Breaking Youngsters - How young is too young?

Too young - we used to back 2 rising 3 in Spain, which is controversial in itself, but horses were not worked on a tight circle (although Spanish saddles ARE rather heavy!)
 
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Too young - we used to back 2 rising 3 in Spain, which is controversial in itself, but horses were not worked on a tight circle (although Spanish saddles ARE rather heavy!)

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My issue was tight circles too. When I said this though, the person said their TWO vets recommended it. (Not sure why you'd need two though, or that a vet would recommend lunging on such a young horse.)
 
I wouldn't be lunging her at 1.5 years old, however I have absolutely no problems with a horse this age, and younger, being introduced to tack.
 
i see 2yo p(ssed off horse .
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Oh man!! What is wrong with it's off-fore fetlock? Gosh I'm off back for a closer look. Poor thing.
 
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My issue was tight circles too. When I said this though, the person said their TWO vets recommended it. (Not sure why you'd need two though, or that a vet would recommend lunging on such a young horse.)

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see,would you use a vet as a riding instructer or a ri as a vet? poor pony.
now i see the pic i see its not ready for anything.
 
Oh. How long has it been captured for? Where has it been living all this time? Is she buying direct from the BLM?
 
LOL!! I did think it had a too small head for a mustang....they are usually quite ugly things.

Nowt so daft as folks eh? Don't know what the fascination is with wild horses....mind you that's only because I've had a few, the big difference between mine and theirs are that mine are well bred and registered, so will always be worth something.....there's never will be, except for some perverse novelty factor. Sad.
 
So Aus isn't too much different from around my area then. People always want horses for nothing over here....and they can get them! Mind you it usually costs them thousands to keep the darned things alive for longer than a year.....
 
Very true. I've tried discussing with them as to why it's so cheap, how they aren't really rescuing the horse just lining someone's pockets, but of course they are a saint. Their heart is in the right place, I just question where their head is.

"I will do some work with her a few times a week ( tacking her up, lunging, sitting on her, etc) Once she's three I will see how she goes and will either keep her and do competition, breed her or sell her and see if I can make a profit."

"I believe a horse shouldn't deserve to sit and rot or die because of it's conformation when it's not the horse's fault is was born that way. I don't see the harm in rescuing a young filly and give her a happy, full life that she would most likely not have otherwise."
 
too young. by all means put tack on it, but no lungeing imho, it is very hard work on joints etc.
i do early work with tack on at 2, 2 and a bit (24 calendar months+) and then think about sitting on them at 2 3/4 onwards, depending on how strong and mature they look. more likely to be 3 onwards though. play around with them intermittently in their 3rd year, do more consistent work in their 4th year.
but i am 5'10" and over 10 stone... if i was 7 stone, i'd be happier to do it all a little earlier, i think.
 
Well according to the article in British Horse mag about 4 is the right age for tack given teh way the bones are maturing. Saying that I have ridden a 3yrold before jsut after it was broken, but it was my job not my choice.

I am one of these people though that is sickened at the thought of 2yr olds racing I mean that is like making out children do olympic events - well in my book
 
First ride at 4. The earliest ANY horse is physically mature is 5.5 years, and the last part of a horse to mature is there vertabrae, so too much weight / for too long on back, or too many sharp corners before between 5.5 (for small stocky types) to 8+ years (for large warmbloods, TBS) can cause injury.

No lunging of a young horse as it puts LOTS of pressure on developing bones.
 
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Very true. I've tried discussing with them as to why it's so cheap, how they aren't really rescuing the horse just lining someone's pockets, but of course they are a saint. Their heart is in the right place, I just question where their head is.

"I will do some work with her a few times a week ( tacking her up, lunging, sitting on her, etc) Once she's three I will see how she goes and will either keep her and do competition, breed her or sell her and see if I can make a profit."

"I believe a horse shouldn't deserve to sit and rot or die because of it's conformation when it's not the horse's fault is was born that way. I don't see the harm in rescuing a young filly and give her a happy, full life that she would most likely not have otherwise."

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I'm sorry, but 'BREED HER'!!!!!????? This would be a worse offence than riding the poor little creature!!! This is not a breeding-quality horse, for heaven's sake. This total numpty person will just be adding to the population of ugly, ill-conformed, useless, unwanted horses. No, it's not the poor filly's fault that she was born with serious conformation flaws, but it will be this idiot's fault if she breeds yet more horses with the same flaws!!!!

(Does anyone else on here read the 'Fugly Horse of the Day' blog? It's a (very witty) campaign against precisely this sort of irresponsible breeding.)
 
I was just thinking what a great 'fugly' post this would make myself
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By all means keep it as a pet if you have the money or even a happy hack type.
Two is far too young to lunge, get it used to being handled, lead it out in different situations etc but the yougsters I've helped with haven't been backed, long reined or lunged until they are rising four and even 5 depending on how well developed they are physically.
 
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