Oakley wears his first ever saddle...

Girlracer

Girlracer

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And couldn't care less....

Don't think he's going to be very hard to back, it seems literally nothing phases him.

Don't plan on sitting on him until the summer, and only lightly until next year. He's not really doing much, I do something with him maybe once a fortnight? Have been teaching him to 'lunge' which is just mostly walking, with the odd circle of trot learning to stop and go from my voice. He picked that up more or less straight away. Otherwise just showing him spooky things and going for little walks in hand, which he seems to enjoy! Much happier stabled now, doesn't get too upset when I take Major away now either which is really good. Had his first little trim yesterday also, which he was very good for, surprisingly as he can be a bit silly about having his feet picked out but I have been working hard on that one! :D

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Walkies with the dog!

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Love the photo of him looking around at his saddle. I put a saddle on mine the summer of her third birthday, she was a July foal, and walked her out in hand with the company of my MIL riding her mare and she loved it. I didn't actually get on her though until the summer of her fourth birthday.
 
Looking fab! I'm doing exactly the same kind of things with my youngster. Welshies are far too clever for their own good lol. I look forward to more pics as always. :)
 
zigzag said:
Let him be a horse... too young for all this...
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He's too young to do 20 minutes in hand? Reaaally....?

Thank you for the comments everyone, he has such a great attitude and thrives on human interaction. He's a very sweet boy, glad we seem to have cracked the stable issues too. (he lives out but comes in for a few hours whilst Major is ridden etc).

His actual Birthday is April, so he'll be 3 in about 3 months. He's going to do a few in hand shows this year, and I plan to sit on him a couple of times at the end of the summer but that will be about it. He spends the rest of the time in the field with Major :D
 
zigzag said:
I would not lunge a 2 year old.. and Welsh D's mature late as well....
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Just to clarify he was not hammered round on a small circle for 20 minutes. He did 2 laps of the school on the end of a lunge line (using the whole school more or less) walking with the odd strides of trot to teach him to listen to my voice, I don't consider that lunging.
 
Let us just assume, for the sake of argument, that the OP is a sensible person, knows her horse well, has no intention of leaping on and hammering her young horse around an arena, over jumps, etc. and knows that a few minutes of familiarisation with tack, a spin on the lunge or whatever is not going to cripple or traumatise the horse. OK? Good, because this is precisely the way I have handled and trained countless rising 3 year olds for the last 30 years (actually not countless, it's approaching 200), and I have in all that time NEVER had a horse go lame, get sore, have a mental breakdown or show any adverse effects AT ALL. I have had a great deal of success with professionally producing young horses this way, I have also had a large number of messed up or difficult "left to mature" 4,5,6 year olds to sort out for people who all believed they were doing the right thing by not teaching some basics when the horses were ready (i.e. at rising 3 or 3 off). There is a reason why the traditional age to start breaking horses is 3 years of age. NOBODY with any sense advocates really working a 3 year old hard, BTW.
 
I think you are doing really well with him OP. Makes me feel that I should be doing more with my rising 3 year old. But she's very small and I may even have to wait a year before doing stuff with her.

Just wanted to mention your saddle though. I expect that it is just one you are using in order to familiarise him with it. But it is too narrow and tips back on him because of this. You probably know that, and I only mention in case you were planning to use it when you actually back him.
 
He's looking great :-) my 2yo isn't three until July and I do all the things that you do. He does about fifteen minutes hard graft a week ;-) and is content and well mannered for it.
 
He's just gorgeous. Although I am bias as I do love a flaxen chestnut with a white face.

He's at the same stage as mine was last year. Roo LOVED doing things, the only issue was I quickly ran out of things to do. He was so sensible and laidback that nothing fazed him and I had to grind my teeth and be patient. I'm not lightly hacking him (at 3.5yr) and he's doing great. Really looking forwards to this summer when he's 4yrs and we can go and do things
 
Thanks everyone, no he won't be ridden in this saddle, I have no intention of sitting on him until the end of the summer and I expect he will be wider still by then :) will get him his own saddle when the time comes.

He's barely doing anything, seriously, he does more in the field.

Kallibear, I have exactly the same problem, nothing phases him! I might lead him out a bit further when spring comes as at the moment we stay within the confines of the yard. But the weather is so miserable it's not very inspiring!
 
Aren't thoroughbreds already running in the "Oaks" at that age? Sounds like your doing very well, he's lovely. looks my kind of horse (probably a wee bit small for me though!).
 
doonrocket said:
Aren't thoroughbreds already running in the "Oaks" at that age? Sounds like your doing very well, he's lovely. looks my kind of horse (probably a wee bit small for me though!).
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My other horse had a race career and retired all by the time he was Oakley's age lol! Not saying that's right, but it puts it into perspective doesn't it?

I'm hoping he grows a bit, he's 14.2 at the moment, but bum high. :)
 
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