Breaking in and turning away.

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Michelle22

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Hi all

I am a new member to the forum and have decided to join as have heard so many good things about it. I now have my first question.

I own a 4 year old Welsh Section D that I have recently broken in and now hack out a few times a week. I was planning to ride him until the end of September and then turn him away for winter, starting again in March/April next year (he will be 5 in June).

I would like to know peoples thoughts on turning away, for how long and what has/has not worked for them.

Many thanks, I look forward to any replies and/or queries.
 
I think it really depends on the individual. Some horses thrive on going striaght into regular, albeit non strenuous, work while others seem to need the time to go away and think about it. Sorry I havn't helped have I!

Wow another new member today! Welcome, our repuatiation seems to be getting around!
 
Hiya, and welcome !

i Recently brought my 4yo mare in february.
She had been broken in the previous July and worked til the September.
Then, she was turned away til the day i brought her.
Now, i believe it has done alot of good. Its cleared her head and she has grown up.
Although the basics and everything else like that had gone,
i found that she was more mature and had a more positive attitude on life. go for it!
 
I turned my 3 year old away for 5 months last year and brought him back into gentle work in November, he is now 4 and very fit and has done some dressage and some show jumping schooling rounds at a local show centre. I was planning to do the same with him this year but have been advised to keep him hacking as a break and then pick up where I left off. He is a 17hh warmblood.
 
We backed my 3yr old Dales last year then turned him away until April this year. I'm just hacking him out a few times a week for an hour or so and maybe occasionally school him for 10 mins in the menage. I've been advised just to keep him ticking over through the winter and then more schooling in the spring. He may go to "Brat Camp" early next year, for a couple of weeks, to be brought on professionally.
 
We break at 3 and keep them working, have never had an issue. Personally I think it is a waste of time backing and then turning away I would rather keep them going quitely.
 
Hello & welcome to the forum!
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I have two 3 year olds which are both in the process of being backed at the moment. I had originally planned to have them backed, do a bit with them until early autumn and then turn them away until the following spring, until i spoke to the lady who is backing my warmblood and we are now hoping to keep them ticking over. The idea is that if we keep them ticking over in light work poss. 2/3 times a week, it just keeps their hand in and enables them to keep a low level of fitness ready for the spring/summer when we will be preparing them for 4 year old classes.
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I goy my section D when he was 3, broke him in slowly and then kept him working until he was 4, like everyone says just ticking over, mostly hacking to encourage him to go forwards, hacked to a few local events, did some inhand etc. He was then turned away for about 4-5 months.

Think it varies with each horse, some will be better off working for a coupe of years ad turned away later, others really need to time off sooner to grow up mentally and physically
 
i bought a five year old unbroken welsh d last year (june) i spent the rest of summer 2007 quietly breaking him in, then did some hacking and in-hand showing and turned him away at the end of october, he was brough back into work in march, this break really benefited him, he has a lovely attitude but does get a little bored in the school, so we try to vary his work, after his break he came back very fresh and willing, he will have another break this winter of a month or so, i have to admit i do feel sorry for these ponies who are overschooled overshown and sour by six- tha'ts my two penneth anyway!!
 
Dear all

Many thanks for your feedback, and welcoming me to the forum. I am still deciding what to do, but may just hack him out at weekends over the winter to keep him going/ticking over - he has been so good that I would hate to loose anything I have already achieved. I must say that when I give him a couple of days off he does get a bit unruly so keeping him going may be the best option. However I will not be schooling him properly until next year.

As for showing I will keep that up. I went to a show this weekend , which was great (3rd out of 11), and am also thinking pf doing Romsey and Alresford show - has anyone been to these before?
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