Query over age of youngster.... so shall i leave for a year

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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When i lost big lad I brought a little mare as rising 4 - lightly backed and ridden away. She came home and I then re- went over her work to make sure she was fine - went back over all the basics and by day ten she was working nicely off the lunge listening to the rider - hacking out on her own - then she had strangles.... she also had to have her wolf teeth out and whilst she was having this the EDT checked over all her other teeth and aged her at about 3 or 3 1/4 - she still has one more milk tooth to shed....

She was only supposed to be 15hh.... but not way she is going to be a good 16hh.... now i am thinking of leaving her for a year to just let her grow. She is a very very bright little girl - has hubby wrapped round her hoof already - but with the injury to my leg it is not going to hurt if she has a year out.

To be honest would i have backed her knowing how young she is - then no - but you can only go on what your told.

Suggestions please ?
 
Same thing happened to me. Bought in the September, true age found in October. I just gave her on the ground training that winter and spring. Long reining, couple of in hand shows. Picked up her ridden work in the summer.
It worked out ok :)
 
Putting all the experts views into the pot we have decided 3 or 3 and a quarter at the most..... :(

She has been shooting up though since we have had her...., I think she is a good 15.3 now... and she is bum high- she is only on good grass, good hay, and being allowed to be a horse...
 
I would leave the riding for now and let her grow she is still a baby, next year she will be easy to start as she has already done a fair bit, sounds like she is going to be quite a bit bigger by then too.
 
I would leave her to grow and recover from all that has happened to her and you since you got her. You will be able to do plenty with her on the ground as the days lengthen and (hopefully) the weather improves ready for riding her in the summer.
 
If you bought her this year, then she is still technically rising 4 now, just a late baby from the sound of it [joy of advert wording!].

*Some* aging, isn't always correct...we had a 4 year old of our own, who was aged as a later 2 year old at 4 going by his teeth! He was definitely 4 and certainly had attributed for everything a 4 year old should have [had a full tail, more mature body, etc and we knew he was 4 for definite as had him those years]...but, his teeth were anomalies to the trend.

You won't have done damage as it's not like she's been ragged. I'd chuck her out till summer, then bring her back into work fully from then :) Won't do her or you any harm at all.
 
I would also leave till next summer

My little (11hh) Welshie is also officially rising 4 but I've decided that his recent medication for sweet itch knocked him back so hard I no longer plan to get him backed yet

I did chuckle when I read your thread, you have always described this mare as 'little' so I always thought she was a tiddler and a companion pony!

My little one could probably nearly walk under your little one when she is fully grown lol
 
She sounds like she has lots of growing still to do even if her age is correct, she must just be one that takes longer to mature.

You have her whole life.
So dont rush.

Just keep handling her maybe take her for little walks etc to keep her ticking over.
(all in hand)
 
I have a similar problem. My youngest was sold to the lady I got him from as a backed and ridden away 3 year old. His passport gives his year of birth as 2010 though, she queired this to be told that it had been done wrong :rolleyes:
Luckily she was sensible enough to not believe this and turned him away, realised she wouldnt have time for him and then I got him. Both my vet and dentist have aged him at appro 2.5 years NOW (he was sold as a 3 year old early summer..!!!).
Plus he has wolf teeth :(
So at 15.3/16hh now (he is a coloured ISH/WB Im told) at 2.5 years he is being turned away for at least another year to mature and be a horse for a while :D:cool:
 
I think it's hard to go by their teeth. I got my mare October last year. According to her passport she was 4. But she still had a baby tooth. Dentist aged her as a 4 year old. She looked very immature still and has since grown 3 inches. She only now is starting to look mature and is supposed to be 6 in April. Either way I have taken her slowly this year as she has been quite bum high most of it but seems to be levelling off now.
 
As long as they are bum high they need to be progressed very slowly, they will find balance when ridden particularly difficult and it is not worth trying to force them.
No lungeing at all.
I would prefer to keep her ticking over, by which I mean education in hand and on long reins, two to three times per week, there are things to do and places to see, but not from the saddle.
Make sure she gets mins and vits every day, I like D&H Mare and Youngstock, not a lot of course, but you need to feed for maintenenace and for growth, no real point in holding her back over winter. i always like to think about how they should look in six months time, and work along those lines.
PS if fed well and brought along slowly, resist the temptation to put shoes on her.
 
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My youngster is supposed to be six in May. When the dentist came in March this year (so he was supposed to be rising five) he had three baby teeth left which she said were supposed to be out by four. If i remember correctly! I think she called them caps. Now as a supposed rising six year old (dentist due in Feb) he only has his lower canines no sign of the uppers! I am wonering if he is younger than they and his passport seem today he is? He is bum high again and I have officially turned him away for the winter. I have looked over old photos from when I first got humans although a big horse he looked babyish! I am really glad I took my time backing him and that I have not ridden him that much due to the weather.
 
My EDT thought one of my old horses was about 2 when in fact it was 4. The age was definatly correct as Wetherby's reg TB, straight to me from the breeder.
 
My horse was 3 rising 4 when I got him. He had some growing issues at the start but is now in work at 4 years. I normally start them at 3 so maybe you could do some light stuff with him to keep him thinking and start properly in the spring ready to do all the fun stuff and get to shows ect :) (if thats what youre aiming for)
 
Crimbowitch said:
Putting all the experts views into the pot we have decided 3 or 3 and a quarter at the most..... :(

She has been shooting up though since we have had her...., I think she is a good 15.3 now... and she is bum high- she is only on good grass, good hay, and being allowed to be a horse...
Click to expand...

Nothing better for a growing baby IMO just as nature intended.

Personally, I'd turn her away completely to have fun with others as she already has the basics in place so shouldn't be a problem to pick up again when you do. It's amazing how much they remember when given the time to mature naturally; it's like they need that extra time to assimilate things properly.
 
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