I genuinely believe that you should not have a young horse

So out of interest (to the people who have followed my progress on here) what are people's views of my situation - young horse who I've had and produced myself (but with the backing of several trusted, experienced friends and 2 brilliant instructors) from a yearling, I'm now 21, she is 3, and I have been riding from the age of 11 - her being my first horse of my own!! BUT I have always "shared" horses right from day one, never had lessons with a riding school but did pc and rc my friends horses and have ridden and brought on youngsters over the last 8 years (albeit very supervised and with a lot of help!).

??????
 
Gin - we have all applauded you - read the whole thread!
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Ahhh but you at least have a governing body if they are inappropriate/incompetent in any way and know for sure that a first aider is at hand should the worst happen

I heard one trainer telling a young girl and her non horsey parent that they must pick lavender and crush it into the horses feed along with bananas to help with its temperament
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and teaching the teenager that the way to ride was by nag nag nagging at the horses sides all this at only £40 an hour
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So out of interest (to the people who have followed my progress on here) what are people's views of my situation - young horse who I've had and produced myself (but with the backing of several trusted, experienced friends and 2 brilliant instructors) from a yearling, I'm now 21, she is 3, and I have been riding from the age of 11 - her being my first horse of my own!! BUT I have always "shared" horses right from day one, never had lessons with a riding school but did pc and rc my friends horses and have ridden and brought on youngsters over the last 8 years (albeit very supervised and with a lot of help!).

??????

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Clearly you have done a good job, and round of applause to you *huge pat on back* but 100's dont!
 
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Gin - we have all applauded you - read the whole thread!
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Sorry, just got in from work and did a very quick reply
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Surely she won't mind being named - Gin has started Tilly SO SO well and I am positive that will continue throughout her ridden life
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Hear! Hear! I think Gin has done an absolutely sterling job with Tilly. Obviously we all think so, therefore it must be true!
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Wow
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Reading some of these comments has actually brought tears to my eyes, you have know idea just how much your words mean to me
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Thankyou
 
Monty is the youngest horse I have ever owned. At 6 years old he is very laidback and has behaved better than my 12 year old up until Monday. I have very good support around me and an extremely good instructor and I would say that based on what he has been like I was experienced enough to cope with him with good support.
Unfortunately for whatever reason he reared up and fell back on me just because I asked him to walk downhill. I am having him looked at fully to check that he is not in any pain or discomfort. If he was advertised as a rearer I would'nt of touched him as I am not experienced enough to cope with him doing that.
I know that as he is at the moment I cannot cope with him which is why he is going away to someone who can find out why he reacted so extremely and to try and work with him.
 
Ah yes good old Health and Safety....

Trainers are either good or bad; totally irrespective of what qualifications they may hold.
 
You wouldn't go to a doctor, lawyer, dentist or even driving instructor without qualifications....why is horse riding any different?
I am always suspicious about people who don't have the basic quals -if you look at decent levels of competitors, most of them are qualified..
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Sarcasm doesn't suit you, dear.
I'm just cynical as there is a certain 'instructor' at my yard who isn't insured, (doesn't even bother taxing her horsebox), isn't qualified (she failed her BHS stages as she was so dreadful), who doesn't really compete (but goes to little unaff. shows sometimes) but who talks for Britain.
Lots of innocent parents bring their daughters and ponies for 'lessons' with her - I have to look away it's so unsafe.
But basic BHS quals at least keep the worst of the 'cowboys' out of business. I believe that they will be compulsory in a few years anyway, here.
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Not sarcasm - just a purely reflex action of laughing out loud, but I appreciate the credit even if undeserved.
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I believe that they will be compulsory in a few years anyway, here.


[/ QUOTE ] I don't.
 
I took on my first and last youngster after years of owning horses and schooling some green ones.

I thought very long and hard before doing so and have had an experienced instructor all the way helping me.

I would not have gone for a TB as my first youngster, and Chancer being a gypsy cob has been perfect for me as he has been so easy all the way.

I have learnt a huge amount, and at the moment have a very well adjusted little chap who I hope will go on to be a great all rounder. At every stage I will continue to get help and hand over if necessary to someone more knowledgable, especially on the riding side.

At the end of the day we all have to start with our first youngster at some point and as long as we get as much help as we can from knowledgable people, get the right type of first youngster, then yes a good balanced horse can be achieved.
 
The day I roll over is the day that all persons teaching HAVE to have exams - I can reel off a list of trainers I would no longer be permitted to use because they have no qualifications.... oh, and wouldn't the British BE team have to sack Yogi B too
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My instructor has no qualifications any more, but he has managed to get me and my horse working better than any other instructor/person! He used to be qualified (I know as he taught the instructor at my yard how to ride when he was younger!) and he did pony club stuff etc. All for £10 an hour!! (mates rates) And that is just me paying for his petrol of course
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But, he is better than one particular instructor who charges £35 an hour!
 
I see where you are coming from and in many cases I agree, but to say I agree 100% would be hypocritical.
My first pony was a 6yo Connemara gelding who was used as a hack by a racehorse trainer. He had been used to ride work alongside some of the racehorses in the yard also(!). He had jumped once(dbl clear) at 90cm level at a local show in an SJAI unregistered. His flatwork was non existant and while i did jump him over 1m20 when i tried him - we really should have looked for him on trial (it was a 3hr drive up there) as from day 1 we had problems with him. In fact the entire first year was a no go - he spent 11months on box rest with nail bind, drops and then sliced his heel almost right through when being backed into a corner by the herd bully and kicked repeatedly resulting in him requiring numerous stitches (the second set held but the first didnt) as well as box rest and bute for roughly 6weeks. In all I think i rode him 13 times in the first 12months that I had him. He had terrible problems with his hooves and also refused to jump anything higher than about 2ft unless absolutely forced to. Nobody took my suggestion that he was refusing because he was sore on his feet. I NEVER rode him when he was lame even if he was just slightly unlevel- Id jump off straight away. But day in day out for the first 2 years when 100% sound he would refuse to jump - and not right at the fence. Hed stop 4-5 strides away and refuse to move - not even backwards. Hed just stop solid and nothing or no one would move him - his ears wouldnt go back - hed just switch off ... completely. I tried getting older more experienced competitors to jump him and just when they thought they were going to go clear and relaxed even the tiniest bit hed stop again 4-5strides from the last fence and refuse to budge. In those 2 years I had one double clear at SJAI Cd (1m05) and the my friend who I had asked to jump him and see if it was just me had 1 dbl clear at the same level also - but in between we had to retire from many many classes. He didnt get eliminated at least(!)- since he only ever had one refusal in a class - but Id have to dismount to get him to move again.
Then he suffered from a v bad case of strangles and lost so much weight that I turned him out for 6months on plenty of concentrates, good grass and a biotin and copper supplement and he turned inside out. When I sold him as a 10yo he was the perfect schoolmaster - with a particular love for cross country and hunting. He would jump around any open cross countr course without a problem and was easy to pull up if needed. His flatwork would never be super as the strangles left him a little tight through the jowl but he was the perfect pony for someone to have a bit of fun with.
My 2nd pony I got when Rou was off work after the strangles episode and she was 5years old but had only been broken in the autumn of her 4yo year. She was hunted that winter and had been turned out. She jumped at Millstreet in the loose schooling the week I got her on trial and had qualified for the final though she never competed in it. I jumped her in her first hunter trial during that week and with a friend who now competes for the Army we won the Open pairs and the novice individuals. By the time I sold her she had amassed almost 150points with the SJAI. Unfortunately as when we bought her I had only 16months left in ponies and Foot and Mouth cut that short I only got to compete her in a handful of Open 148 classes as she had just reached that level as i finished in ponies. A friend of mine competed her with much success the following year and we kept her until 2003. I just found out this week that she is competing in Stockholm now!
When I got both these ponies I didnt have much support - I kept my ponies on free livery at a neighbouring competition centre but anytime I booked a lesson with my pony the instructor "forgot" to turn up. Pony Club were the only lessons I got but we got there. In the end I only sold her because I hated to think of her being wasted sitting in the field when she should be out competingand i was too tall to do so. I still regret that decision as shes not the easiest but immensely talented and her next owner after me failed to manage her and was afraid to take her cross country or hunting - mores the pity as Im sure she would have got the hang of her if she took her hunting!

I do realise now - after having many more young horses in the last 4 years of which none were more than 4years old - that if I had half the knowledge that I have now, wed have achieved all we did together much sooner. ( I do tend to sell them at 3-4yrs broken and basic training often including jumping small courses of 90-1m)as I havent the confidence in my ability to not ruin them after that and i curently dont have time to ride them constantly with college) However we did get there without any support system and all those falls ( which were daily for the first year or more with rou!) and traumas were worth it in the long run. My parents had no interest in horses and still havent but whilst it was a hindrance to progress when I was a teenager, it has little impression on how I gget on with training my horses now. In fact, since I sold Ruby just over 4 years ago, my parents havent known about ANY of the horses Iv had in the intervening years.
I now have a yearling colt by Oscar who I bought roughly 3 weks ago. He hasn been handled but Iv turned him out to gain a little weight before handling him over christmas. I dont plan on keeping him past the age of 3 though - whilst i believe I may be able to train a youngster for general riding or showjumping - I think racing may be beyond me -YET!
 
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Surely she won't mind being named - Gin has started Tilly SO SO well and I am positive that will continue throughout her ridden life
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Hear! Hear! I think Gin has done an absolutely sterling job with Tilly. Obviously we all think so, therefore it must be true!
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Wow
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Reading some of these comments has actually brought tears to my eyes, you have know idea just how much your words mean to me
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I fully agree with them.

You have taken some flack, not on this forum I don't think about your youngster. I think it was something along the lines of "....leaving your horse in the field all day and not doing something with it" or along those lines (My memory is utter sh!te so feel free to correct me)
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. You handled any negative comments well and you now have a stunning, well rounded horse that I am sure, many here would give their right arm for!
 
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Wrong, Weezy, Yogi Breisner's a Fellow of the BHS.
See what I mean, now?
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Is that not like a "honorary" degree? As in, they have awarded him a special status to reflect his position?
 
Just over a decade ago I would never have considered buying a youngster as I didn't feel I had a clue, but after buying several mad, bad and dangerous 'grown ups' I thought I would give it a go.

Buying Rosie at 2yrs was a steep learning curve, but I really enjoyed the handling and training on the ground, though not much the riding part for several years - for several reasons which I won't bore you with.

But we have muddled through and now she's the best thing since sliced bread (biaised of course!)

she's now 14yrs old and I have had 4 other youngsters (M&M)including 2 feral weanlings bought off the New Forest - oh what fun they were, and now a new 2yr old Welsh Cob.

I've had the new girl for about 9 weeks and am revelling in teaching her all about being a well rounded, well mannered Riding Club Horsey.

Again, I'm not so keen on the backing process, though I did Rosie totally alone and that was the problem. This time I have got friends who can help, plus I have transport so can go and ride with other people.

I think if you have common sense and patience you can go a long way, and as far as whether the horse reaches its' full potential, you never really know if it had any until you get all the way.
 
To me if you can ride a horse positively, not hook him at the jumps/be scared by what he/she might throw at you, you're probably safe enough with a young horse. Common sense is what it's all about . In saying that I wouldn't be much interested in anything under 6 as I want them to be able to continue education as they go through, rather than having to turn them away etc.
 
Sorry just because someone holds a qualification does not mean they can teach, or at least be good at teaching. I dont care if that is meant to be part of their exam, fact is some qualified teachers dont know how to convey what is needed. I have seen a lot of money wasted at riding schools. Same as some top riders can do, but cant teach. As for youngsters one of the most important aspects is be able to stay in balance with them, & some people are naturally balanced, & have good hands. I have seen photos of youngsters being ridden by youngsters who are so not in balance with the horse, & certainly dont have good hands. There is more damage done this way, as the young horse has enough learning to balance with the extra weight. I also think the danger with some kids/teenagers riding just backed youngsters is that they may not actually know the correct aids. Having said that I have seen "Professionals" screw up youngsters because again they dont have the balance/good hands or the patience needed. Most people can pull a horses head in, does not mean that horse is moving through from behind. Also there is no excuse for a youngster to be dead to the leg. If taught correctly a horse will go off the leg, there is no need to nag. And I dont know one rider who does not benifit from regular instruction. Each situation is different so no one can really say an unqualified person cant start a horse or teach because some just happen to be naturals.
 
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