not doing enough with 4 year old?

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showpony

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Ok so would like very honest opinions here. To give a brief rundown I aquired a fab ish couple mths ago, she only ofically turned 4 in june. I heard through a source tonight that there has been some bitching about the fact I am not doing enough with her. Now she is a keeper and the intention is by the time my daughter moves onto horses in 10 yrs there will be a well schooled horse for her to move onto.
She is currently being ridden or lunged 4 days a wk, which will be increasing to 5 days a wk. When schooling we do about 40 mins- working on transitions, leg yielding and flexion exercises. Have also starting popping over some small crosspoles. There is the few couple days where I just go up and groom her and do some free schooling if short on time.... I do hope to show her next year also. She has huge potential but am starting to doubt that I am doing too little to achieve her potential, what do you all think?
 
You are doing four days a week in the school with a four year old forty minutes a time I think that's quite a lot .
I would be doing six days a week but lots of hacking in walk in company up to forty minutes per day and schooling twice may be three times a week not more than half an hour from start to finish.
If the horse is a keeper there's no need to rush.
 
Sounds good to me maybe you could add in some in hand de/sensitive work or hacking? Ignore the nastiness , everybody's an expert aren't they lol....probs jealousy ;)
 
Depends on the horse I think, if she seems happy, well behaved and progressing, I wouldn't worry. I believe in letting horses be horses at that age, and bringing them on slowly makes them an even better finished product. Stick to your guns if you are happy with her :)

Any pics? x
 
Good god what do they expect you to be doing? I think you're doing quite a lot actually, sometimes mine only gets ridden twice a week, I will lunge him when he gets the hang of it and not doing anything at the mo as I am injured due to a fall, I don't think it will do any harm as they are still growing (he is really filling out) and I don't want to push too hard. Do you think she has a lot of growing to do or does she seem quite mature?

Ignore them, you can ride her once or seven times a week its none of their business! I wonder what they're up to with theirs?
 
Lunge work would only be 20mins:) I know I am not over working her, starting on hacking next wk ... But a lot of that will be in hand as she can be a bit spooky.. Thank you for replying:)
 
oooof i.must be mince then i did hardly anuthing with my 4 year old mostly wee bit scholing and loads od desensitising. hes only 5 but just started hacking out and not jumping yet *hamgs head in shame
 
Too much IMO. My four year old (four in April) is turned away at the moment, having been backed at the start of the summer.

If you don't want to give her a break, cut down the schooling to two sessions per week, don't over-lunge, hack her out more and give her a couple of days off a week. :)
 
Its your horse if you want to keep her in a field and do nothing but love her as long as she's healthy,propaly cared for, and happy why do other people feel the need to get involved! Imo its you're horse you can do as little as u want!
 
Would love to do 6 days but just not possible, FT Job & couple of kids, Other half works crazy hours & throws a hissy fit if when he is off I spend it at the stables:)

Goldenstar said:
You are doing four days a week in the school with a four year old forty minutes a time I think that's quite a lot .
I would be doing six days a week but lots of hacking in walk in company up to forty minutes per day and schooling twice may be three times a week not more than half an hour from start to finish.
If the horse is a keeper there's no need to rush.
Click to expand...
 
She is doing more than enough IMO, but at the end of the day she is your horse so you do what your happy with. Don't let others pressure you into doing more or less with your horse you no her best & it's no one else's buisness.
 
I would say your doing pleanty!! 40 mins schooling is pretty instensive, but sounds varied. And I do more with mine.

Buddy is 4, we usaully do 1 hack solo p/w about 45 mins, 2/3 hacks in company ranging half and hour to an hour and a half, 1 jumping/schooling lesson (half hr) and then maybe another schooling sesh inbetween (15-20 mins).

He also goes out alot ie this week we are going xc schooling on sat and then a trip out to a local show on sun (prob wont do a class, just hack around and soak up the atmosphere), we have also done fun rides, will be going cubbing, have rc rallies once p/m and will be doing some indoor dressage and sj this winter. So he does quite abit of loading, travelling and seeing new places.

Buds is bomb proof, chilled yet lively and very up for every thing (espesh jumping :rolleyes:)
I like to think he is getting lots of low impact education seeing out and about and learning all about life! :)
 
Do what you think is right. Ignore what others say. Everyone seems to be ready to offer an opinion on a yard when it comes to youngsters. It is far worse to get pushed into doing more than you and he are ready for than to do too little. You are doing plenty. I have 4 year olds and it amazes me how many people want to give me an unsolicited opinion on what I should do. I just smile and say something utterly inane now and carry on anyway.
 
Would also add I like to lead my four year olds from another horse regularily it's a great way to get them to see the world without the wieght of the rider we go in a group and it does them a power of good .
I also give them regular mini breaks of a few days ( usually when I am away).
 
Goldenstar said:
Would also add I like to lead my four year olds from another horse regularily it's a great way to get them to see the world without the wieght of the rider we go in a group and it does them a power of good .
I also give them regular mini breaks of a few days ( usually when I am away).
Click to expand...

Yes forgot to mention this, Buddy often comes out walking the dogs! Just on his headcollar, round the woods and moors. :p he loves it!

And some weeks he may have 3 or 4 days off doing nothing, espesh after a busy weekend or something.
 
That is my thought - why rush her into anything , she is still a baby!

Here are some pics from her first show! only had her a couple of weeks & she behaved like a 15 year old been around the block type of horse!

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dressagelove said:
Depends on the horse I think, if she seems happy, well behaved and progressing, I wouldn't worry. I believe in letting horses be horses at that age, and bringing them on slowly makes them an even better finished product. Stick to your guns if you are happy with her :)

Any pics? x
Click to expand...
 
Judging by those pictures she still has a lot of maturing to go so personally, I actually think you're being a bit strong on the schooling as all the turning isn't good for young immature limbs. Go gentle hacking as often as you like but go steady on time spent in the school for her sake - oh and tell the busybodies to take a hike, she's your horse, you know what's best for her. Sounds like they want you to burn her out both physically and mentally until they'd be happy; remember, they're of no consequence; your horse, you call the shots.

She's very nice BTW.
 
My 4 year old is currently a glorified lawnmower (turned 4 26th of July). However, he has just had grass sickness but if he had been healthy I would just be hacking out and having fun and starting to add schooling sessions over winter and would be bashing anyone that said I wasn't doing enough! :-)
 
Agree with maesfens post. 4yr olds I only really hack, doing light schooling on hacks while out & low pressure local ridden shows for experience. Might do 5mins light lunging, & they are certainly going nicely on hacks, but don't go in for proper work in a school till 5 myself.
 
When my spotty boy was 4 he did 4 days a week- 2 schooling for max 1/2 hour and 2 hacking for around an hour. He had a few weeks off every now and again as well. I stepped up his work a bit over the winter of his 4 year old year, still rising 4 days a week but increasing to 40- 45mins. I only started doing 5 days a week when he turned 5.
 
I wouldnt listen to those who are bitching, its not worth it, I've been there myself when I bought my youngster as a 3.4 year old last september, people were constantly going on about I should have backed him over the winter etc.

But I didnt listen, I took my time, because he is quirky, I adapted my way of going about breaking him in and treated him as an individual. I broke him in about 4 months ago (so as a 4 year old, and had already been long-reining and lungeing him & going for walks in hand etc) and since then he hacks out about 2 times a week (in company and alone) and in the last 3 weeks starting light schooling about 1-2 times a week lasting approx 20 - 30 mins.

I work him on a basis of 3 days work (either hacking/ schooling) followed by 2-3 days off and so on, and this works for him.

At the end of the day you should do whats best for your horse, as you know her :)
 
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