Riding alone on a 3-year old?

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Rose Folly

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I came across an accident this morning - ambulance pulling into a field gateway, rider on the ground with leg injuries, loose horse trotting about on the horizon. I caught the horse, and various friends and the livery yard owner came and helped sort the situation. It emerged that the horse was a 3-year old. The girl had been out riding alone, had tried to persuade the horse to jump a little stream, and disaster struck. Ther was a flock of somewhat demented sheep in the field which probably hadn't helped matters.

Thinking about it afterwards, I felt that perhaps it's asking a lot for a 3-year old to hack out alone, and certainly not a good idea for the rider's safety. Luckily she had been able to use her mobile phone from where she was lying, but suppose she hd been knocked out. I'm not questioning the rider's ability, or the horse's overall temperament - the friends gave him glowing review and he was a lovely fellow to handle. Am I being a wimp. What do you think?
 
Rose Folly said:
I'm not questioning the rider's ability, or the horse's overall temperament - the friends gave him glowing review and he was a lovely fellow to handle. Am I being a wimp. What do you think?
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I think it is better not to worry too much about what other people do with their horses, as there are so many variables, I had a little spell of ending up in hospital, and once asked the consultant if I was going to have to give up, he said it was possible to have just as many non - horse related accidents, and so it appears [currently off work with torn medial collateral ligament from a sleep related incident]
In the days before mobiles we used to wait for a passer by to help out .. I still carry a whistle if I am up on the moors or in the woods.
 
To be perfectly honest I have ridden out alone on my newly backed 4 year olds (would probably do it on a 3 year old but I tend not to back them until 4). I have had just as many incidents on 5,6,7 up to 15 year olds so it really does depend on the horse. I have had 4 year olds that are real dopes on ropes and 15 year olds that still shy at their own shadow! I always ride out in company the first few times but youngsters have to get used to going out alone, of course I tend to stick to country lanes to start with.
 
MrsD123 said:
[currently off work with torn medial collateral ligament from a sleep related incident]
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:eek::confused:

!!!!!!!!!

It depends entirely on the horse though i would probably be hard pushed to try jumping "little" streams in a field full of sheep!!!:)
 
Isn't that a risk with riding alone on any horse though?

Any horse has the ability to drop its rider and any rider has the ability to be dropped!

fwiw, while I don't ride mine at all as 3yros I do hack out the newly broken 4yros alone quite early on.
mine are long reined extensively so fine alone but obviously I could still be dropped by them.

The biggest incident I had was hacking last summer on my older horse when she tripped in a field, fired me into the ground and I snapped my collarbone.
I had to call the YO, hold the horse and try desperately not to pass out with the pain until help arrived.
 
I think this is a risk with any horse, yes I ride alone, and used to ride my newly backed 4 yr old alone, but my OH or MIL (horses kept at their farm) always knew where I was going, How long I'd be etc and I never deviate from that route without phoning someone.
 
I agree it is a risk, although some people dont have any other option. I dont have anyone to ride out with as im the only one at my yard! Ive just backed my horse and have someone walk alongside but this wont always be the case as once i think he is capable of going out alone i will have to. He is pretty level headed for a young horse so I feel safe on him.however any horse of any age could bolt/throw their rider.
 
I have backed and ridden away my three tear old entirely by myself. Luckily he's easy going but I had no choice. He's now hacking out on his own but it's not an ideal situation.
 
There is a local jockey who has recently backed and ridden away three youngsters from my yard; the youngsters are expected to ride out alone after a few nanny hacks. I wouldn't say it was inviting trouble, they will be expected to go out alone in future so why pussyfoot around when they are young? I think you have to be very confident, allow no nonsense and expect forwards movement from the horse at all times, and have a pretty sticky backside (if I had a youngster, it wouldn't be me riding it away, put it that way!)

He has made me rethink the whole backing process, he is very much a get-on-and-go chap, and whilst some of the youngsters I've seen him out on are a bit wavery, they all go forwards, I rarely see them spook and I never see them stop.
 
I backed my stalllion and hacked him alone, though the first time out daughter came on the quad with me as she was over visting at the time..(all off road BTW) but I had no choice either hack alone or dont hack at all, but I had taken him for walks inhand alone since he was weaned.. ( bred him) hes 5 this year, and ive not done much with him, and ive not hacked him since I moved house 2 months ago, as I think I could be asking for trouble.. so im going to wait until my arena is sorted and do lots of schooling first..
 
I've always had to hack my youngters out alone, right from the 'off'. I dont have the luxury of anyone else to ride out with. Good groundwork is essential but I've never had a problem or considered it one. Ideally, I'd prefer to have company occasionally, but manage very well without it and have done so for the past 30 years of backing and bringing on youngsters.

I agree that anyone riding out alone puts themselves at risk to a certain degree. At least when I ride out on a youngster I'm aware enough to always inform someone of where I'm going and how long I'm going to be. I know many others on their more mature and 'bombproof' horses simply feel safe and don't feel the need to. That's more risky IMO.
 
erm its three! shouldnt be doing much more than wearing tack and being long lined in my eyes i'm afraid if she was being daft enough to "jump " it (alone or in company) then maybe she might have knocked some common sense into herself
 
A gentle walk with tiny bit of trot hacks would be OK, but no more and only if it was nearly 4. I was keen to get my girl out for such rides alone pretty early in her 4th year because I think it makes them less likely to be nappy. Otherwise its unfair to expect them to go out alone later on if they havent been used to it, just a little bit of everything but not very much of anything. At 8 now, she is brilliant at hacking alone and being asked to leave other horses on hacks etc.

But at 3 I certainly wouldnt be jumping anything, whether in the manege or out on a hack, I dont think the horse is physically ready for it. At 4 I would start to pop little logs etc.

Hope horse and rider recover well.
 
Ok i always ride youngsters out on my own i have no choice, i break them in and hack them out, normally someone knows where i am going.
But at the end of the day does it really make much dfference if the horse is 3 or 15 accidents can happen.
Will say that the jumping a steam with a 3yr old would not be my thing (but then i dont jump horses at that age) but people do so each to their own.
I was hacking my stallion out on my own when he was broken in at 3yr and never had a problem, but then the last horse i fell off was a 7 yr old spooky thing, so hence age is not really the issue
 
Riding it out absolutely not a problem but where she was silly was asking it to jump anything let alone a stream!! My 10 year old is as likely to dump me as any 3 year old when ridden alone, he's a spooky monster and only last night while schooling in the field he nearly had me off twice through massive spooks (sheep moved...and then a car went past..wow it's a scarey world out there!!:rolleyes:).
 
I have taken my 3yr old out her her own....I always let someone know where i'm going which is never far being the fact she is 3...but what is the difference with taking a 6 year old out on it's own when it's only ever hacked in company before.
My now 4 year old hacked out in company and on her own, serveral times going out in company then branch off and finish on own to prevent her getting nappy.
Now 4 hacks alone in company and is a total angel.
Any horse at any age and any tempermant can at anytime take a disliking to demented sheep and dump you.

They must start somewhere. if the horse in question was a little hyper and bouncy generally then i most likely wouldn't but it's all down to the individual and horse as with most things.
 
Mildred said:
There is a local jockey who has recently backed and ridden away three youngsters from my yard; the youngsters are expected to ride out alone after a few nanny hacks. I wouldn't say it was inviting trouble, they will be expected to go out alone in future so why pussyfoot around when they are young? I think you have to be very confident, allow no nonsense and expect forwards movement from the horse at all times, and have a pretty sticky backside (if I had a youngster, it wouldn't be me riding it away, put it that way!)

He has made me rethink the whole backing process, he is very much a get-on-and-go chap, and whilst some of the youngsters I've seen him out on are a bit wavery, they all go forwards, I rarely see them spook and I never see them stop.
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This ^^


I would take a youngster out on it's own after a few 'nanny' hacks - I have no choice being on my yard. I think as long as you do all the prep work properly then you have no more chance of being decked on a youngster than on an older horse.
 
i wouldn't ride a 3 yr old! but thats personal choice:) that said tho riding any age horse out alone is a risk, i came off my old 20 yr old TB out alone on a hack and she hot footed it home! i usually ride out alone because i tend to ride in the afternoon before kids get home. i also drive my car alone......same amount of risk really with the amount of loons on the road;)
 
We take our 5 yr old out on his own, he is incredibly low mileage, was broken at 4 and been hardly ridden, It does him good to be out on his own, I think anyone could get ditched after jumping anything, its not a case of it ditched her on the hack type thing!

Having said that he is schooled so knows whats right and whats wrong x
 
Poor girl (and horse!)- i hope they are ok.

If i trust the horse, and they understand the aids, and have the basics established then i would, and have -hacked a just backed 3 and 4 yr old out alone as i believe it teaches them to be independent and not rely on other horses, and if the rider takes a confident approach then that will be passed on to the horse. However when they are that young then a short stroll around the block for a walk out is all i've done on a real baby and then anything more than that can be built upon in the future, and i've always told someone where i'm going.

Having said that though, horses can be dangerous and unpredictable creatures and accidents can and do happen- i've had accidents on older horses rather than the younger ones!
 
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I have taken my 4 year old out alone, albeit 15 mins up the lane and back, I don't want him to become reliant on his field mate. We never go out for long in company or alone though, he is my work in progress and we're taking it slowly.
 
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