Those of you who have/had youngsters, at what age did you first ever sit on them?

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Charla

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Just interested to know how old your youngsters were when you first ever sat on them. I know you shouldn't sit on them before 3 or what have you, but I've just come across so many different people doing things differently.
I sat on my boy for the first time when he was 3 years 2 months and was looking good - good topline etc.

Someone I know has a filly - healthy, chunky 13hh filly who's 20 months old and her little 6 year old girl sits on her back occasionally. Can't say I agree with it but the girl probably only weighs about 3/4 stone??

I know someone else who had her filly from 6 months old and never sat on it until it was 5. No reason in particular, just didn't get round to it she says and she's always classed her as a baby in her eyes, even now at the age of 6.

At what age do you think a healthy youngster can be sat on for the first time, obviously taking the weight of the person into mind!! Has anyone ever sat a lightweight person on their horse/pony before the age of 3?
 
Yes, I remember sitting up on my then 2 year old gelding whilst he grazed in hand (BF was holding end of lead rope). If I remember, he didn't even lift his head up to acknowledge I was on. Should add I was a lot younger and lighter back then and only sat up there for a couple of minutes. I went on to back him at 3 and he was totally unphased. I think common sense has to dictate whether you have a brief sit on a baby, ie. how big it is, how heavy the rider is and why you're doing it.

That said, I now have a couple of big babies (16.2+) and haven't sat on either yet. Both are 4 this year.
 
As a rule, I never sit on anything that is under three years old, and I advise that no real work starts untill 4 (obviously there are exceptions to the rules, as each horse is an individual). I do breaking and schooling as a business, and most people I get calls from, their horses are rising four.

I sat on my first horse (welsh sec d) at 2yrs 10months, he was very well developed, and I literally did nothing more than sit on his back (no saddle), then get off. (I'm not heavy, I weighed about 8 stone then), and did it a handfull of times.

I broke him in properly at three, and we hacked lightly (two-three times a week for 15 mins) untill he was nearly four. Then I started schooling him lightly, built up the work slowly untill he was five. I sadly lost him at just before the age of six though :(

I know people who don't touch their horses untill four, and don't do any real work untill 5. Then again, I know people with these heavy cobs, that ride them at two...

Horses can still be developing up untill the age of 6/7. It's all about when they are ready physically and mentally to start. Also down to rider preference!
 
B was 28 months big build, very bright and ready to learn so we started and took it slowly. Also she was sold to me as 4 and it was only when I changed dentist I found out she wasn't!

I was 3 when I first got a leg over her bareback on the yard, she was lunging nicely in the field but very late to develop physically, lunged on and off from 3yrs 1m sat on at 3yrs 4 or 5m and started again at 4 exactly, still a bit weedy at that stage but much stronger, is now building muscle well and looking much more grown up at 4 and 6m but not doing more than 30-50 mins at a time.

They're all a bit different, my sisters previous horse was 4 before it left the field it was weaned into so we got straight on with it, never turned it away as it was so keen and learnt so fast, was balanced and jumping xcountry after about 6 months.

I sold a mini shet and cried when I found out the 18y/o girls bf had ridden it. it was 32 inches tall and barely 2y/o. They seemed to think it was funny and sold pony when it starting being aggressive with them.
 
I am currently leaning right over my rising two whilst she eats, my weight being 99% supported by my OH or a mounting block. Obviously not even sitting up or asking her to walk with me or anything.

We will not ride, in any form, until the end of next summer at the very earliest (by the time shes 3). Current plan is to sit on her end of summer 2012, turn away for winter, bring back into proper work summer 2013. xxx
 
I've had several; the first was an Arab I sat on for the first time on the Christmas Day before he was 4 on March 23rd (I was a bit tipsy and he was loose in the stable - a really ideal situation (not) but he was perfect, bless him); then I had a tb that I sat on on his third birthday but being tb he was quite mature; last year I backed a NF when he was almost three and a half and I sat on my WB last October when she was just three and a half.
 
Ayla was three years 2 months, hacking lightly at 3 and a half, she`s rising 5 now so will start bringing her on a bit more as she is now mentally and physically mature enough to do more work.

Roxy was just over four, light hacking and has now started some schooling.

Beau is rising three and cant see me starting anything with him soon, he`s like a child at the moment and up to all sorts...
 
Just sat on Malaga at about 4 and a bit (it said on his passport ;)...agent said on another forum he'd set a 2yr old) landed on the ground 4 and a bit ad one second.First trainer didn't sit on him two years later after having him 10wks....second trainer mounted after three days two years later
MalagaatJames021.jpg

:)
 
As a 2yo just bareback in the field, dont see the issue, not like they are doing any work. I wouldnt condone actually riding that young though.
 
all depends but mostly late in their third year winter time! The last one was sat on as a 4 year old as he is soo big needed the extra time ect!!!
 
Ellie will be 4 in may and l sat on her bareback last week. Will start to get on her every few days and walk her round the school for a few weeks. I also walk her out in hand for about 15 mins a couple of times a week.
 
around 3 years. Only rode for about 10 times then sent away to be lightly backed and then turned him away.
I started lunging and long reining when he was about 2 years 11 months. then when he was 3 years 2 months he was turned away (this was end of june)
Hoping to start rebacking him as soon as menage gets put in which will hopefully be march.
 
Kaiser was 2 and 8months, I sat on him (all 8 stone of me ;) ), walked him around the menage twice, and down a little bridle way once. He's now 2 and 10 months, and will go hacking from the end of April I think :)
 
jack was 2 and a half. I had a few leans on him, and sat on him once. He didnt even notice.

He is 3.5 and was lightly backed by new owners and now turned away for winter.

My other horse was 5yrs old - and it took 6 months to be able to sit upright on him!!!

i think a little lean, when a youngster goes a long way and teaches them what to expect.
 
I am planning on just sitting on my boy Bailey when he turns 3 (next year) and this summer I will be taking him out for little walks and getting him used to traffic etc with my other horse for company. So will back Bailey at 3 then just keep him ticking over through that summer getting him out and about leading him, maybe a very small amount of long reining. Then at 4 I will break him, long rein ,lunge and start little hacks then build up slowly from there. But obviously this all depends on how he develops mentally and physically.
 
A girl at my yard has backed her 2yr old British SH youngster from one of Hatpury's Home Farm stallions, although he does seem physically mature for his age - he's a proportionate rather than gangley 17hh. She got him used to the saddle and backed him before Xmas and is currently teaching him to walk off the lead rein, but that's as far as they're going before he's properly broken next year. Still, even for a 'mature' 2 year old, it sounds early to be doing that to me. I'm sure at his height, even 11 stone or so isn't much trouble to him in walk!
 
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I try to hop on mine before they're 12 months old - this colt was 14 months when the 'right time' came along!

Prince-back.jpg


Of course I only do it when they're 'sitting' comfortably - and I don't put any real weight on them. But it makes them a doddle to back when the time comes (3 years or older depending on the individual!)
 
I will admit that I sat on my baby in the summer that he turned 3, however i was 13 and weighed nothing, and i only did it in the stable while he was eating as the yard owner that my parents had entrusted to help me break him in would have throttled me!!

I properly backed him in the autumn after he was 3 but then only sat on him/lunged him/longreined him over that winter and brought him into proper work as a 4 year old. I think I would follow the same plan if I had another baby, minus sitting on him in the stable with no hat and hotpants on!!
 
JanetGeorge said:
I try to hop on mine before they're 12 months old - this colt was 14 months when the 'right time' came along!

Prince-back.jpg


Of course I only do it when they're 'sitting' comfortably - and I don't put any real weight on them. But it makes them a doddle to back when the time comes (3 years or older depending on the individual!)
Click to expand...

i've done that before with amira very very slowly with no weight, then a lil then gradually more and more. shes fine with it my little brothers jump all over her when shes laid down (under a watchful eye of course) i'm already leaning over her in the field (feet on the ground) and applying a little bit of weight just to get her used to it. i'm only small so i don't really see a problem with it. i could have sat on her already stood up but i didn't want to rush things.

she's my first youngster and i intend to take things slowly to how we feel etc and i'll probably introduce her to tack at 2 and a half to get her used to it and walking on the lunge with another person. then she shall be turned away and shall see what happens.

when the time feels right i will get on whether its in a couple of years, this xmas or the coming summer....
 
My boy is 3 in May and I have just started to sit on him.
I only sit on bareback for maximum 5 minutes at a time and practice lateral flexion with him by asking him to stretch his neck around to my lower leg and giving him a treat.
I have only been practicing this sporadically over the last couple of weeks and he has already started to position himself by the fence so I can get on and play the 'treat game'!! haha!

He is a well built 15.1hh Traditional cob and I only weigh 8.5 stone so I don't see how I am doing any harm to him physically. But I am building his conifdence in having a human on his back as he associates having me up there with playing a fun game!
A couple of times he has walked off a few steps with me up there and I just went with him, waited for him to stop and then carrie don the game!

I will not be 'riding' him until later on this year after he is 3 years old and then he will be turned away until he is 4!

Each to their own though. Everyone does things differently! :)
 
My Arab was three and 5 months. She was well able to carry my weight 9 stone 5 but I feel they have to be mature in the head first and she was not ready before, very much a baby.
 
I do the same as janet, my boy was 17months when i first sat on him when he was led down in the field. He wasn't backed until he was 3.5 years old and is now being brought into light work as a four year old.

I see no problem with sitting on them at an early age, my foals all accept me leaning over them and wrapping my arms round the girth area.
 
i sat on my mare when she was 2y 2m, litterally only sat on her. she has always had an old head on her shoulders and she was quite happy to let me sit on her for a couple of mins.
I started riding her to the field bareback when she was two and a half then started a little hacking (approx 15 mins rides) again she really seemed to enjoy it and had no problem with the addition of a saddle and girth.
She was then left alone untill she was three then i just used her as a quiet hack. We then progressed to a little canter when she turned three and a half.
I see no problem in doing this so long as the horse is comfortable and confident. As long as they are not overworked i think it can help with a more forward thinking horse. It helped us gain a fantastic relationship which has come in handy with us now developing into our jumping over little objects. (she is 5 in may).
I also think that as long as they are turned out for the majority of their growth period their balance is much more up to it.
 
As a kid aged from 8 year to about 16 and weighing all of 4 to 6 stone I was often chucked up on youngsters. It would depend on their maturity and how open their knees were. Some would be 18 months but usually 2 years. Nothing was ridden, just clambered all over, and I mean clambered, making as many deliberate " stuuuupid mistakes" as I dared to try. It became a game to see how outrageous I could be on the youngsters, around the world was nothing!!
It made the horses - usually anglos or TB's with a dash of something else, very quiet and much easier to ride later on.They were basically broken in by that stage even if no-one actually rode them until they were 3 or 4.
Clinton Anderson has a great saying, children de-sensitize horses, adults sensitize them.
Don't be too precious about it, your horse has not read any books about being trained. What he learns is what you teach him. Teach to accept anything you want.
 
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