For christ sake he's 2!!!!

In their defense they could mean he's good to stand while jockey is legged up? He could be close to 3 again in which case starting him off quietly isn't such a bad thing for a horse that will be a good size and weight, I certainly wouldn't want to see him ridden but being sat on as he is in the pictures doesn't shock me that much.

Edited to add...just reading he's 14.3 now to make 16hh??? Not sure that figures and I misread thinking he was a Cleveland but a TB x Welsh I'd say he's not going to make 16hh???
 
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Not a good idea with a 2yo certainly - but very good idea with older horse - very difficult to carry a mounting block around with you out on a hack....
 
Awful isn't it, someone i know has backed her two year old and isn't sure whether to sell it now or when it's been to shows and hunted (when it won't even be three...). But ofcourse race horses are broken at that age... so that makes it okay!
 
Racehorses are started as yearlings, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have a sit on and wander about the yard?! That said, you'd always have a leg up in a racing yard. Worse things happen to horses on Irish council estates, people! :p
 
Very sad.
He's not even a particularly well developed 2 year old unfortunately, I have a 2 year old NF colt at 14hh with more depth and substance than that lad.
 
oh dear poor horse! and he looks really immature as well! with long gangly legs!
I cant believe they say hes 14.2 to make 16.2 though? unless they stunted his growth so much by riding him that the next person who gets him and rests him means he will have a massive spurt!
I have seen so many 2 year olds ridden for sale recently :(
 
Worrying that the rider is a bit of a hefter. Shocks me to think people either just dont have the sense, or just cant be bothered to wait. My 2.5yo is completely untouched and will remain so until he turns 3.
x
 
oh kerrist! I know that yard. The aggressive colt that my "friend" bought and turned out with ours to cause all that hassle, came from there. She bought him off the yard owners. In the yard owners defence, they seemed very level headed and sensible, and the colt had been handled etc and was a model citizen until my moronic "friend" bought him, apart from not being passported, alot round here arent though. It is a livery yard, so it may well belong to a livery. Still sad though :(

I have no issues with 2 year olds being sat on by a very light weight rider. Our rising 3 year old pony cob has been sat on a few times by a 4 stone rider. Hes a chunky welsh cross appy to make 14.2hh, so 5 stone wont hurt him to sit there for 10 minutes at a time. He hasnt been worked in any shape or form or tacked up other than a saddle plonked on a few times sams girth, though, and shes lifted up, leans over, "hugs" him and gradually sits up to brush/scritch him. I personally feel its fab for babies to get used to people being behind and above them. I'll do the same with the rising 2 year olds next year. But no WAY would any of mine be carrying that weight or being worked in tack though :(
 
whilst racehorses are started early thier feeding and care is so so much different from the everyday horse - and im not saying I agree btw with that practice. But sorry what is wrong with letting a horse be a youngster and growing and maturing - far to many horses - showjumpers esp to compete - are started young but do we know how many break down before they reach maturity or older. OK I wait for backlash here but this is only my opioion I believe late 3rd year is soon enough to quietly start a horse regardless of size and breed - bridle saddle walk trot and canter away quiet short hack then turned away over winter to mature then brought back and started again.quiet slow and consistent. Old fashioned maybe but to me it has always given good well adjusted horses - and theres loads of ground work you can do with a young one to educate them - quick fast fix is what some people want - BUT only my opioion - and yes my spelling is poo :)
 
What worries me is hes advertised as a 2yr old...so does that mean hes 2 this year, so possibly only 18months old in reality, or is he already 2 so 3 this year?
 
Poor thing I can't stand it when they're backed to early.
Someone I know just had a horse that was tarined to race but never did and bought him at 2 and she's riding him not only badly and jabbing him in the mouth but in draw reins!! When she was questioned she said he was ridden before so why can't I ride him now!? She really does not see a problem with what shes doing :confused: Shame really as he seems like a nice horse but will sonn be absolutly crippled.

Sorry for rant just very annoyed about this!
 
Kokopelli said:
Poor thing I can't stand it when they're backed to early.
Someone I know just had a horse that was tarined to race but never did and bought him at 2 and she's riding him not only badly and jabbing him in the mouth but in draw reins!! When she was questioned she said he was ridden before so why can't I ride him now!? She really does not see a problem with what shes doing :confused: Shame really as he seems like a nice horse but will sonn be absolutly crippled.

Sorry for rant just very annoyed about this!
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That's quite sad :( whenever I see off-the-track 2 and 3 year olds I just want to buy them and put them in a field for a year or two!
 
I saw a 2yr old shetland advertised, the photo showed a boy on its back who shouldn't have been on when the poor beast was fully grown. Really P's me off,
I once got the police to travellers who were letting teenage boys gallop 2 newly weaned shetland foals around, the response was it's an RSPCA matter,
I told them either they did something about it or I would, I'm a 50+ gran and was in tears on the phone to the police, it turns out the foals were a present for the daughter
 
To be honest i think most horses i see, i wouldnt want to get on them properly before they were nearing 4. Just don't see what all the rush is about. And that poor lad looks so immature and gangly, needs to be left to be a baby for a bit longer rather than having his unmuscled back squished by a less than lightweight rider.
 
my rising 3 year olds are no where near that stage at the moment i am only sitting on them bare back in the stable for 2-3 mins a couple of times a week.
Ok so they have been walked in hand for miles and are used to a saddle and bridle, when out inhand but no where near developed enough for tack and rider and work, and they are both nearly 16hh, but they are still gangly babies.
i do not see the reason that so many people are starting and riding horses at 2 yrs old, they will not be any where near developed enough in muscle or joints, and that is only creating problems later on in life
 
Jesster, that's an unpleasant sweeping exaggeration. Worse things happen to horses all over the UK and right across all social classes, income groups, you name it. Not just in Ireland.
 
Jesster said:
Racehorses are started as yearlings, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have a sit on and wander about the yard?! That said, you'd always have a leg up in a racing yard. Worse things happen to horses on Irish council estates, people! :p
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The racing industry has got a lot to answer for IMO.
 
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