Are youngsters best left until 4 to back?

The growth plates don't fuse in their joints until they are 3 or 4 regardless of breed - it doesn't matter how mature they look they are still growing, and once the damage is done it can't be reversed! Most of the big WB, TB etc are bred to look mature muchearlier which is deceptive as that is when the most damage is done!
I always leave mine until at least 4yrs old, but there is no harm in long lining/showing/walking out in hand before that so they are bombproof and trust you before you jump in the saddle, as long as you don't lunge. I think too many horses are broken in too young as everyone seems to be in such a hurry and don't like a horse sat in a field doing nothing except being a horse - which is sad - I'd rather mine grew mentally and physically before asking them to carry a rider!!
 
I did the same as you with Rosie but she had also had someone leaning across her. Rosie was 4 in May to and we had someone sitting on her however I was getting married that summer so didnt do a lot with her. She was 5 before we did a lot. I think it was the best thing I could have done, she was a lot maturer and took everything in her stride, I spent a lot of time letting her experience lots of different things. She also grew a lot in between 5 and 6. My feeling was there was no rush - planning to do the same with her foal;)
 
I plan to back my youngster at 3...

He's 27 months at the moment and he's been bitted and goes for walks (in hand!!) down the lanes and fields. He's now having the winter off and then come spring i'll start long reining him both in the school and out on walks and we going to go to a few in hand shows.
In August he turns 3 and my (lighter than me!!!) friend will break him in, he'll be turned away over the winter again.
In the spring the following year I'll start up the long reining again and as he'll rising 4 my friend will start to ride again.

My youngster seems to enjoy doing different things and it's just as important to get them mentally ready for life as well as letting them physically develop. However there is no pressure to jump on board and being flexible with youngsters training is very important.
 
gala said:
Briefly, on the subject of physical maturity.....all horses, whatever their breed, mature physically at the same rate. Thats to say the growth plates don't fully close until the horse is 6, and the last growth plates to close are in the horse's spine.
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Why oh why don't more people realise this! Thank you and well done!
 
My boy is a strapping 17hh and I keep getting people asking 'have you backed him yet?' and when I point out he has only just turned 3 (october) they are clearly suprised. His size is deceptive but to me he still has such a baby face and is quite obviously still physically imature... I often wonder if many people study their horse like I do but I can tell pretty much daily whether he's grown or not, filled out, changed shape etc etc... I'm hoping to get on him in the spring, so he'll be 3.5 but if he doesn't look ready, I'll leave it a few months, til say july / august or even later still...

So no, I don't think there's anything wrong in leaving them til a bit later.
 
My filly is homebred and has been well handled from birth, been out and about to shows, travels well in a trailer or lorry, lives in or out, has been well socialised and is already good to hot shoe. She's practically bomb-proof to lead on the road and isn't nappy leaving the yard or her 'friends'.

The reason I decided to leave this one until she's four is because she's big and gangly. I had entered her into the 3 year olds' Futurity (eventing) this summer but when I brought her in and started working with her, realised she was still way too un-co-ordinated. Still tripping over her own feet and certainly not ready to display herself jumping. I withdrew her entry and just turned her back out to grass to grow-on another year.

I guess my main concern about leaving her until four is that she'll be less of a baby mentally and may prove more challenging when asked to work. After all, she'll have spent all the 4 years of her life doing her own thing! Mind you, although she's co-operative, she's always been a sharp and highly strung youngster and it's nice now that she's starting to mature and calm down. I'm sure I've done the right thing..... it's just that so many people back at 3, then turn away (as I've always done) that I'm starting to doubt my decision not to have actually backed her yet.
 
I've also read research that shows working young horses gently in straight lines so give a mild concussion effect is actually very benefical. I like to at least long rein and sit on mine at 3, so they understand the concept of walk and trot under saddle and go for a little pootle round the lanes/farm. My colt will be probably be brought over hereand backed at 3 and do some young horse material classes, with a view to presenting him for his grading that autumn. Will play it by ear
The fillies did very little the last year or so, so some were lightly backed and then went in foal as 3yos, some havent done anything and will be 4 before we start them
 
I wish Archie had been left longer, as we were out competing when he was 4!
Im not 100% sure what age he was backed at, but Im guessing 3 or poss younger as he came from Ireland and had seemed to have done quite abit b4 I got him. But I dont feel he's had any time to mature and now at nearly 10 he still acts like a baby (to handle and ride!!) I did turn him away a couple of winters a go and it did do him some good, but in furture I would def leave them till at least 4.
 
absolutely, i think its great there are so many people out there realising this, where i live in france they jump 2 yr olds over 5 ft fences, loose, and really put pressure on loose jumping 3 yr olds, also they are broken at 3 and in young horse shows, they can barely canter, all over the blxxdy place, and the jumping albeit small jumps is very hit and miss, you look at it and know they should have waited another year.
there's some geman doctor got a book out at the moment all about the over training of young horses and bad effects of such as rollkur, i think gala says what we all know in hearts to true, if we only think about it,
when i told a french vet i don"t back them until four years she was genuinely shocked!
the wildest horses i have owned have been the easiest to break at 4 ys including stallions, one i was told by everyone, a homebred incidently would be impossible to stay on and it was generally expected to be a disaster, yet she was the easiest horse to back and ride and she is still my faithfull companion at 17 years old, and i worship her, i think mentally horses are generally more receptive and physically capable of delivering at 4 years
 
figgy said:
i was thinking the same i have a 3 year old but going to leave him till 4 as he is going to be big. :)
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This is interesting as I have a yearling who is going to be big, in the past I have always backed at 3 then given them the winter to mature before bringing them into full work as a 4 year old, but my farrier has suggested sitting on my yearling next year!!! Which to me is far too early???

Interesting though having seen a friends stallion do the gradings etc, he at 2 was lunging with side reins and bit etc, and was being ridden in full work in a full outline by 3 years old?? (we are talking absolute top level training here)
 
It must be a farrier thing to do them early. Our 2yo is going through a bit of a pushy stage and was a bit fiesty for the farrier the other week. He is 15.3 at 25 months and the farrier suggested as he was a bit bolshy he could be lunged twice a day for 10 mins.:eek::eek::eek::eek: "That will sort him out!!!"

Didn't argue but that is a piece of advice to be ignored I think:rolleyes:
 
The last one I broke was 6, but he had been sickly as a youngster. The previous 2 were 5yrs, both mares, one I was just avoiding doing it - she was a handful, the other had broken her leg as a 2yrs old so I left her longer to get stronger.

My current 2 yr old is nearing 16.1 (god knows where that came from!), and is so ungainly and immature I cant see him doing anything until he is 4 or 5yrs.

I'm not in any hurry, I'm not selling and I'll keeo them til they die, so no need to break them asap.
 
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