broken in at 17 months!

I've seen coloured cobs being broken to ride and drive as yearlings, and a 2yr old pulling a trap with 4 people in it on a hot summers day at a trot for over 4hrs!! - Makes my blood boil!!!:( Yet when asked why and if they would like me to pay for the horse to be put down now rather than be a crippled pile of cat food by 6 - they only replied - everyone has their methods!!!!:( - dumbdumbs!!!!!! Mind you I've seen people breaking in 2 and a half year old friesians - with the excuse they've never had a problem and they look big enough - not that they ever keep them long enough to show any problems!!! I think bashing your head on a brick wall is an understatement with these 'people'!!!!:(
 
I see adverts like this in this country on a fairly regular basis. I cannot stand it..they arent allowed to be babies are they.

Whats the rush anyway...people just cant be bothered to wait IMO
 
Very clever advert mind - you can't see the general body condition so for all we know she could be bones under the numnah. Poor thing :(
 
Could as easily be Dublin.....nice light rider, and I suspect he gets as much (or as little) to eat as the pony - beware of being too judgemental, life is very harsh for many.
 
I was surprised to see some of the horses advertised for sale in this weeks H & H focus on the south east, various horses 4 years and under doing all sorts, is there any advantage to backing a 2 year old ?
 
irishdraft said:
I was surprised to see some of the horses advertised for sale in this weeks H & H focus on the south east, various horses 4 years and under doing all sorts, is there any advantage to backing a 2 year old ?
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Sea the Stars (last years wonder horse, Gunieas, Derby, Arc et al) would have been broken at 14 months......but Ok now all he has to do is be a stallion at 4 years for the rest of his life - but I had a horse that retired sound and bacame a happy hacker at 14 years who also was broken at 14-15 months and won several races a year from 2 yera old to 13 year old from 5 furlongs on the flat to 3 miles over fences..........
 
My pony was broken in at just under 2 years, and he had multiple ribs and other bones broken in the process through mistreatment and then he was sold on at 3 labelled as a 6 year old.
it's sad that this sort of thing goes on because they're just not developed enough to be ridden and it can cause so much harm in the long run.
 
Mine was fully broken and being hacked out, lunged and beginning to jump at just over two years old :(.

As a result of that she has been left with permanent damage to her back. Not enough to stop her being happy and in work but enough to limit her to carrying a light/petite adult and me having to completely go back to basics with her at 4 years old as she needed almost 18 months complete rest from work before I could re-break her.

As far as I'm aware, her breeder carried on breaking her youngsters at a young age, despite me getting in touch to say about my one's back issues :(.

It is sad really.
 
FWIW, I "broke" my not quite 2 year old TBxConn. I was 5 months pregnant, knowing I would have a c section and it was either do it then or wait a year.

She was still sound when I had to put her down due to colic at age 31.

No one ever fell off Honey.
 
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SophieRIDSH said:
FWIW, I "broke" my not quite 2 year old TBxConn. I was 5 months pregnant, knowing I would have a c section and it was either do it then or wait a year.

She was still sound when I had to put her down due to colic at age 31.

No one ever fell off Honey.
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Eh??????

Why wouldnt you wait a year until she was "not quite" 3, THEN wait another few months and back her when she was actually 3?
 
I know a horse, it went to do a ridden show and clear round yesterday, its just turned two, it's so sad to see, it's all weedy, why can't people just wait untill the horse is mature enough and strong enough?
 
Jade&Syrah said:
I know a horse, it went to do a ridden show and clear round yesterday, its just turned two, it's so sad to see, it's all weedy, why can't people just wait untill the horse is mature enough and strong enough?
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Why didn't you ask a Steward to check it's passport?
Then they would have been asked to leave.
 
They're easier to break in when they're younger as they not yet that strong if they resist in any way. A lot of people break horses young saying "We didn't want to wait until they had strength on their side!" Personally I think they should leave it to somebody who has a clue, or buy an older horse.

Sophie, why on earth would it have been a bad thing to break her rising 3 (which is still very, very young) ???
 
Don't agree to that young at all, BUT, I do think thereis a great big difference to being just 'backed' at a younger than ideal age than being 'fully broken and schooling/riding away/full work etc.

A quick sit on with a light-ish rider at 2 years of age or similar isn't going to do a huge amount of damage and can make it considerably less 'aaah holy ****!' when it does then get fully broken at 3 or 4 and used to having something on it's back etc.

Saddest thing was a little native down my old yard. Whilst I was slowly and merrily helping break in a 4 y/o....there was a 2 1/2 y/o pony there who could school walk/trot/canter etc, in an outline,hacking,full work and jumping 3ft+ courses :( :o This was after being driven to trap at 10 months old too. Cleaned up county level in-hand around that area and was entered in all local shows ridden.

Poor little thing...bumped into the same pony 4 years later and it's back and legs are truly ****ed up. Complete sway/dippy back at 6 y/o and stiff back legs and this pony which was once schooling perfectly at 2....was now a sore bucking little mite at 6 :(
 
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