Do you own a 6/7yo WBxID - what are you doing with them??

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Switchthehorse

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Just interested!! My girl turns 7 next week, she is BIG at 17hh ish (and about 700kg!!) and she is 'slow to mature' :) Constantly frustrated by reading about amazing 6/7yo doing this that and the other when we still have issues with getting a decent canter, jumping, forwardness off the leg, riding in a contact, napping etc etc

Many people have told me its her breeding and she is just growing into herself and I have been relying on that *excuse* for the past 4 years :)

Just wondered if it was just us thats a little 'slow' to progress or if there is anyone else out there with the same challenges!!! And when did it all 'click'??

Thanks!
 
Yes yes and ohhh yes.

Although he's a little bit special in another way too, so that's not helped.:rolleyes:

His trot has only just really started to come together on the lunge, when I say this, I mean starting to really work correctly, I don't like to do too much schooling and lunge work due to our surface as it's not the best and never pushed him too much because he has been slow to mature, although he picks things up dam quickly, instructor said last year (although was quite taken back how much he'd changed) still said his back legs have to work that bit more to keep up with his front end, but then he's so short coupled and his conformation is not the best I must say. As for his canter work, he’s still travels more in the air rather than forward, feels lovely to sit to at times but still needs a hell of a lot of work, again due to having a small school with a soft deep surface it’s not something I’m happy doing too much off I’d rather work on it slowly through hacking.

Attitude yes we've had that, stubborn yes we've had that, napping (he's thrown book at me!) but he's a fantastic horse and always thought just give him time things will come together eventually and although we have along way to go still (don't have good facilities, don't have any transport) so outings and lessons have been enough to count on one hand since I've had him I'm afraid, so I've never been able to do as much as I'd hoped but perhaps that has been a blessing in disguise, but over the last 6 months I can see the difference both physically and mentally so please do hang on in there.

At the moment he's hacking, bit schooling and will be doing some dressage again this year (did few tests on him last year, he's going to one at the nd of this month) he's bobbed couple of clear rounds as a taster but he's not had any proper jump training as yet, more a case of point and pop but I've done a bit of loose jumping with him, he's keen but green, I'll see what this summer brings before thinking of doing any proper jumping and grid work as he needs to come together a bit more yet with his paces….in between growing out of saddles that is :rolleyes:
 
I share your pain OP. Our 17hh WB in siggy pic is rising 6 and we have just turned him away for the past 2 months and won't start again til May. He does not enjoy his ridden work - I am sure through being asked too much far too soon. He is extremely well bred and it just seems that people insist on starting these horses so young at 3 and expecting so much by 4 years old.
So we are letting poor chap (he has attitude too) mature and will 'restart' him with ground work in a round pen, before we consider ridden work. I just hope this plan works!!!
 
Hooray hooray!! I am not alone :) Just knowing 2 of you are out there makes me feel heaps better!!

I love my girlie and I really enjoy her (despite many a broken bone!) so I keep telling myself we arent heading for Olympics next year and the 'journey' is what its all about - then i go to the local clear round at 60cm and get about 40 faults in a 7 jump course and wonder why we cant be just like everyone else :)

As we all probably think I do think she could be a bit special one day, someone told me I am going to have to wait until probably about 9 before she grows up!!! Eeeek! Only 2 years to go then!! haha!

Thanks so much for posting - would love to see pics as well!!!
 
No you won't be the only one.

Well I said to myself right from the start when I bought him (he was 2 turning 3 then) that I didn't expect to be doing anything much (competition wise and in general at home) until he was around 7, there not in there prime until then and besides there is no excuse at that age, a horse should of grown up by then but if I was out competing and doing a bit of anything then I'd be happy at that, what happens up until then doesn't matter, well it does but so long as it's a logical process, the guy that I bought him from said the bigger the horse, the more time you should take, ok so he's not big in fact he's only small 16.1 actually but I was looking at his half brother at the time and he was a lot bigger but he was year older).

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I've a 17h IDxTBxWB that is 7. He was REALLY slow to mature. We took it really slowly with him for the last few years. Now he is starting to tell us he is ready to do more - last year at the end of summer (just turned 7 - was a late foal) we did a couple of 2'3-2'6" classes and he was pulling me into the fences. I also did the farm ride at Somerford, and whereas in previous years when we'd played round it, I'd had to really ride him to get him round, last year, again he more than met me half way, and I felt like I was on an impressive, adult horse (finally!) His flatwork has suddenly come on loads without me doing anything too - he is now working superbly in a nice natural outline that has come through him being balanced, rather than forced with gadgets. I have noticed that he is a heck of a lot sharper this year - almost needing/asking for more work. Had I not been waiting for an operation this year, he would be doing lower levels of BE this year.
 
I bought my horse as a 6 year old 3 years ago and he is just coming into his own now as a 9 year old........ that said i'm not very ambitious (just done my first BE) but he's literally transformed from being a bit gawky to being a horse that looks awesome this winter! don't panic. tonnes of time. :D
 
Switchthehorse said:
Kenzo he is GORGEOUS and v. jealous as mine is steel grey but got a lot whiter this year - i miss that lovely colour :)
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Thank you :), he's gone through various growing stages, although he's not made the height I was expecting or really wanted nor has he grown a lot in height over the last few years but he's gone through various gangly stages, sometimes you look at him and he's in proportion, other times he's neither here or there and he's quite weak behind, he's well built up front.

I thought he'd of greyed out more by now, usually they have but he's clinging on to his dark side :D although his face is starting to, that was from last year so he'd muscled up a bit more through the summer.

But look at him back then as a 2yr old, now he was an ugly ducking, this is a picture of him a few months after I bought him (friend is holding him) please excuse the beer garden, I'd taken him for a walk and called at the local for a shandy :D

MrMackenzieatKingsHead.jpg
 
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