Breaking a rising 4yo. When to turn away?

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Lifelongequestrian

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I have a lovely rising 4 yo (4 in may). She was lightly bitted in august/September and lunged in a saddle and also sat on and walked round. But I've done nothing since. With moving yards, problems and then christmas I've had no real time to do anything else. I'm in no rush to break her but was wondering if I was to start in a month or so when would be the best time to turn her away and how long for? She's very mature mentally, got an old head on young shoulders. As bomb proof as horses can be she certainly is. I don't want to rush or do anything to ruin her so would like as many people's experiences and opinions as possible. Tia!
 
Firstly there will always be widely differing views on this!

Personally I break usually in the spring of 3 the turn away until November / December time. I will then start them again from scratch they then do 3 or 4 days a week at 15 or 20 mins & get regular 1 & 2 week breaks throughout their 4 year old year.

Babies learn best on a day off so I find working 1 day & then a day off when you come to work the next day what they were totally confused about on the first day will have just clicked :)
 
You don't "have" to turn away at all, you know. I've never deliberately stopped training young horses and prefer to keep them lightly ticking over until they begin proper grown up training.
 
I always turned away in the three year old year after backing and riding away .
I can't be bothered with youngsters in the wet windy weather I restarted in spring as the weather drys up and I can ride in our fields and them kept going after that .
 
I have one the same age (4 in April) and although I've done everything else, she's not been sat on or bitted yet (not bitting is intentional as I'm starting her in a sidepull).

She will probably be sat on around April, and then she will be ridden over the summer, with a day or 2 off between each session, and probably with the odd week or so break thrown in as well - will judge what she needs at the time. What I do with her over winter will largely depend on the weather and my work situation, but I can see her getting a break over Dec and January at least, and probably more!
 
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I just feel she is ready to have work done with her, she enjoys being lunged. The first 5 mins she gets her play time where she buck, squeal and fart! But after those 5 minutes she knows and understand it's work time. But with this cold horrible weather and everything else Ive barely done a thing with her. Shes getting bored in the field and is often standing at the gate waiting to come in at 2pm. She loves being walked out in hand, adventures down the lane and general ambles across the countryside. She is used to traffic and also very sensible.
So if I start to work her, how often a week and how long of a rest? I understand she needs rest days to take everything in and learn what has been asked of her. I don't want to push her too much and her rebel or dislike it. I've had lots of experience with young horses (always been the daft jockey to get on first time), but because she's my own I've turned into a right worrier!
 
And if anybody can suggest a good bit then there's free left over Christmas choccies available! Haha.
Dentist has been out to her a month ago, everything is as it should be!
She has a typical native head and mouth. I have been looking at the fulmer with the cherry lozenge/roller thingy! Not really keen on loose rings or French links.
 
Lifelongequestrian said:
And if anybody can suggest a good bit then there's free left over Christmas choccies available! Haha.
Dentist has been out to her a month ago, everything is as it should be!
She has a typical native head and mouth. I have been looking at the fulmer with the cherry lozenge/roller thingy! Not really keen on loose rings or French links.
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I like fulmer happy mouths, lozenge, roller or mullen. Some like more to play with, some like less but most like the apple flavour and I like the inability to bump teeth. It's also cold weather for first metal bit experiences, I feel and whereas rubber might be too thick a mouthpiece, happy mouth might be ok.
 
I don't think it really matters as long as you have the time to commit to it and she is mature enough. I would far rather long rein or ride than lunge a young horse tbh.

I start mine in a straight Nathe bit and then if necessary progress to a hanging cheek lozenge bit :)
 
I backed my 4 year old last year - he was 4 in March 2015. He had been bitted and saddled the previous year. He spent the spring/summer light hacking and learned to canter out on a hack. Since November he has done a little hacking, some canter work in the school and pole work - he hasnt been turned away although his work load is minimal - he can go weeks without doing anything but I want to keep him ticking over and hes taken to being ridden so very well I want to take advantage of that. He's 5 this year and will start proper regular work in the spring and jumping in the summer. He goes very nicely in a sweet iron lozenge with full cheek which helps with his steering and means the bit doesnt drag through his mouth when we have a last second difference of opinion on direction
 
So should I start her in a rubber snaffle? I can't believe how different it is when they are your own. It's like you worry un necessarily about everything! Luckily she is the most sweet natured thing ever. I just want to do what's right for her. I definitley have the time to commit to her and I feel she is mature enough, especially these last 3/4 months she's really calmed down and become super settled. Will I need to alter her feed at all? At the mo she had healthy hooves, sugar beet with a few barley rings sprinkled on top (she's a barley ring addict), she doesn't have a massive feed just a token as my others get fed so if she misses out then I'm in trouble haha!
Thankyou everyone for your current replies!
 
I have a similar aged pony (4 in April) and I backed her a few months back, we then moved to a new yard so we've ridden a few times in the menage she's happy in walk, trot, halt we haven't tried canter. Rather than turn away we've been hacking out maybe once a week. Sometimes she might have a couple of weeks where she's not ridden and then we'll go out again. It's worked well for my girl because she is also mentally mature and would rather do something, she's been out hacking in the wind, rain and sunshine and has behaved better than the 18 year old horse that nannies us haha! I would say see how she takes backing and how you feel she's going afterwards.

As I said I don't ride regularly at all but doing little bits here and there keeps her happy and ticking over :)

I use a full cheek snaffle just because that's always the bit I've used on youngsters to start with :)
 
I wonder if the "turning away" thing is a UK thing?

My boy was sat on and lead around Christmas 2014, before he even started being lunged. He then had Jan-April lunging and long reining, started ridden work in April a couple of times a week; went back to lunging and long reining when I lost the saddle I was borrowing and restarted ridden work in Jul 2015. He's been ridden 4/5 times per week ever since, and he is thriving on the constant, steady work (30-45 mins per day).
 
I'm not sure if the 'turning away' thing is UK based. I suppose its just something I've always been familiar with. :) my plans with her have never been as I planned (but then again with horses what is?) So if I feel she doesn't not need turning away and maybe a gentle hack in between schooling etc would this be okay if it's what I feel she needs? I'm happy not to turn her away but like people suggested keep her ticking over instead if this works better. She will never be an eventer or show jumper, just a everyday kind, hopefully show a little as she is papered and a nice stamp, few days out and about etc but nothing heavy or strenuous.
 
I turn away when they start teething and bring them back when they have stopped - no point in carrying on when they are uncomfortable
 
Lifelongequestrian said:
So should I start her in a rubber snaffle? I can't believe how different it is when they are your own. It's like you worry un necessarily about everything! Luckily she is the most sweet natured thing ever. I just want to do what's right for her. I definitley have the time to commit to her and I feel she is mature enough, especially these last 3/4 months she's really calmed down and become super settled. Will I need to alter her feed at all? At the mo she had healthy hooves, sugar beet with a few barley rings sprinkled on top (she's a barley ring addict), she doesn't have a massive feed just a token as my others get fed so if she misses out then I'm in trouble haha!
Thankyou everyone for your current replies!
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I started my boy off in a little rubber straight bar and then changed to a snaffle then the sweet iron - the rubber bit was just to get him used to having something in his mouth and he was initially backed in it. Feedwise, my lad still gets a token feed, some cherry chaff and some speedy beet with some biotin as he has had a touch of seedy toe recently but hes a cob x wb so tends to do quite well on that with his current workload. When the workload increases the feed will too but only in winter as they have plenty of grass over the summer
 
Cortez said:
You don't "have" to turn away at all, you know. I've never deliberately stopped training young horses and prefer to keep them lightly ticking over until they begin proper grown up training.
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This. I can understand why people do it as 3yo's because they're not mature but IMO that means they're not mature enough to back (just my opinion!). I back at 4 in the Spring (ideally) and then just keep them going over the summer getting them out to little events/training and then over the winter just chill out a bit more and go hacking etc. Mine tend to get a month off in the depths of winter purely due to the weather more than anything.
 
We only turn away if they are struggling, and even then it isn't as a reward so to speak we just give them another few months to be a horse then bring them in and try again. If we have a horse being done at 3.5 we ride on into the 4th year and keep them going 1 day on one off or a few days off or odd week off during the summer, as you would any normal horse. As long as you keep it fun and not to much hard physical or mental work I believe constant little and often bits of work keeps them sweet and keen to learn
 
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