patch1234
Well-Known Member
Is there any advantages of backing a warmblood at 3 as long as he is physically and mentally mature enough to deal with it? Would you always turn away if backed as a 3 year old?
Personally I would leave him. Warmbloods mature later than other breeds, well so I've found. Also they tend to go sour quicker. If you can turn away i would
You might find this article interesting.
http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf
ETA. The article does apply to all breeds, not just TB's.
You might find this article interesting.
http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf
ETA. The article does apply to all breeds, not just TB's.
Depends what you mean by 'backing'.
Mine are all sat on at two, but aren't ever lunged or long reined until the autumn of their third year at the earliest.
Nothing wrong with getting them to see you above their eyeline and being used to you doing silly things like laying accross and sliding off out in the field. Plenty wrong with young legs trotting in small circles!
Well here goes the flames now. I "back" my foals! LOL! If they're laying down in or out, I throw my leg across with my other leg taking all my weight before we start calling the ISPCA. No weight ever on their backs ever. But come backing time, it really is a non event. Plus it's nice to have babies that are completely non fussed and relaxed with just about anything you do.
Terri
I don't have vets and physios out monthly checking for pain and other issues. Not because I don't want to but because I don't have to.
Patch, I'm not sure what the problem is here. I was firmly in your corner in previous posts. You waited til 4 and then threw everything at your horse at once and now wonder why he's mentally not the same horse. Always the same with people. Always worried about the physical side of things and don't give any thought to the mental side. So what he's super talented. These are the easiest to mess up because they get things quicker than other horses. And we're so busy enjoying the talent one forgets this may not be in their best interest. People fain patience by waiting til 4 or later to break their horses and then once broken they can't wait to get into the thick of things. Then are surprised when horse goes backwards mentally. People can tell you all you want he's a competition horse now to band aid the fact it all happened to quick.
And then, since everyone is so concerned with a horses physical well being, how do we justify starting a young horse and keeping them stood in all day bar work? Horse is now using muscles it never has before and yet because he's a competition horse you keep them cooped up. Then surprise surprise we start having small physical and mental issues. In your horses case big mental issues.
Look it your happy to continue on the same because you have a competition horse and no one else could ever understand that. Well last I checked I didn't break all happy hackers. Group winners and horse I've sold to America in competition homes. All started the same way. All sympathetic to the mental and physical side. And if I had one of mine starting to act like yours did I would have been very concerned.
The gold medal winning individual dressage horse Valegro gets turned out. Pretty sure he counts as a competition horse and I'm pretty sure he wasn't put under saddle at the back end of his 4yo year. Nor did they go from zero to 60 with and extremely talented horse and ruin him mentally.
A horse can have all the talent in the world and yet can be ruined mentally. Takes more than physical to be a top competition horse and it's a rumor that they are all quirky and somewhat mean. I know what a fit horse is, trust me.
Terri
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