Following on from post about backed yearling...

SnowPhony

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2009
Messages
2,676
Location
Not where I should be!
Visit site
When do you start introducing work to youngsters, like lunging, loose schooling and wearing tack, backing etc?

I have my own views on this, but everyone does things differently and has different views on when to do things, I was just interested in hearing when and how other people choose to introduce these things.
 

elliegirl12

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 March 2007
Messages
1,416
Location
hampshire
Visit site
I would start lunging introducing roller etc at the age of 3 1/2 and back at 4, start doing more in hand work at 3 though and maybe a bit of lunging like once a week
 

MrsElle

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2008
Messages
6,185
Location
Back Where My Heart Is :)
Visit site
Blue is 3 next May but all we will be doing next summer is introducing him to tack (he has been bitted/mouthed already) and to long reining/lunging.

I haven't yet decided whether to back him late next summer or to wait until the year after when he is 4, I will make that decision based on how he is going and how mature he is at the time.

So in a nutshell 3 1/2 to 4
laugh.gif
 

Spot_the_Risk

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 May 2007
Messages
7,583
Location
Devon
www.animalcrackersdevon.co.uk
It has been suggested to me that I could be leading my two year old from my horse when out hacking. Although my horse is bullet proof (and the youngster is fab with cars, tractors etc) I would feel pretty nervous about having two horses under my sole control, so doubt I will be doing this unless OH is waiting at each corner to pick up the pieces! Re introducing tack, she had a bit in her mouth at about a year (not led from it, just to mouth) and had numnah and elastic surcingale, had rugs on, none of this has bothered her. We don't have a school, so lunging, loose schooling is out of the question.
 

_daisy_

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 March 2005
Messages
5,619
Location
South Yorkshire
Visit site
my youngster have all had tack introduced at an early age. All have been bitted in their first year (mainly for the shows) but if they have been around when ive been untacking ive popped the saddle on just to see what they think. theyve all shown no problems and just looked at me gone out.

I dont introduce lunging till they are at least 3 but have been know to long line from the age of 2 - mainly to keep them occupied but only really at weekends. and i introduce riding/leading to them when they are 3.

throughout the early years ive shown them xc jumps (not made them jump them), farm vehicles and even taken them for walks out in hand on the roads.

Also I believe it does depend on how pysically mature they are - my WB was very immature when she was 3 however due to her size (17hh) i started to do a lot of groundwork and long lining when she turned 2 but left the lunging till she turned 3.
 

rascal

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 May 2007
Messages
1,640
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
We tend to introduce things like tack/rugs at an early age, and long reining at about 2, dont really lunge much at all. We like to teach them to accept traffic and often take them for walks. We put up "handy pony" type courses for them as well to give them something different to do. Dont back until 4.
I used to lead a youngster from my mare years ago they seemed to quite enjoy it. It depends on your horses my mare would tell the baby off if he went in front of her but i knew i could trust her not to kick or shy and run into him.
 

shadowboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 May 2006
Messages
4,755
Visit site
My 18 month boys have been to shows, in trailers/lorries- are used to being led out on the roads- we go out for a half hour stroll every sunday. They will be bitted in jan ready for the 2 year old classes this summer. During the summer months they do one show a month from may to sept so not to sour them to the ring and they usually do two classes a show.
When its Nov next year they will both have very small bib clips done while they are small/maleable enough and having straight lines etc isnt important.
When they reach summer of 2011 they will be backed and turned away nov-march 2011/2012. Full work will commence that march after the spring clock change
 

JanetGeorge

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2001
Messages
7,006
Location
Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
[ QUOTE ]
When do you start introducing work to youngsters, like lunging, loose schooling and wearing tack, backing etc?



[/ QUOTE ]

I don't start backing youngsters under saddle until they're between 3 and 4 - precise timing depends on the individual youngster's maturity.

But we start preparing them the day they're born!

This is Daybreak at 2 hours old.
Daybreak-sleep.jpg


She's only 8 months now - and just weaned - but I can put her headcollar on while she's lying down, sit down next to her and lean over her.

And this is her Uncle Prince - who I 'backed' when he was about 14 months old (no weight on him, obviously.)

Prince-back.jpg


He was properly backed at 3.5 years - and despite being still a colt, he was a doddle.

I normally don't lunge until we start backing, except with the fillies who have to be vetted as part of grading - usually at 2.5 years. But only lunge them once before vetting, once at vetting, then forget it for a year.

They get used to tractors and Land Rover through feed delivery while growing up; they get brought in every 8 weeks for foot triming and a bit of a tidy up, worming etc. Don't think anything else is ESSENTIAL! I can walk up to any of them in the field and pick a foot up, I sometimes bounce up and down beside them when they're loose in the field with my hand on their saddle area, it all helps.
 

soph21

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 April 2007
Messages
5,331
Location
Sunny Cornwall
Visit site
Depends on the horse mentally and physically, if they are mature enough I break as 3 yr olds
laugh.gif

Bear was broken in as a 3yr old, took 4 weeks, and he's still a darling 3 years on
laugh.gif

x
 

hannahealasaid

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 March 2008
Messages
208
Location
Aberdeen
Visit site
I led my 2 yr old on hacks from my older horse. I would now do it with all my youngsters if poss because it meant that when it came to riding him in traffic he had seen it all and wasn't worried by anything.
 

diamondgeezer

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 October 2008
Messages
193
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Hi all, My boy was bitted as a yearling as he had to be for the hunter yearling classes at county shows. He had a bib clip when he was 17 months old just to get him used to various things. He is 2 yrs 3 months now and about 2 months ago had his first saddle on and went for a wander round arena. Totally fine didn't even arch his back. He now also goes round arena on a lunge line (not circles but round edges with me running smaller circle round middle of arena) in walk trot and canter and knows all voice commands and is very responsive. Only do this very occasionally and only for 5-6 mins in total. He's happy for me to jump up and down slowly holding onto saddle and wiggle stirrups about.

Upon saying this he is 3/4 ID, quite a chunky built, bullish boy who used to be very bargy and liked to throw his weight around and I was advised (about 8 weeks ago) by instructor and vet to give him more to think about, before he gets even bigger, stronger and harder to handle. It has worked wonders he's alot better behaved in general on a day to day basis. I wouldn't recomend this to everyone but what suits the individual horse.
 
Last edited:
Top