keeping expectations in check - tricky young horse

C

Cluelessblonde

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 June 2016
Messages
153
Visit site
Hi just wondering does anyone else ever get a little defeated when things are going at a microscopely slow improvement. Before I start I know he is not by far the worse but a lot a lot of work has been put in.

Like three months ago not a hope could I sit on my lad. Now he tolerate it but feels like a very young immature 3 year old. I saw a 3 year old stallion behave like a dream and I know its bad but I was jealous. The horse is lovely and so is my lad hes super on the ground has his baby moments now and again but my nervous hubbie can lead him around tack untack etc and hes a gent which wasnt always the case but does anyone sometimes feel get a little frustrated how slow it comes?

Disclosure im not giving out about him I just get my hopes up so quickly
 
lol, as a breeder, I've had a few of those and there is almost always a reason! It's finding the reason is the challenge. I have a 4yo we're JUST starting to back. Breeding says quiet and sensible - he's not. As 3 of his full siblings have developed kissing spines, that was 1st guess - x-rays rule it out. Seeing him dither and shake when roller on (not for the first time) makes ulcers a suspect so has started on Nexium. Maybe it will help - maybe he just has a screw loose - only time and patience - and ruling out the possibles - will tell.

Have you had him ALL his life? Memories of SOMETHING will almost always have an effect - good or bad.
 
No brought him just backed but I have backed horses in the past and been the rider for a few yards and he was not just packed.

I absolutely adore him thought ive had a few hes be on the way to the factory if he was mine comments but I smile sweetly and say good thing hes not yours so :) at the very worse he will be a big financial mistakes that looks pretty in the field but can be hard sometimes not to have a little low moment sometimes thanks :)
 
Sympathy here.
I have a 4yo who I backed this summer - we have two steps forward, one step back, and then sometimes progress onto a whole new level. I kept a diary on the last youngster I started and looking back on it now the progress was the same (she turned out OK).

He's young and growing, probably teething, he's got a new home to get used to. And they are like us, they learn at different rates and are better at different things. If he's a 'keeper' then just keep going at your rate rather than compare with other horses at this age. Get your vet to check him over even if only for peace of mind and find yourself a trainer who can help you both as well as being sympathetic to a young horse (we all need eyes on the ground). Sometimes a little break does both of you some good, I think of it as 'half-term' and we both come back refreshed. You know your horse best and what will suit him.
 
You can drive yourself crazy if you start making comparisons. My last horse was 'special' (some would have said special needs) in many ways and it would often be the case that YOs fancy baby horses would be doing things and coping with things as 3 and 4yos that mine couldn't do or handle at 4 times that age. But they had advantages mine didn't (not least their riders!) so you just have to get on with doing the best you can with the horse you've got and focus on the progress you are making, however slow sometimes. They're all so different!
 
Why did you buy a baby? I would prefer to see a three year old still out in the field growing up rather than being compared unfavourably to another three year old that's being progressed too quickly.
 
Oh mine is 6 and we're still behind many 4yo.

She spent most of her first year with me not being ridden and running up vets bills. Ulcer scope was positive so we treated for that. No improvement and through a fair amount of googling (love google!) PSSM reared its ugly head. So that's what she has and she's mightily unpredictable with it too.

This summer I saw people heading out to fun rides, baby dressage etc etc. I'd settle for a horse that could hack out without wondering whether I need a parachute. [in fact - I'd settle for a horse that looks sound in trot without a 30 minute warm up, but hey ho]
 
^^^^^^ exactly! Sorry that was to 9tails!

Take note when all the 'star' youngsters you are envying right now as well schooled for their age are laid up with chronic issues by the time they're nine and on the trash heap. I know which I'd prefer.
 
I have a pair of 5 year olds that are just starting to canter. One is a tricky lad, the other, a filly, is straight forward. The tricky one has been nagged around a fair bit to get him more settled, the filly has barely been off the farm.

They went for their first professional dressage lesson on Saturday and it was an eye opening afternoon to say the least. Young horses take a long time to strengthen and achieve core stability and balance.

Both horses did around 45 minutes work mainly in walk and halt followed by stretching exercises. The tricky boy was described as having far too much go and no whoa. He cannot control his power so resorts to rushing and on a bad day, to panicking. The filly has massive movement and no idea how to control it despite not having a heap of go and plenty of whoa.

I think a suitable instructor is key for young horses and especially tricky ones, after all tricky has many meanings.
 
I am older, when I was young no one ever had schools, aims, going to show was out of most our expectations. All we did was hack, so most of babies work was in straight lines with company so if they met something scary the herd was support. When we were backing we did a bit of long lining, then hopped on then that was it.
Now I do not think that was necessarily good but I think that there is too much pressure for young horses to be perfect, but no ones wants to put in the hours of often trailing round desensitising and letting them experience life before stressing in them. Someone once said to my daughter,' its all right for you, you always had good ponies', which was a back handed compliment because they were bargain basement, unbroken,but we spent hours doing the work, taking them for walks everyday round the village, adding another on complication only when the basics were established. It takes as long as it takes, if its done properly it lasts the horses lifetime.
 
If it acts like a three year old, treat it like a three year old. This, in my book is the only way forward. Your horse sounds immature, you might just have to be more patient then you have been and just let him grow up a bit. Can he not have the winter off to do that growing up and then be brought back to work in the spring.
 
Sorry I thought I had said it but hes 4. Completely agree. LOong reined him today and sat on him walking back to the yard so theres no pressure put on him just get a little low about how slow it comes with him but he is 100 percent worth it.
 
My horse is 11 and has only just learned how to act like a relatively normal horse! I bought him when he was three. He could barely canter a circle til he was 9 and then his injuries showed up. I've found all sorts of reasons for his behaviour but to start with he was just an exceptionally immature horse mentally and needed a lot lot longer than other horses. But right now I'd say he's the perfect horse for me, full of energy, incredibly light and polite and sensitive, loves life, so definitely worth the long slog of feeling left behind everyone else. I wouldn't swap him for any other horse now.
 
I have two 5 yr olds, my mare was backed this year after spending 18months longreining all over the place, and hasn't put a foot wrong but we go at her pace, and have only hacked so far (but hills, pheasant forests, streams, puddles, big traffic etc, not just quiet places) with one competition just for fun (driving comp, we went to see the carriages before she goes in one herself). My gelding tried longreining at the same time as her, about 3, and couldn't cope at all. Tried again last year, better but still not ready. This year he was massively improved but still not quite there for longreining. Hopefully next year, but we'll see. Both have been led out inhand since they were foals so are traffic proof but he just lost the plot at 2yrs and is just starting to come back to me, ready for work.
They are ready when they're ready, there's always stuff you can do while you're waiting if you need to "work" them, but I'm happy to take all the time they need when it means I have a ridden pony that has never felt the need to buck, run or show any other evasive tactics. She loves her work, and he does too, just not ready to do it without me nearby just yet.
 
Bought my WB as a done very little 5.5 yo. He looked nothing like a WB, was narrow, crooked and weak, rode like a super green baby. Could barely canter. His progression was incredibly slow, they first 12 months improved him little schooling wise, more just making him a nicer person. Fitness and strength improved though, thanks to lots of hacking and riding on varied terrain. Progression began to improve, and I feel is beginning to take off at a more accelerated rate. Now 8, he looks like a completely different horse and is working medium happily. His work has improved out of sight only in the past 6 months, before that it was quite up and down. He's still miles behind plenty of horses for the same age, but he just wasn't mentally or physically ready. I'm glad I've been patient, he's going to be super and hopefully a long term prospect.
 
Mine's well likely to be the high side of 15 and still we have issues with several things. I spent all winter hacking, doing lots of stuff real slow and taking my time. Time fixes everything, and you can't rush anything. One of the ladies where I graze bought this awful looking, ugly thing about three years ago, who was literally taught stop go and left and right. Now she's got a stunning boy who's 7 and I honestly would not be surprised to see him as a top level horse in a few years. Take your time and let things happen as they will.
 
Thanks for sharing your stories! Its so reassuring when you hear other peoples experiences. He is ridden during the week by another girl who is brilliant so I am very lucky to have great help around me. I keep saying to her dont put pressure on him I have 20 years to sort everything out. I want him just to learn the right way but I still get over excited when hes good and say ohhhh we can go hunting now when hes gone on his first hack haha
 
I don't think at 3 you can really think of them as tricky. I mean he can't be much different to when you bought him if he was already broken then so why did you, he's only 3. Uneducated and perhaps not the one for you, at worst. He will change and so will the other one you saw, dramatically, in the next 3 years.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I don't think at 3 you can really think of them as tricky. I mean he can't be much different to when you bought him if he was already broken then so why did you, he's only 3. Uneducated and perhaps not the one for you, at worst. He will change and so will the other one you saw, dramatically, in the next 3 years.
Click to expand...

Sorry I think the way I wrote made him sound like I was comparing age wise. Hes 4 the other horse is 3. Actually when I brought him he was sold as a quiet 4 year old. He is not quiet and I am not blaming him in the slightest. Everyone gets moments of doubt and I was just looking for similar experiences.
 
9tails said:
Why did you buy a baby? I would prefer to see a three year old still out in the field growing up rather than being compared unfavourably to another three year old that's being progressed too quickly.
Click to expand...

How do you know the three year old is being progressed to quickly ?
It's very easy to start horses at three without doing to much with them if you, know what your at .
OP I would consider getting your horse away ( you don't say how old he is ) to a pro someone who specialises at riding away, six weeks would be a great investment .
If you have not got the support on the ground at home it's the best thing to do.
You might be better to wait till spring unless you can ride daily on winter and have access to a school daily .
 
dollyanna said:
I have two 5 yr olds, my mare was backed this year after spending 18months longreining all over the place, and hasn't put a foot wrong but we go at her pace, and have only hacked so far (but hills, pheasant forests, streams, puddles, big traffic etc, not just quiet places) with one competition just for fun (driving comp, we went to see the carriages before she goes in one herself). My gelding tried longreining at the same time as her, about 3, and couldn't cope at all. Tried again last year, better but still not ready. This year he was massively improved but still not quite there for longreining. Hopefully next year, but we'll see. Both have been led out inhand since they were foals so are traffic proof but he just lost the plot at 2yrs and is just starting to come back to me, ready for work.
They are ready when they're ready, there's always stuff you can do while you're waiting if you need to "work" them, but I'm happy to take all the time they need when it means I have a ridden pony that has never felt the need to buck, run or show any other evasive tactics. She loves her work, and he does too, just not ready to do it without me nearby just yet.
Click to expand...

This is the approach I am taking with my five year old. I backed her last year, but only very lightly (just being led around). She hasn't taken to long reining at all, and we are having trouble finding a bit she is happy with. I was very ill for six months and am only just coming out of the other side from that so we are hardly more advanced than we were a year ago. However, she is more mature mentally now and she really loves to work. Life keeps getting in the way though as I am constantly getting things thrown at me which mean I can't fit in doing these extra things plus taking care of five horses at this time of year so sometimes we get whole weeks when I don't get a chance to do anything with her. But like you, I don't want to rush things. Been there, done that with the others I have broken in. This time I want the whole thing to be a comfortable and stress free journey for her. Sometimes though I do start to panic a bit when I realise just how much we need to do and the fact that she's now a five year old (July born).
 
Wagtail said:
This is the approach I am taking with my five year old. I backed her last year, but only very lightly (just being led around). She hasn't taken to long reining at all, and we are having trouble finding a bit she is happy with. I was very ill for six months and am only just coming out of the other side from that so we are hardly more advanced than we were a year ago. However, she is more mature mentally now and she really loves to work. Life keeps getting in the way though as I am constantly getting things thrown at me which mean I can't fit in doing these extra things plus taking care of five horses at this time of year so sometimes we get whole weeks when I don't get a chance to do anything with her. But like you, I don't want to rush things. Been there, done that with the others I have broken in. This time I want the whole thing to be a comfortable and stress free journey for her. Sometimes though I do start to panic a bit when I realise just how much we need to do and the fact that she's now a five year old (July born).
Click to expand...

I know what you mean about panicking, sometimes the old training kicks in and I feel that but I just remind myself that they are my ponies, for the rest o their lives, and if we've done it all by the time they're 10 then what else do we have to do?! :-D I have found that waiting often achieves more than battling, especially with the gelding. I could have spent the last 3yrs fighting the boy, and got to the same place I am now with a very unhappy pony and ruined bond, instead he has come back when was was ready to come back, and is more than willing to learn now.
As for bits, neither of mine are bitted yet, I was not prepared to use a bit if the understanding was not in place in terms of pressure, steering etc (I rely on voice mostly anyway), so gelding is a long way from a bit, mare is nearly there but want to fine tune the steering more inhand and ridden before a bit is brought in to the picture. I also can't quite bring myself to use metal, so after a lot of research am going to splash out on a beris leather bit which fits my criteria better than the rest.
I'm fine if I'm on my own, it's when I talk to other people who do things more traditionally I get riled as they feel the need to inflict their opinions unrequested, so I just don't talk about our training with many people!
 
The way to progress horses is to do something with them six days a week stop start is very bad for young horses it does not give the chance to consolidate what you are teaching them .
OP what is your work roultine with your horse ?
 
I bought a 4yo unbroken in August and she went and did an intro test (65%) on sunday! Every horse is so totally different but I had 0 expectations for her to be so easy when I got her! I definitely understand the feeling of defeat when something goes wrong, but persevere and he'll turn out in the end!
 
Goldenstar said:
The way to progress horses is to do something with them six days a week stop start is very bad for young horses it does not give the chance to consolidate what you are teaching them .
OP what is your work roultine with your horse ?
Click to expand...

I would have to disagree with this, my ponies made it very clear from the start when they were ready to learn and when they needed thinking time to just be. If I tried to push through it then nobody ended up happy and there was no good quality learning. Giving them time off when they asked for it meant they came back ready for the next step, sometimes surprisingly further ahead than when we stopped. One prefers to do more on a more regular basis, the other has until now preferred to have periods off with no kind of work, which he uses to grow, mature and think, coming back ready for more. It's very interesting to see.
 
Goldenstar said:
The way to progress horses is to do something with them six days a week stop start is very bad for young horses it does not give the chance to consolidate what you are teaching them .
OP what is your work roultine with your horse ?
Click to expand...

I completely agree. If you keep backing off from a horse every time it says no thanks then you are training them *not* to be a riding horse. You aren't doing them any favours or yourself.

The secret to training any animal is consistency and regularly training. That doesn't make you a harsh trainer and by the same token doing things slowly does not by default make you a good trainer.

The trainer has to be able to judge the horse and work it to the right point in every session to achieve optimum progression. The wrong training is however more harmful than none at all.

I have quite a few horses on, nearly all young and in training. In each session I want to achieve the absolute maximum amount of progress and learning to make the best use of my time. Some horses do learn more quickly than others. I have two kids ponies my daughter is bringing on. One has an unbelievably trainable nature and the other - well, the other is welsh. The outcome for both will be the same but the latter will need far more training and very precise consistent handling to achieve it. We relish the challenge tho.
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't worry too much. Take your time and do as you feel best. It's your horse!
I've a 4 year old. He's been handled as a foal, last year at 3 he was long reined, lunged and lightly backed. Turned away over last winter and this year is being very lightly ridden and has been to his first in hand show.
He will most likely have a couple of months off over winter and in spring will be doing more.
So far he's been as good as gold.
I've had comments from people saying he should be doing more, mostly from people who either would never have the nerve to back a horse or from people who's own horses are crippled with arthritis or injury of some sort.
He's your horse, take your time, get help if needed but he is still young. No need to panic yet.
 
I've backed and produced several youngsters, one of my 4 years olds (back in 2003) was very young mentally and at first he could only cope with doing a bit of long reining a couple of times a week. I didn't rush him, we just took it the pace we needed. Six months later and he was up and hacking out happily on his own on busy roads, very confident and sure of himself, which was a complete turn around from his initial character.
I remember when I took him to his second little clear round showjumping class as a 5 year old, we were jumping higher at home but I wanted to build his confidence in the ring so we stuck at the 1ft 6 clear round in this occasion, which he flew round.
When I came out the ring, a girl who frankly always has too much to say, enquired as to why I wasn't putting him in the bigger classes now like she was with her 5 year old. I later watched her on said 5 year old, in the larger clear round, refusing every fence and only going over second time with a good smack first. Quite how she felt that that experience was a good one I don't know. I remember feeling rather smug that my youngster, albeit having jumped smaller than he was capable of, had come away with a nice confidence giving round that helped set him up for the future.
What I'm trying to say is- don't rush, and don't compare him to other horses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top