How much do you do with your youngsters, and how fast?

[ShadowFlame]

No right / wrong answer, just interested to hear how fast you tend to take things? Once backed, how long before you do roadwork, schooling, trot, canter, gallop, jumping, etc and how old are they as you progress? Does it depend on the horse and how they adapt to ridden work, or do you have a set schedule?

Just me being nosey

 

[peaceandquiet1]

I think it dpends on the individual. We are backing a younster (rising 4) and hope to get her to a few shows this summer but no timescale.

 

[Horses&Handbags]

My boy is five and we tend to have a flat lesson every week - fortnight, as much hacking as we can manage and schooling, lunging, long lining as and when.

My plan is very flexible, to suit my horse and my needs - I tend to do less in winter as work, day time hours are less than in the summer!

 

[Foxhunter49]

For me it depends on the horse itself.
As for road work mine will have done a certain amount before being backed, either long reined or led out from another horse.

I never ride a horse in the arena first time of being backed. I just get on them and ride them straight out onto the roads and tracks where I will walk trot and canter them letting them find their balance with a rider on top.

I have been known to go out leading the youngster and come back riding it and leading the experienced horse!

I will ride them out for two or three weeks before venturing into the arena. I like them to learn togo forward and they find balancing easier if they are not continually having to turn a corner and there is nothing you can do in the arena that you cannot do out and about with a youngster.

 

[beehorses]

For me it depends on the horse itself.
As for road work mine will have done a certain amount before being backed, either long reined or led out from another horse.

I never ride a horse in the arena first time of being backed. I just get on them and ride them straight out onto the roads and tracks where I will walk trot and canter them letting them find their balance with a rider on top.

I have been known to go out leading the youngster and come back riding it and leading the experienced horse!

I will ride them out for two or three weeks before venturing into the arena. I like them to learn togo forward and they find balancing easier if they are not continually having to turn a corner and there is nothing you can do in the arena that you cannot do out and about with a youngster.

I have a rising 3 year old and although I am not backing her yet I will be doing the above and agree that out and forward are the most important thing to learn.