Physical advantages to backing young??

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Ginn

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Not wanting to spark a huge debate and fully except that opinions vary enormously on this topic - it is my opinion that backing should be done when the horse is mentally mature enough for it and physically strong/balanced enough to cope with the weight of a rider and that this varies enormously from horse to horse (and to some extent handler to handler).

However (and this is yet more of my mind drifting from revision) reading through my notes and some scientific papers I wondered to what extent "Adaptive remodelling" (I'll explain this in a minute) has an effect on both horses being trained and if it is of significant benifit in younger horses?

Adaptive remodelling - Wolff's law
"Bone arcitecture and mass adapts to best resist the forces appiled to it"

What this means is that bone adapts to mechanical influences - for example, elite weightlifters have exceptionally high bone mineral content in their vetabrea, top tennis players often have around 35% more cortical bone in their racquet arm then their other one.

I'm not suggesting that young horses should be subjected to high physical demands - you only have to look at the likes of top footballers, gymnasts etc to see the potential damage of this later in life, but to what extent could young horses skeletally and mechanically benifit from a small increase in mechanical loading from a young age?
 
I think you might find a difference in mechanical loading between horses grazed on flat land where the terrain is easy (e.g. Netherlands, East Anglia) and those youngsters raised on more hilly terrain (Cumbria, Scotland, Fells, Dales, Wales)

It is known that osteoporosis in humans can be mitigated by more load bearing exercise (i.e. it is better for women to walk as an exercise than cycle to avoid osteoporosis).

I don't think actual 'backing' would cause any advantage or disadvantage in bone density as most backing nowadays is done in a soft arena surface so the only structural loading of significance is the actual load on the spine area and it's transmission through the skelton to the legs

Now backing and riding away - that's different entirely - as it's the 'riding away' bit where the horses is ridden consistently and possibly (as in the factory farmed continental horses) over ridden/over stressed that would and does cause damage

Not specifically though to the skeletal structure (as few seem to have splints for example) but more to the joints and the soft tissues
 
I would be interested to hear the replies to this as I have just started backing my 3 year old. By this I mean I get on her walk her once round the school on both reins and get off. I plan to do this maybe a couple of times a week alongside her usual rountine of long reining and inhand work over the summer.
She will have the winter off then will be bought back into proper ridden work next spring.
My theory for doing it this way is that she is a late foal so although in her 3rd year she is only just 3 but she is ready for it (IMO) and seems to betaking to it well. Had she been an earlier foal I probably would have done a little more ridden work before giving her a couple if months off during the winter.
After making the decision to do it this way it has always played on my mind if I am doing any damage to her so like I said would be very interested to see people responses.
 
my personal opinion ...

straight lines (i.e. long reining or hacking) - ok in moderation
circles (i.e. lunging and schooling) - minimal at a young age 2/3 yo
 
what you are doing is what I refer to as backing and should cause no harm whatsoever although I query whether it is necessary to do this 3 times a week.

Riding away as done on the continent is wrong
 
yep - totally agree - it's the circles that put more stress on the joints than straight lines

after all when adult horses have been laid up with injury for a while it is normal for the vet to say - bring back into work but straight lines only - no schooling.
 
what do you think to loose jumping?

am considering taking my 3 yo to a local indoor school to loose jump, would be once or twice this summer only and only small fences.

yes or no?
 
[ QUOTE ]
straight lines (i.e. long reining or hacking) - ok in moderation
circles (i.e. lunging and schooling) - minimal at a young age 2/3 yo

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto! Which why I have done lots of longreining, very, very little lunging (and only ever on a very large (30m+) circle and only plan on hacking for he first 6 - 9 months of ridden work!


Perhaps a better way of phasing my question is
"Is riding away benifical in a young horse?"

I do not think that a horse under 4 should be schooled or jumped and if it is then it should be kept to a minimum. I have popped T over a very small jump riderless, in an arena, partly to get her attention back as it was a new place for her and partly to introduce a little variety but that really is the most I would expect something under 4 to be asked to do and not as part of a routine, merely a once off every now and then.

But, does gental light work act as a long term hinderence or help?
 
over poles on the ground a young 'spooky' horse will typically jump anyway - so initially no need to build a fence and also nothing at that level that it might not meet in the field anyway (e.g. fallen tree branch)

I do loose jump my youngsters about twice a year - only and mainly because it is expected of them when they go to be graded so I haven't actually got a choice

when I use the arena for turnout there are usually poles around and in have a 'horse play' they'll typically jump over them out of their canter stride and an arena surface is soft

I wouldn't jump anything over about 1ft 3 in as no need - a baby horse can jump 3 ft over that height anyway

never more than one fence down the long side

and preferably only if the arena is 20 x 60 and not 20 x 40 as the latter makes the turns too sharp if the youngster lands after a 'flyer' it is immediately put on the turn
 
ultimate answer also depends on the horse and the arena

if the arena is small or the surface is false/prone to flooding/badly maintained then it's a no-no for anything more than tiny amounts for a youngster

if the horse is a light framed TB type that matures young then it can stand a little more work (vet scans of joints of TB 2 yr olds show growth generally completed) than a WB (vet scans of joints of 3 to 4 yr old WB show growth generally not completed).

also if it's a native pony it differs e.g. to a large ID x that is going to mature 17.2
 
Ginn, I just had a horrid ECM exam this morning and wrote an essay question on adaptive remodelling..... urghhhhhhhh!!!!
 
Lol! Can you guess what I am revising then
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Would you still be up for taking stinker to PAVO this year? I have finally got all her paperwork sorted out
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[ QUOTE ]
Lol! Can you guess what I am revising then
tongue.gif


Would you still be up for taking stinker to PAVO this year? I have finally got all her paperwork sorted out
blush.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, for sure, would love to
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Never have to do extracellular matrix, biomechanics or anything else vaguely bone/joint/collagen related again YIPEEE!!!!!

Did you enjoy lcomoter biomech this year? The lecturers cracked me up so much
smirk.gif
 
Yeah - by far my favourite subject (I must be mad!)

Its endo-repro Im dreading, eughhh!!

Will make sure I have PAVO down in my diary then - will try and get it organised with a little more time this year
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Lol!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah - by far my favourite subject (I must be mad!)

Its endo-repro Im dreading, eughhh!!

Will make sure I have PAVO down in my diary then - will try and get it organised with a little more time this year
blush.gif
Lol!

[/ QUOTE ]

PAVO will be fun, fingers crossed may manage to get Moon qualified for the 6 year olds though that does depend on her taking to novice xc
smirk.gif


Thank god I didnt do endo-repro. I finish all of mine a week today, cant wait to party
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