How experienced should one be before buying their first youngster?

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FinkleyAlex

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I've completely fallen for a gelding who is perfect for me in every way (the height he'll make, what he's been bred for etc) except he is only coming up to two years old. Now I'm no newbie to horses - I've had my current boy for coming up to eleven years having re-schooled him after rescuing him from a field and gone on to compete in affiliated showing and the lower levels of affiliated show-jumping, and prior to him had two other ponies so have been responsible for all aspects of my horses from the age of 11 onwards (I'm coming up to 24 now).

However, I've never had a youngster before, and I'm wondering if anyone with youngsters can give me an accurate view of what I'm in for?! I have lots of time to give and finances aren't an issue - I also have no plans to break him in myself so that's one less worry! Any reassurance I won't be a bad mum would be much appreciated (as will honest comments!).
 
Go for it. you have plenty of schooling experience by the sounds of it.

We have a 3 yr old and are loving teaching him stuff.

But don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. our boy went away to be backed, and daughter - she's 17 - is having a lesson each week with someone who teaches her in PC and is an experienced horsewoman and has broken in horses etc for years and years.

Good luck.
 
I thought I was experienced enough last year for a youngster as my first actual horse. She was supposedly a 4yo and I couldn't cope with her. Moved onto the yard we bought her from and learnt tons and now I can do anything with her! Turned out after a dentist visit a few months ago she's only just turning 4, so it's no wonder I couldn't cope!
 
I'd say go for it, sounds like you've already got lots of useful experience and as long as you have a good trainer why not?
I know lots of people that have loved having youngsters and would never buy anything else. I think having a youngster would be brilliant, mainly because you're not buying anyone else's mistakes! :)
 
I think you should go for it too. You sound sensible and have thought things through, which is a lot more than a lot of people do. You have to start somewhere and as long as you know when to get help, you will be fine. Enjoy:)
 
Hi. You will be absolutely fine with a 2yr old. I am what you`d loosly term a novice owner and keep my horses at home. i bought the first one (gypsy cob x welsh D) as a rising 3 and had him started aas a rising 4 yr old. He`s been absolutely no problem. My second horse, a section D mare, i bought as a yearling and again i`ve not had a moments problem. it has probably helped in that i bought them from a friend who has her own well known stud so i knew there background. You sound more than capable of bringing on a youngster. go for it and enjoy
 
I don't know you or your abilities so I will answer for myself and if that helps you great! My first horse was 12, second was 8 but a competition schoolmaster who knew his job well, then two 6 year olds and a 5 year old. The 6/5 year olds were a completely different kettle of fish than the older horses. They were much more insecure in their approach to the world and needed a lot of support from their rider. I had to take things slowly with them, introduce them to new experiences gradually and have a lot of ridden and groundwork lessons.

I don't think I would enjoy a complete baby as I would have to pay someone else to bring him on to the level I could ride him. My 6/5 year olds came with 2/3 years good grounding in a professional yard which included competition experience and they were still hard work.
 
If you have some support available for if you ever need it - you'll be fine. :D

Here's my grey the first day I had her. She was 12 months when I got her.

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This is my new youngster, he was 17 months when I got him.

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My grey put me through the mill a bit as she went through a stage of really testing me, we had planting, rearing, cow kicking etc... So you have to stay calm and correct undesirable behaviour quickly (within three seconds), so no bad habits form.

The gelding is alot easier except for the fact that he hates his ears being touched and has been a bit nippy. He's never nipped me (or tried to) but he has got two other people, so he is learning to behave when handled by others. The ears will be a long slow process, but we'll get there. He had never worn a rug, so that was something else that he has learnt.

I like to walk my youngsters down the lanes in-hand and they both love it. :)
 
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Go for it.

I had my first youngster (yearling) when I was green as grass, only had one before then. After a sticky first few weeks it all went pretty well on the whole, and said horse is now nearly 20 and has had several sharers over the years who have loved him to bits.

If the horse is 'the one' and you love everything about them, and the temperement is right, then just go for it and have fun. We spent the first few years going for 'walkies' on the lanes, finding scary things to explore and de-spook with, doing in-hand showing, so when it came to backing (which I didn't do myself) he was already used to 'life'.

I am thinking about doing it again, I did buy a 4 yr old last year, but there isn't anyway near the bond I have with the old guy.
 
Go for it just don't be afraid to ask for help and I would say at least a lesson a week when riding as behaviour has to be corrected quickly.lots of handling and you'll be fine sounds like you have lots of experience just be ready for lots of testing my welsh d is a nightmare at times and has a habit of dragging anyone else around that tries to lead her but I'm firm with her and we don't have problems on the ground. Lots of getting use to the road if you can safely.
 
Do it ! I had Dex from an unbacked 3 year old (now rising 9) he was only my second horse and my first I only owned a year before had to retire her - I knew practically nothing but we have grown together - he has dumped me and bolted, bitten me, refused to load etc etc but I wouldnt change him for the world - we started off doing site seeing together which built a great bond and last year went hunting for the first time (long time goal).

If I bought again I would do exactly the same - unbacked youngster !!!

Have fun !
 
Go for it!

As long as you feel confident and have someone with backing exp to turn to if you run into any difficulties. I bought my first youngester when I was 17 and did all the groundwork with him myself, sat on him ect then sent him away to proffessionally backed properly then brought him on further myself. It was so rewarding and you get an amazing bond! Unfortuanatly had to sell him back in December as a 4 1/2 yr old due to having to move away for uni and my little sister not being confident with him :( absolutely devestating!!
 
Ditto to what the other posters have said, go for it. I don't think you have to be particularly experienced to own a youngster, common sense is far more important. If you have a network of horsey friends, and tbh you'll get help and advice from here as there's plenty of us with tons of experience with youngsters so I think you'll be fine. Youngsters are fairly easy to deal with providing you have common sense and are able to look beyond today, what I mean is, it's easier to teach them good manners and behaviour acceptable to you than it is to unteach bad manners, so being firm and fair with youngsters usually leads to a healthy partnership. The worst thing I see people do is to treat them like babies, please try not to do this. If you wouldn't accept their behaviour from an adult horse then don't accept it from a youngster either. You reap what you sow, keep them on the straight and narrow and you'll have a lovely well brought up horse in a few years.
 
Having a sensible approach is the best thing IMO- I have had some 'fun' horses in my time- mostly wrecked by other people and backed and rode away my welsh B myself before I put my mare in foal (injured in the field and a bloody good mare!) to replace her as she had been prematurely retired and the vet OK'd her for breeding. I've loved the whole process and it has taught me so much!! My boy is rising three and just backed, he shows in hand and is well mannered and simply adorable. However, he is just like his mum- give him an inch and he'll take a mile. I've had to be determined, not let him away with anything and choose his boundaries and stick to them. If I let him away with something, he escalates his behaviour the next time. I wouldn't swop him for the world, I've been offered good money for him from good homes but wont part with him for the world! I'm looking forward to the next couple of decades with him!! :D
 
I bought my first youngster as an unbacked 3yr old after owning a TB and having three other horses on loan while she was in retirement. I had a good support network, including a trainer who had spent 25yrs breeding, backing and selling TBs and hunters.

It was hard work and I made mistakes but, as long as you can recognise when things are not going as well as they could and ask for the help you have in place, I'd say go for it.

The only thing is that, at rising 2yrs, you cannot say with definite certainty what his height will be or whether he'll have the aptitude for what you want to do. I have a 15hh large breed native who will probably end up 15.1hh. He wasn't supposed to go over 14.1hh absolute maximum. The rising 4year old I have is by a 14.1hh cob stallion out of a 14.3hh standardbred trotter mare and is looking likely to make at least 15.2hh.

If you only what to do what you want to do and aren't prepared to change sport if your youngster doesn't want to do the same things as you then buy him but be prepared for perhaps having to sell him on into a home that does what he wants to do. It's miserable to see horses who want to power round XC courses stuck in a dressage ring with never a chance to jump or gallop on and vice versa.
 
I got my youngster when I was 17 after only owning my first pony for about two years.

Many would say to early but he has no hang ups whatsoever and is now broken in and a good chappy so we can't have done to bad together!
 
HeatherA said:
I bought my first youngster as an unbacked 3yr old after owning a TB and having three other horses on loan while she was in retirement. I had a good support network, including a trainer who had spent 25yrs breeding, backing and selling TBs and hunters.

It was hard work and I made mistakes but, as long as you can recognise when things are not going as well as they could and ask for the help you have in place, I'd say go for it.

The only thing is that, at rising 2yrs, you cannot say with definite certainty what his height will be or whether he'll have the aptitude for what you want to do. I have a 15hh large breed native who will probably end up 15.1hh. He wasn't supposed to go over 14.1hh absolute maximum. The rising 4year old I have is by a 14.1hh cob stallion out of a 14.3hh standardbred trotter mare and is looking likely to make at least 15.2hh.

If you only what to do what you want to do and aren't prepared to change sport if your youngster doesn't want to do the same things as you then buy him but be prepared for perhaps having to sell him on into a home that does what he wants to do. It's miserable to see horses who want to power round XC courses stuck in a dressage ring with never a chance to jump or gallop on and vice versa.
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Some really good points there - I'm crossing my fingers he grows as much as possible really as I'm on the tall side though quite slender (my other boy is 14.2 and I fit him though I look a little on the tall side) so as long as he grows bigger than that I'll be happy :D (and he's already 14.2 so thats one bridge crossed!). As for the sport bit I'm generally a fun rider so I do a bit of this and a bit of that, my first love is showing which is what he's bred for but he's not meant to be my next show horse - it would just be great if he could turn his hoof to it amongst other things. I'm hoping he'll be my other forever horse as I've had my current boy for so long and he will be with my until he passes so I'm hoping I can offer the same to the new boy.
 
I've just done the same thing, same age as you as well, pretty much the same story :)
I love my youngester hes fab however was totally unhandled before I had him at 3, which is fine for most things but the de sencization (sp) is proving the hardest part so wouldn't go for something unhandled at that age again.
As for general stuff like grooming, etc that's been a walk in the park
 
If you have the patience to dedicate to a youngster, then go for it.... we've all got to start somewhere and you said yourself, you're no stranger to horses. Just be prepared to let it be a baby and not to overload it by doing "things". It is incredibly rewarding and great fun :)
 
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