Can you take a 3 year old out competing?

_jetset_

_jetset_

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I know BD they have to be 4 the year that start competing, but how about unaffiliated dressage competitions???

I am thinking ahead... having seen Troy this afternoon (I have taken some pictures so will upload them in the morning), he has matured quite a lot since April and I think he will definitely be ready for me to sit on him at the end of the year. He was an early foalie (the beginning of March) so I was always planning on sitting on him before the beginning of 2010, but up until today I did not think he would be strong enough.

However, what I was thinking was backing him at the end of this year, giving him a couple of months back out and then starting him again in the September 2010 when he will be 3 1/2 but I did not know whether it was 'allowed'. I only want to get him out for some experience as I would like to do the 4 year old classes with him in 2011.
 
i don't know if its technically allowed but greyin my siggy def went out competing in the winter of his 3 year old year...
 
Thanks... I just want to get him used to going to venues with other horses warming up and working away from them too as it will mostly be just me in the arena riding him at home.

I just wondered whether unaffiliated, because run under BD rules, would not allow him to compete as a 3 year old. I would ride him HC as I am an affiliated rider and don't think it is fair for someone who has elementary points to be competing in an unaffiliated
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i competed one of my horses when they were 3 and a half. i think they are classed as 4 in the january of the year that they are going to turn 4....well thats what i was told. x
 
No, technically you can't, although at unaff unless people know you the liklihood is you could get away with it.

Why you would want a 3yo to be ready for competition is beyond me though.
 
Agree with Ben and Jerry's I am afraid. There will be plenty of time with him in his 4yr old year to get him out for the 4yr old classes if that is where you are aiming...
 
He was an early foal, so it would only be like someone taking an August foalie out in the Jan of its fourth year. I was thinking towards the end of the third year and I am not interested in how he gets on, just wanted to get him used to working with others (as I said, it will just be me riding him at home in the arena) and coming away from others...
 
Anything connected with the pony club will mean they have to be 4yrs + but I'm not sure if that means officially 4yrs (according to passport) or whether they work it out like racehorses?
 
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i competed one of my horses when they were 3 and a half. i think they are classed as 4 in the january of the year that they are going to turn 4....well thats what i was told. x

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That's what I though too.
 
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Agree with Ben and Jerry's I am afraid. There will be plenty of time with him in his 4yr old year to get him out for the 4yr old classes if that is where you are aiming...

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I am planning on turning him out 24/7 again in his third and fourth years... the fields are away from the yard so he will not be ridden in this time. I just wanted him to go into an arena and work with other horses as will not have the option of this at home, nor at lessons or clinics because of how they run, so was even thinking of just taking him into the warm up and then bringing him home.
 
I've had three year olds out to "ride around" but if the shows aren't using affiliated rules then you would have to ask specifically. As said, you probably wouldn't get caught but I suspect you might come in for some questions if anyone knew the horse or guessed.

The only problem about not caring how he gets on (by which I presume you mean competitively) is that really, that's the least of your worries. If he does get stressed (not necessarily "him", perhaps because of other horses acting up etc.) or something happens then you can end up having to do a lot more than you planned. And however much people say it's not going to matter to them if the horse is really not going well it's difficult to have the self discipline to limit your work.

To he honest, I don't take young horses out to shows until I have a good idea how they're going to behave - I don't think it's fair to the young horse or the other competitors. There are lots of far less stressful and much safer ways to get babies out. I want their first public trips to be in situations where I can control timing, where I have to ride and, as much as possible, what's going on around me so that I can make as sure as I can that the horse has a good first few outings and goes away with a good taste for it. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
 
I did it with both of mine as 3yr olds, after I had broken them in I took them to a couple of outings, just local stuff so they could see the sights. I found if you ask the local unaff places really nicely they will let you ride round in the dressage arena in the coffie brake. This is what I did with mine and it made them much nicer when I got them back in as 4yr olds
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i competed one of my horses when they were 3 and a half. i think they are classed as 4 in the january of the year that they are going to turn 4....well thats what i was told. x

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That's what I though too.

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they are. what jetset is talking about is taking him out like november of his 3 year old year- so before jan when he will technically become 4 years
 
I don't offer advice much in here (too rubbish) but with my youngster in his fourth year we did little out and abouts unafffiliated bits of popping into places, then a month/six weeks turn away for the late summer.

With the working with others have found it much more useful to just gently at home get them used to horses coming up behind and coming at them - more everyday type encouters rather than adding the stress of a competition situation. Can you not just do this at home using one of your others?
 
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I don't offer advice much in here (too rubbish) but with my youngster in his fourth year we did little out and abouts unafffiliated bits of popping into places, then a month/six weeks turn away for the late summer.

With the working with others have found it much more useful to just gently at home get them used to horses coming up behind and coming at them - more everyday type encouters rather than adding the stress of a competition situation. Can you not just do this at home using one of your others?

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thats what i've been doing wth my 4 year old. he was only brought in out of the field in jabuary and then came to me and was broken in february so he's not even been to any baby shows in-hand or anything. he used to really panic about other horses coming near him but i've been playing about with friends at home getting them to come past and stuff and he's getting much better. he's also been to a clinic- but only because was with my current trainer and i could trust organiser to put me in a sensible group. i won't be planning on competing for a few months yet...but this horse is very green and jumpy to get on so might be a totally inidividual case....
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Sorry to hijack a bit but DB I'm on a competition yard where lots of younsters are produced and the youngsters follow the same routine as you are describing. Nothing goes out and about really until they are four, then only when they are able to cope really well at home and then for very short contolled trips to have look sees really. Nothing major really until they are five.
 
ooh thats good to know
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was worrying that i was going very very slowly
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my original plan had been to get an unbroken 3 year old last year so it would be broken and ready for competing this year but i ended up getting one that needed more work much later in time...but randomly i actually think i prefer this now- i'm not rushing trying to get ready for 4 year old classes!
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i suppose you can take it out under the radar so to speak but i would be worried about insurance complications if you caused an accident and the show states 'all ridden horses to be 4 years +'

i also agree with people further up the post; the rules are there for a reason- why not just wait until he is 4?
 
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I don't offer advice much in here (too rubbish) but with my youngster in his fourth year we did little out and abouts unafffiliated bits of popping into places, then a month/six weeks turn away for the late summer.

With the working with others have found it much more useful to just gently at home get them used to horses coming up behind and coming at them - more everyday type encouters rather than adding the stress of a competition situation. Can you not just do this at home using one of your others?

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Unfortunately not... It was always just me riding and working the horses
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Obviously, when I back him I am hoping to have my husband with me for the first couple of 'sit ons' but then I am solo after that.

I was hoping to get him to some clinics at the end of his 3rd year (I do plan to be 'working him' by then as he will be four in the March, but again, we will have to see what he is looking like by that point) or test riding situations, but again, there is no way of working him in with others in this situation.

What I planned on doing was chatting to the organiser and getting an early time to just take him in the warm up, into the dressage boards for the test and then not do the actual test (of course, I will pay for the test as that would be unfair to the organiser to expect it for nothing). I don't really plan on doing the test and I had thought that if he got silly or stressy I am a great fan of doing lots of exercises in walk
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Only in hand in youngstock. What is the rush? The horse is still a baby.

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I was thinking of doing it at that point because he is going to be turned away as soon as possible in his fourth year (as he has been this year) in a field away from the yard so will be unable to do anything with him until later in the summer when it is time for the 4 year old classes.

I suppose I can just leave it a month and do it in the January when he will technically be 4, but I was thinking that me taking him out Oct / Nov would be like someone taking a July foal out Jan / Feb.

There is no rush, but he is a pretty mature young man which is why I am going to sit on him at the end of this year, plus it will allow him to have all spring and summer in a field again next year which is what I want for him more than anything. I just thought it would be a way of allowing him to see things and work with others without the stress of competing on top of it.

He has done in hand and is fine, but I do not fancy taking him out in hand as a 3 year old because the shows around here are all hugely busy (they tend to run the show jumping etc all on the same day) and I think it would be too much for him and me. I am also not into showing at all, so have absolutely no idea in this world what class he would go in or what to do
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I also want to get him doing lots of hacking out towards the end of the third year, but again this may be problematic as there is no one to take us
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I had planned on boxing him up and taking him to somewhere off road if I am having to do it on my own, but have my husband walking with me.
 
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i suppose you can take it out under the radar so to speak but i would be worried about insurance complications if you caused an accident and the show states 'all ridden horses to be 4 years +'

i also agree with people further up the post; the rules are there for a reason- why not just wait until he is 4?

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I would never do this for the reasons you stated... it would be unfair to competitors and also to the venue.

I could wait until Jan when he is four, but then after that he will be turning into a bog pony again and living out in a field for as long as possible before I have to bring him in for the four year old classes
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I just thought by starting taking him somewhere for a mooch about at the end of the third year I could just let him see a few warming up arenas over a couple of months. If I leave it until when he is four I will probably be only able to do it once or twice before he goes out as I don't want to do too much with him.
 
Take him to more in hand shows, do bigger shows with more going on if you want to get him used to the atmosphere.
Taking your first youngster to a ridden show as a 3 year old to see what he's like in company sounds like a recipe for disaster for you and possible those there to compete who may be novicy riders themselves if its unaffiliated and low level.
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I don't know any other way of getting him used to working in company though... any suggestions?

To be honest, if I took him out in the Jan or Feb of his fourth year, we would still be doing it for the same reason, but obviously I would be asking for one of the earliest times when it is the most quiet and as I say, I was never actually planning on doing the test. Just walking around the arena, perhaps popping a little trot in and coming out.
 
Sometimes with such young horses it is a good idea to take them along with another horse who is competing. Then just get them used to the atmosphere, general goings on, load and come home.
 
Thanks... that is a good idea. I suppose if I spoke to a BD venue, I could see whether I could just take him in the warm up or walk him around the venue when his Mum is competing (it is usually quieter for the later tests). Again, I would be doing this on my own, but so far I have been pleased with how he handles situations.

Just for the record, I only asked because I didn't know... I did see someone on a 3 year old at an unaffil competition at the end of last year (so same situation as I am in) which is what got me thinking. He may not even be ready to be ridden by the end of next year, which would make this whole post void. That is why I have loved breeding him, you just never know what to expect
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Why dont you join a riding club and take him to some baby group lessons?
Thats how all of mine start off going to parties then there's no pressure, you can lunge them in the arena first and do as much or as little as you want before going home.
 
Yes - I second Boss's idea - your local riding club would be a good place to start him off without any pressure - even just being lead around to see the sights prior to the january of when he is 4...
 
Personally I would leave him until the year of his 4th birthday but continue to take him in-hand to shows this year and next. You owuld also need to check your insurance as if he had an episode and hurt another horse or humna, would you be covered for 3rd party?
 
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Why dont you join a riding club and take him to some baby group lessons?
Thats how all of mine start off going to parties then there's no pressure, you can lunge them in the arena first and do as much or as little as you want before going home.

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I'll third this too....

Ours are older, both 4 but only backed a few months, when we started taking them, only reason we didn't take them as 3yo's is one wasn't ready to be backed younger nad the other was 4 when I got him!! But we have done loads of RC sessions and they have been great for getting them all used to working with other horses and in a different environment to home!!

My OH's big chap was backed at about 2 1/2 then turned away ridden again gently as a 3 yo then another winter off then we started working him harder at 4, we would have done more as a 3yo but he is 17hh and built like a brick sh!t house so we had to take it slowly with him!!
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