a sour / nappy little thing, give them more regular breaks / holidays, don't drill them in the menage everyday expecting them to go round and round in circles if they are clearly getting stressed by it.
All of our youngsters are for sale and everybody that comes to look at them notices that they all have great temprements and a great attitude to their work.

It sounds like what you are planning to do is quite similar to what we do with ours. As long as he/she isn't pushed for too much to soon I'm sure you will have a very happy pony : )

x

 

[maxapple]

I want to do a bit of everything with him - but really want to build up to working hunter showing classes in the future and hunter trials.

I'm going to take him to a show on 25th April (our yards annual - its really friendly) and have a go at the clear round and also riding club horse / pony class just for the experience. If he's not cantering by then happily we'll ask to miss that bit out. Just want him to get used to being in a ring with others etc.

I'll enter a couple of local W&T dressage tests too - for a bit of fun!