Does this sound about right? 4yo

[J1993]

My lovely little horse is 4 in May!! She started about 3 weeks ago being long reined and a little bit of lunging with loose side reins and roller with bridle/bit. To look at she lacks muscle and is a typical gangly young warmblood. She is not one of those mature at 3yo looking types! I've bumped her feed up slightly. Shes on fibre beet and micronised linseed. She has been out in the day 8-4 and in with average quality haylage over night. I'm dying for the spring grass to come through as I just feel like she looks quite poor. I've struggled in the past with her having a dull coat/itchy skin but feel like I've finally cracked what to feed her/rug weights etc as she has a lovely coat just a bit ribby. I've had mixed comments from some thinking shes underweight and some thinking with work she will slowly fill out. This is my first youngster so it's a bit of a test and wait and see. Just wondering if this sounds about right for this age or if she should be looking a little further on.. (not in terms of work but weight/muscle) thank you!!

 

[redapple]

my experience with warmbloods is they are pretty slow to fill out. What would you condition score her as?

 

[J1993]

Just had a look at this scale and I would class her as a 2 moderate. She is under a worming programme and both her last counts have been low

 

[redapple]

For a youngster just starting work I'd say fine personally. Thats about what I'd expet for her type. You've got a few years for her to fill out yet.

 

[TheMule]

I would probably want to up her protein a bit now she's working if she is a bit poor

 

[Marigold4]

Worming counts can't pick up all types of worms. Has she been tested/treated specifically for tapeworm and treated for encysted redworm? I have a same age youngster starting work and give more protein to help with muscle development.

 

[stormox]

Dont worry about it, the grass will soon be coming through....

 

[windand rain]

Sounds fine to me coming out of winter but I would slow down the work if she doesnt look mature she probably isnt. Give 6 months on summer grass and see how she looks in August Sept time

 

[splashgirl45]

i would stop lunging and walk her out in hand , that will help her to muscle up and also be educational as she will have something different to look at and will learn how to cope with you by her side.., if you are fit you could try and find some hills to walk up and down..not too steep....once the grass comes through she should pick up but to be a little underweight at this time of year is fine..

 

[sport horse]

Is she backed yet? If not I would get on and do it quietly before she gets too strong! Just get her walk and trotting under saddle see how she is and maybe a short canter. You should be able to do this before the spring grass comes through and I would then give her a break out a grass and she will fill out nicley. Whatever you do do not fill her up with feed only to give yourself unecessary problems in the early stages of her work. Let her learn now while she is feeling a little low and establish good behaviour!

 

[MDB]

My 4 year old warmblood still looks like a gangly teenager. I am also hoping she fills out this year. I think warm bloods just take more time.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

She's at an age where she will still be having growth spurts. She'll appear a reasonable weight one day, have a growth spurt & suddenly she's like a xylophone again. It will take quite a while for her weight to stabilise and once that's happened you can sort out getting muscle on her.

 

[Leandy]

Is she backed yet? If not I would get on and do it quietly before she gets too strong! Just get her walk and trotting under saddle see how she is and maybe a short canter. You should be able to do this before the spring grass comes through and I would then give her a break out a grass and she will fill out nicley. Whatever you do do not fill her up with feed only to give yourself unecessary problems in the early stages of her work. Let her learn now while she is feeling a little low and establish good behaviour!

Completely agree with this. Get her backed and ridden away over the next month, then turn away to mature and fill out for a couple of months with the spring grass and bring back into work in the summer.

 

[windand rain]

It is totally wrong to back an immature horse just because it isnt strong enough to argue in fact if she isnt strong enough to stop you then she isnt strong enough to carry you either. Go ahead with wearing well fitted tack etc but leave any riding until at least the end of the year and longer if she is still not mature enough

 

[Leandy]

It is totally wrong to back an immature horse just because it isnt strong enough to argue in fact if she isnt strong enough to stop you then she isnt strong enough to carry you either. Go ahead with wearing well fitted tac etc but leave any riding until at least the end of the year and longer if she is still not mature enough[/QUOT

You misconstrue what I said. This is a 4yr old not a 2 yr old. I wouldn't leave backing too late and I wouldn't be increasing hard feed in a horse I was about to break. The OP has started the education process, the point was to get on and back rather than spend too much time lunging an immature horse, then give it more time to fill out and strengthen up before doing more. If the OP does this, they will be in a good place by the autumn. If you delay backing until the end of the year you will be unnecessarily late in starting the horse and why delay when some key steps can perfectly well be completed now.

 

[windand rain]

Because it is an immature 4 year old, I do not know how heavy the OP is or how big her horse is going to finish up but young horses take different times to mature physically and mentally and waiting until your horse is mature muscularly and mentally will mean it has a much longer working life. Big horse in particular are at greater risk the earlier you do them unless you have put a lot of work into making sure their legs and back are conditioned to their work. I never lunge before 5 or 6 for that reason. Backing and hacking in straight lines for a few weeks is fine on a well grown muscled 3/4 year old but a weak immature one may be 6 before it is ready to do so
Anyway what is the rush

 

[Goldenstar]

It’s very hard to say without seeing the horse but generally I think young horses on the thin side are better being backed that fat ones .
I would continue gently keep lessons short as a rule of thumb it should take you longer to tack up than they work .
I would work towards leaning across her sit on her get led round on her then perhaps turn away for a few weeks and then start again .

 

[J1993]

My plan was to do at least another 6 weeks long reining minimum. I am hoping she will of filled out more by summer. We dont have the best haylage which is why I have upped the fibre beet but i dont see much difference in the 2 weeks I have upped it so far... I am going to check whether she was worm counted for tape worm as I just pay for the counts and then if they need doing. I find a few people have said even if she is immature to crack on and back her but I have always thought this wouldnt be a good idea as I personally thought if they are immature they aren't ready but I can see what other people mean. I have leant over her and put all my weight over the saddle a couple of times but I haven't got up there yet and sat on her. My plan was always to send her away when she was upto being ridden away but she is being so good and is so level headed i am slightly tempted to have a go myself. It would be very rewarding as I have had her from a foal. At least the sitting on and maybe first few walks round. I dont know. I'm not sure.. I'm just taking each week as it comes. Shes had 3x20 minute long reining sessions this week. I will feel better when the grass starts growing. I will take a pic tomorrow and send it to anyone interested if they want to see her.

 

[windand rain]

Sounds ideal so far just a little and often is fine but not to much