Moya_999
Well-Known Member
A horse jumping a couple of sj rounds at 1m is hardly going to do much damage especially if the horse has natural talent. If you read my post i actually said it depends on how much jumping the horse has done! The horse in question could have jumped a little, or a lot, we don't know.
Plus, you may have seen a lot of young horses worked too hard too soon, and then are knackered at a young age, but I've seen a lot of horses who started work young and continued to work well into their teens.
I don't think there is anything wrong with working a 4 year old lightly (which could be the case with this horse, and would explain the weak back end) and taking it jumping a couple of times to give it experience. Plus some horses need to progess faster as their minds are quick; if you give them too much time then they wil start to play up or get bored.
I see what you're saying but it appears this horse has hunted (has a hunter clip too). Not just brought on slowly......
As for saying horses have to be started early to reach their full potenticial does not mean they won't if they are started later. If Horses can be retrained at 10-11 to a completely new activity and do really well in competition then the argument about you have to start early to achieve does not stand up. I mean look at race horses brought into normal training after being on the track they learn don't they some do really well and only just started out in *normal* day riding later in years
One livery here had her gelding at 4 1/2 took him really slowly advised that the Irish Draught knees were not ready for anything fast or hard till 6. Once 6 brought him on slowly and sensibly and competed really high up in jumping competitions till age 11. Now 12 and with owner with back injury the horse no longer jumps and started western last year so had to learn a completely new equine trait and now competes and doing really well.
I remember a saying in a movie called casey's Shadow when he went in a match race and went lame. Vet said " if you keep them till 6 you have a longer carrer use them at two and all you get is a full meat wagon* or words along that line.
Last edited: