Feel really bad - reassurance!

[Scribbles]

After checking the passport and realising the seller LIED to us about ned's age (he is just gone 3, not 4) I feel absolutely horrible for asking too much of him. We were doing circles in trot and I generally just feel absolutely terrible for confusing and worrying him. If he ever started being what I then thought of as naughty, I did something he could do, and ended on a good note.

One week he went through a bad patch, we were hving a canter round the fields and I just KNOW I pushed him too much.

With all this talk of 'ruining' and 'spoiling' horses - is it true? Or can I rescue him from myself?! Obviously I have pretty much completely stopped riding him, and it wil *only* be hacks in walk once a week from now on, but I just feel like a completely lousy horse owner and rider, and so annoyed at myself.

Point of post is really just to ask if I can start again with him, or have I gone and royally mucked up his entire life?!

 

[ajn1610]

I don't think you will have ruined him by trotting circles! When was he backed?

 

[Scribbles]

Well we don't really know, as all we have to go off was the dealers say so, and we now know not to trust their word at all!

Ok, so his DOB is 2005, making him 3-4, so I'm guessing they backed him last summer, making him 2 1/2. As we do't have an exact DOB it's hard to know.

I just feel terrible for when I told him off for when I thought he was 'just being naughty'. can babies with a bad start be restarted?

 

[BigRed]

Stop being so silly. In Germany the horses are ridden in competitions at 3. In the US no-one waits until the horse is 4 to start working them. My colleague in Houston rides her quarter horses and walking horses as 2 year olds.

A healthy young horse will not have a complete mental and physical breakdown because you trotted a few circles and cantered around a field when he was 3.

In the UK we have a complete obsession with waiting until our horses are big strong 4 year olds before we get on them.

 

[Flibble]

Why would you need to restart him he has you who cares enough to worry about doing the right thing. Get off here go and smack yourself with a stick of rhubarb and then go and make a fuss of him you dope. He is very lucky to have you.

 

[Scribbles]

Haha. Thanks, you stopped the tears flowing!

And unfortunately I have to wait for my OH to take me upto yard, and housework can GO AWAY (as can reading up on uni work for next year).

I'll take him a parsnip for apologies sake.


(will try to calm down and breathe in future.....!)

 

[ajn1610]

He hasn't had a bad start, if he is doing something naughty he needs to be told off!
2 1/2 is a bit young to start but as long as he isn't carrying loads of weight or doing lots of jumping/fastwork it isn't a massive problem. The situation isn't ideal but it certainly isn't the end of the world.
You may possibly have done slightly more than he was comfortable with but you have to push them outside their comfort zone because that is how they progress. From what you are saying in your posts I really don't think you've done too much. A little light schooling won't have damaged him mentally or physically.
After 3/4 months of work I'd expect a baby to be able to walk and trot in straight lines, 20m circles and figures of 8, and I'd possibly have introduced some canter. It shouldn't be working in an outline but needs to be obedient to the aids.
Yours may have been started a little on the young side but after a year of work what you are describing really isn't too much. Remember a few months later on horses his age would be able to event and there are 5yo doing advanced dressage work!
If you are worried that he has done too much too soon you could let him down by reducing his work and then turn him away and start again in the spring when he is more mature. But I honestly wouldn't worry I don't think you've ruined your horse!

 

[ajn1610]

See they said what I wanted to say - stop be daft you softy. But I was trying to be diplomatic!

 

[fatpiggy]

This goes on all the time. I know of two horses sold as 7 year olds by dealers and it turned out they were both under 4. Not surprisingly, one had a few behavioural problems for a while, until I put the owners straight about his age and therefore what to expect of him, but they have both turned out as smashing horses. Little and often is best for youngsters - they just can't concentrate on work for very long, and then they get mentally and physically tired. Keep your circles large and your canters short, unless hacking out and he will be fine!