First time Youngster

Lea1985

Lea1985

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I have been looking to get a youngster after deciding NOT to put my mare in foal.

I have seen a stunning gypsey vanner colt who is almost 9 months old. I have never had a youngster but have helped 'break in' lost of friends.

As he is only nearly 9 months what would I be able to do with him? He is nice and chunky and will be gelded before I have him, if I decide this is the right choice.......Could we go on walks round the village? Play in the school? or is he too young? Any past experiances most welcome :)
 
You can do things with him but keep it short and simple. I think it would be fine to take him for short walks now and then, bombproofing in the school would be ok too but keep it fun ans short. If you have a trailer/box you could teach him to load too. Allow him tons of time to be a youngster and spend time being a horse too. I would probably only do something 2 or 3 times a week.
 
I take my 11 month old for walks up the lane and he goes in the school and walks over coloured and natural poles + he has walked over a tarp and can trot in hand - I wouldn't start lunging for a long while yet
 
Personally don't think lunging very good for young, growing joints. Wouldn't do any before 3, then only short, light & occasional. Getting them obedient to the headcollar is such a valuable thing, can make many other experiences much easier to deal with.
 
I wouldn't lunge a youngster.. personally perfer long reining / lining off either a lunge cavesson or dually.. this way you can teach school figures etc .. it's great fun learning to long rein / line and very good for confidence building as acts a good stepping stone to backing as long reining you are not leading from their side but from behind.

Agree walks out around village on lead line etc are excellent education for youngster.. once you have set up good foundations for this you can go off road and start doing small banks, ditches, rough terrain etc all helps to develop their muscles and balance and awareness of their feet and bodies etc.. you'll need a longer than standard (12 foot is good) leading rope especially for the off road bits.
 
Lea1985 said:
Brilliant this Is what I was hoping :) at what age is it safe to start using the lunge?
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I didn't lunge my youngster until he was 3 and then only to teach voice commands and so that he knew what lungeing was. He has probably only been lunged about half a dozen times in all (he is 6 now!); he is a large native breed so very slow to mature. I much prefer long lining both 'hacking' and in the school. I think it is much better for young limbs and much more interesting for them.
 
Thank you so much for everyone's advice. Has anyone used a 'be nice' halter?? His breeder has suggested using one when I take him round the village for the first few times.
 
Yes .. I will never again.. not on a youngster.. I nearly created a rearer with a B N ... I much prefer the Dually for teaching respect.. it is also ace for long reining / lining.. and I think works better than a lunge cavesson.

Be Nice are very hard on youngsters who may not know how to "give to pressure" .. horses instinct is "in to pressure" and becuase the Be Nice uses poll pressure it can cause youngsters to rear when pressure is applied.. not great training..
 
Zuzan said:
Yes .. I will never again.. not on a youngster.. I nearly created a rearer with a B N ... I much prefer the Dually for teaching respect.. it is also ace for long reining / lining.. and I think works better than a lunge cavesson.

Be Nice are very hard on youngsters who may not know how to "give to pressure" .. horses instinct is "in to pressure" and becuase the Be Nice uses poll pressure it can cause youngsters to rear when pressure is applied.. not great training..
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Agreed. But to be honest, the best money that you would spend would be on one session with someone who specialises in teaching groundwork and in particular with babies. A dually is about £40 and I am more than happy to loan you one - or sell you a spare, but I would really recommend that you have someone out to show you how they work and how to use them correctly.

I took my youngster out for walks in hand, longreined, taight to back up, load and worked through Trec pole exercises all using the dually. Used correctly, they are great! Used incorrectly, they can cause problems - but like any bit, they are only as hard as the hands that hold them.
 
Zuzan/Vetwrap thankyou for your advise regarding BN and dually. Vetwrap how do I find a groundwork specialist/teacher? And also id be very interested in buying a spare one off you. I have had others say to use a dually. Are they monty roberts?
 
Lea1985 said:
Zuzan/Vetwrap thankyou for your advise regarding BN and dually. Vetwrap how do I find a groundwork specialist/teacher? And also id be very interested in buying a spare one off you. I have had others say to use a dually. Are they monty roberts?
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Yes. I like to pick and choose methods that work and make sense and the groundwork does. Will pm you.
 
Thanks so much :) and yes I agree, my friends have done things that look crazy in the school with youngsters. Bomb proofing to plastic bags etc :)
 
yes Duallys are a Monty Roberts invention... they're excellent as can be used to give directional aids... this can be used later to assist with the bitting and directional aids from the bit..

My then 2 yo was long lined and then when it came to bitting bridle was fitted over the dually and reins attached thro the bit ring to the dually side rings as means to "translate" what she had learnt when we were using the dually to the bit.
 
Not quite what you were asking but I'd really recommend Richard Maxwell's book Train your young horse. It's a very good book imo that gives a lot of good advice and tips to handling youngsters and gives a good timeline of what can be done and when :)
 
Thank you again so much. All this information is so helpful....im really grateful I'll get that book too!! Someone else has just recommended that Author :)
 
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