Age to Back Thoroughbred?

Backed at 3, turned away til four and now working 5 days a week.
Same as any other horse really. Unless bred to race, they should be given every oportunity to be a baby like any other horse or pony
 
It does break my heart. My TB isnt 3 until the end of this month but when i bought him last Jan, he had already been in training, had shoes on the lot :(
he has been allowed to go back to being a horse but someone on the yard has this evening offered to start working with him, but i am not sure, i've said i'd prefer to wait until next winter but maybe he should start doing a bit more ground work (although he already seems to know it all from the odd time i have played around!)
 
I would just throw him out with some company and leave him be tbh. Not like he is an unhandled feral, so the longer he can chill out and get on with growing into himself, the better.
The most I would do is bring him in, small feed, groom and chuck back out.
 
He lived out all last summer, and has been out in the daytime during winter, but in at night. He's now a licensed stallion so does need the regular handling so not to let his hormones go to his head but his temperment is wonderful (and he does know he has his bits!) but he still goes out with geldings, walks past mares etc with no issues. (i believe that stallions should still have the life of other horses in the respect of company, plenty of turnout etc!)

The person i was talking to this evening was rather shocked i want to wait until he was a bit older so i thought i'd ask here about what others do with their young TBs as hes the 1st TB youngster i have owned. My other youngsters are native or native crosses and look so much more baby like in comparrision.
 
There are always some that are happy to rush things! If you and he are both happy with things as they are, and you want to continue in that vain, then do exactly that, dont be swayed by someone elses judgement. That someone doesn't know your horse like you do!
 
I have to admit that i get the impression they have their eye on him in the respect of offering to show him as they really like him and have mentioned what classes he could do in the future etc, but he has a lifetime whereby he can do all of that :)
My welsh X i plan to leave until about 4 1/2 until she does anything as both her dam and sire were very slow maturing. My initial plan was to start my TB a few months before her, once hes going nicely, start on her.
 
Our lad is a big 15/16ths TB, he's rising 4 in May. We (or rather, my sister and trainer) started doing groundwork with him in September. He's done mostly groundwork at walk and trot, and he's been very lightly backed (just did his first trot under saddle today). He's rarely ridden more than once a week as he's still on the lunge (and my sister prefers her trainer to be on the end of the lunge line!) and the riding tends to be for a short period of time at the end of the lesson.

We don't have any plans to push on with his training at the moment as he's still bum-high and fairly weak, but we felt he needed a bit to think about, and he's much more relaxed since we started doing a little bit with him. We're mainly aiming to build up his muscle and balance from the groundwork so that when he does grow up a bit then he'll be in a nice position to do a little bit more.
 
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