At what age do you/did you...

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vennessa

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do things with your youngster i.e. bit it, lunge it, long rein, put a saddle on, back it etc? What breed is it? Any probs or wish you had done something different? Did it go well and accepted? What discipline do you do with it? What age do you start competeing it?
What accessories were used? At what age did you loose school/over jumps etc?
 
OK, my baby isn't old enough to answer all your questions but heres a few.
1. bitted her as a yearling.
2. lunged her briefly as a 2 year old
3. lunged again as a 3 year old, just putting saddle on in next couple of weeks.
4. She will be aimed at dressage, though has competed showing since a yearling.

Hope that helps.....
smile.gif
 
Our babies didn't do anything untill 3 and 4 but they are big slow maturing percherons and they came from a stud where they got to be horses and lived in a big herd (30+) with their mums and borthers and sisters. If we'd had them they probs would have been bitted between 1 and 2 just because of control issues and big awkward unballanced bodies. They were broken to drive 6 months ago and are occasionally being sat on now (dariving mroe important as working horses) and they've taken to it brilliantly and the 4yr old is just starting to be a big grown up horse and take people for carriage rides! And both will now stand for harnessing demostrations with the public.
 
Bit them sometime while they are a yearling (especially if they are going to be big)
Put saddle on sometime while they are yearling just to get them used to the feel of it
Long rein as a late 2 year old, nearer 3 than 2
Lunge - not until 3 (far too much strain on young muscles/tendins/ligaments/bones
Back them at 4
 
Foresters plan is pretty much what i'd like to do but we never get them young enough and it probs wouldn't be a saddle but a driving pad/surcingle. Its just usful if youhave a baby who canbe bitted and have something tied round his belly mainly for vet stuff god forbid
 
Only have had the one.

By the time he was a yearling the person I had bought him from had taught him to have feet picked up, bath and load. He also tied up and led.

I introduced him to rugs and bitted him at 18 months and started a little work at getting him ready for in hand showing and general in hand manners.

At 20 months he had a saddle on and we started a little long reining - he gets bored very easily and needs things to think about or he turns bolshy and destructive.

At 22 months he was led out off my old horse being exposed to everything we could find on the bridleways and farms.

At 2 I got him used to standing still by a mounting block and me putting a foot in the stirrup but nothing more.

Just before 2 1/2 was sat on. For next three months sat on every other week for 5 - 10 minutes and learnt, halt and turn. Also did more work on getting him used to things but with me on top.

Stopped riding when went really bum up and started teething until 3.

From 3 to 3 1/2 walk gentle hacks building up to 30 minutes once a week and once a week 10 minutes in school - learnt to trot and finished with a few strides of canter. He also did loose schooling including over small jumps every now and then which he loves. Did a little lunging but using whole school and not on a tight circle - more like loose schooling. Another growth and mouthy spurt so left riding for three months but contined with the ground training.

4 this month and has done his first show and W&T dressage test. He is currently having two - three weeks professional schooling at a trusted professional to have him established in walk, trot and canter and basic schooling so my three/four days training a week (all I can manage) will be plenty.

I have done things early but very very slowly with plenty of time for him to think about things. For him this method has worked very well, but he is not for sale and I have all the time in the world.

Plan to start small jumps this winter and next spring when he is rising 5, start affiliated showing and unaffiliated dressage and maybe a few clear rounds.
 
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