Pro's and cons to backing at 3 or 4

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missyme10

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Hey all,

Well after getting over the OMG what have I bought and making the decision to keep my daughters horse of the future and give it a go, I'd like some advise on the pro's and cons of backing at 3 and 4.

I know where I'm sending her to be backed, the person who would be doing it normally backs at 3 and then turns away to mature and brings then back into work at 4.

I had originally planned on just leaving her until 4.

I dont think there will be an issue on her being physically mature enough at 3, so its an option.

So really, what are the advantages and disadvantages of both ages?
Does it really make any difference at all ?

Thank you for any advise :D x
 
I bought my boy as a almost 4 yr old. He came from Ireland having hunted. He's a big, strapping sort and looks very mature (he's now 6). I would imagine he was backed at 3.. We did a season of BE as a 5 yr old but this season was a write off. He has developed joint changes and had a period of unsoundness. I've given him 6 months off and my vet feels he had just done too much too soon. He couldn't cope mentally or physically and it really can be misleading when look so grown up. He is sound now and we're back in work but I am really taking my time now with him- he's my horse of a lifetime and I just love his fieasty attitude!
What I'm trying to say is age is just a number and they're all so different ( as are we!). My boy should have been backed later and done less.....
 
My boy is 3 and a half and I've been doing some of the backing myself; my YO will get him in Feb when all the "groundwork" i.e. lunging etc is all established and Fred hasn't got to do that first before moving onto the ridden work.

I decided to get him fully backed a couple of months before he turns 4 on the basis that I want to take my time making sure all the foundations are properly in place so Fred has optimum time to focus on the ridden side of things. Although mentally he has never appeared to be phased by anything, he is a big boy and I wanted to give him a longer period of time in growing up and maturing in himself before he begins a more physical life.

I am really pleased that I didn't get him backed at 3; mentally he has matured so much over the summer and physically he has as well. You have to take each horse on its merits and decide what you are going to do. Another horse may be better off being backed earlier.

I am also not sure about the "turning away" point...I don't understand the point of stoppnig a horse once it has started, all you need is light consistent work to keep them ticking over whilst they are learning, although saying that, when a young horse has just done so so much in a short space of time, I can understand turning away, but only then.

Hope that makes sense! :D
 
My lad wasn't backed until June this year and he had just reached 4. He is massive at 17.2hh so structually I felt he wasn't ready although he looked mature.

He also was very poorly earlier in the year with peritonitis so that put paid to us backing him any earlier even if we had wanted to. I now am glad about that as he has extra time to grow into his frame.

Plan is to keep him ticking over now, not turn away but give him relatively easy winter.
 
fine_and_dandy said:
I am also not sure about the "turning away" point...I don't understand the point of stoppnig a horse once it has started, all you need is light consistent work to keep them ticking over whilst they are learning, although saying that, when a young horse has just done so so much in a short space of time, I can understand turning away, but only then.

Hope that makes sense! :D
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This is one of the things I am also unsure about, although I fully understand people doing it if they back at 3. But they must take quite a lot of steps backwards and have to learn quite a lot again at 4 when being brought back into work x
 
If your just talking about being backed, I don't see a problem in some horses being backed at 3 and half, after all being backed and actually being broken to ride (ridden work) to me is two entirely different things and require different phyical and mental requirements by the horse and methods by the trainer.

However some horses, you wouldn't dream of backing at that age, so it's really down to your individual horse, where you sending him and what they suggest, so it's difficult to comment as you can't really say an age without it being wrong in some cases and ok in others.

To play it safe, leave him a bit longer if your not too sure.

Some rather large horses are better for being backed at 3 and then forgotten about for a year or so and brought into work again later on, rather than backing at 4 and carringing on with their education after being turned away for say 6 months and vice verca.
 
I personally would choose to start lungeing lightly etc. as a late 3yo. I wouldn't turn away (I dont see much point) but keep things casual, then back properly as a 4yo. I think it depends very much on the horse. Some horses are very immature - my last horse, a Welsh Cob was very immature when I bought him as a 3 1/2 yr old, however they'd already backeed him and had him going for 6 months... IMO it was too early to back him as he was still incredibly babyish to the point that when I got him he'd shut down riding-wise completely! I had to basically re-back him. BUT at the same time had he been left until he was say 4, he would have been stronger and even more opinionated than he already was... So its good to catch them when they're still very innocent as they're more willing and easy. So I'd really go by temperament as a deciding factor.
 
MagicMelon said:
I personally would choose to start lungeing lightly etc. as a late 3yo. I wouldn't turn away (I dont see much point) but keep things casual, then back properly as a 4yo. I think it depends very much on the horse. Some horses are very immature - my last horse, a Welsh Cob was very immature when I bought him as a 3 1/2 yr old, however they'd already backeed him and had him going for 6 months... IMO it was too early to back him as he was still incredibly babyish to the point that when I got him he'd shut down riding-wise completely! I had to basically re-back him. BUT at the same time had he been left until he was say 4, he would have been stronger and even more opinionated than he already was... So its good to catch them when they're still very innocent as they're more willing and easy. So I'd really go by temperament as a deciding factor.
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Interestingly, my lad who from a very very early age was one of the most opinionated devils ever bred, has been really easy to back/produce. Considering his size and past exuberance for life and all that goes with it, he has been very good and has suprised quite a few folk so guess they are all different. someone once said to me the quiet ones can be the devils to back. I really expected my lad at 17.2hh 4yo TBXWB to throw his dollies but to date he thrives on work and focus so I am pleased.
 
i back in the autumn of their 3yro year- usually about 2 weeks and they are long reined in tack, sat on and walked and trotted and then turned away.

tend to bring back into work March/April of 4yro year and spend the summer hacking- they don't do much/any schoolwork until 5yro.

edited to say- mine have never taken backwards steps after being turned away.
If the lesson is well taught in the first place it won't be forgotten :)
 
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The main issue with backing at 3 for me is teeth. There is an awful lot going on at that age, capping and the like and its worth getting in a dentist to have a look before you start. I personally favour backing at 3 in autumn, out to a party (wee intro dressage or the like) and then away till the next spring. Lots of reasons for this, mainly that winter is so cold here its difficult to be consistent. My 2 year old wont be backed till 4 but that is because I have to send them away and she looks (to me) a bit averagey so not too worried about getting her out and about as suspect will end up RC happy hacker!
 
Totally agree wth millitiger ours has never taken a step back. He was backed late summer of 3 years old, took all in his stride, hacked quietly a couple of times a week through sept, turned away til feb, started doing some VERY light (10 mins) schoolwork, did a walk trt test and went to RC camp in June, then had july off, came back august, now up to 15-20 mins in school, popping some XC and SJ. Will work til christmas then Jan/Feb off and start in earnest next spring when he will be rising 5.
I think it depends on the horse, he loves exploring and being 16.2 and me 5'5 and maybe 9st, I'm not heavy on him. We do very few small circles, only go in school max x 2 each week, and I don't lunge. He's only just started cantering in the school. He's not yet said no to anything.....so I'm pretty happy with how he is progressing.
 
my boy was backed at three and i hacked him out regulary mon to fri gentle walking only , there were never any big issues hes a tbx the first week he didnt want to leave the entrance to the farm nothing major just hesitant but a week of hacking leaving sorted that out hes four and nearly a half now we hack out hes fab we do trotting now when hacking but thats because our schools flooded but i think hes been able to be brought on more slower backed at three and plodding about for a year think its gave him a stable foundation for life and i really enjoyed just walking everywere i feel a bit hurried when hacking sometimes with people who want to trot canter . etc but thats not much once in a blue moon really so id say three and take your time
 
Bone structure wise, have known many, many horses and ponies over the years (livery yards, riding schools etc), who were backed at 3 just with a reasonable workload for their age, competed sensibly at 4yo (incl 90cm/1m SJ in the summer), cared for sensibly thereafter and still in full work at 25+. Also known of those backed later who were also fine. On the other hand, know of quite a few horses, who despite later backing, fell into different hands later on, were jumped & worked on the wrong ground/not sensibly enough, and were old at 14.

I've backed a few in the last year or so (and one much earlier), and in terms of behaviour in the ones I did, 6+ = great as longer attention span, more mature outlook. late 4yo/early 5yo = hmm, teenage temper tantrums and reasonably strong with it so able to throw weight around, and 3 = quite nice - v short attention span but also more malleable. Not done enough for any good 'statistics' though!
 
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