Those with 2 year olds this spring

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missyme10

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What do you plan on doing with yours this year?

I've a Welsh Section D filly who turns 2 on Tuesday and am a bit iffy on what to do with her this year.

I've had her since she was 9 months old and so far just got her used to being handled on the ground, leading, picking feet up etc. No work as such.
She was a horror last year, a real little madame that used to try and chase me out of the field and turn her back end on me and kick out, but this spring she's an absolute darling.
Seems to have grown up so much and has become very cute and affectionate.
I'm really pleased with how she's progressing, she's growing into a lovely horse and we've been pretty much doing the same thing since last autumn so maybe time to start introducing new things, especially as she's in a super cooperative mood lately :)
 
My gelding is two next month. He leads, picks up feet & stands for the farrier Respects my space and otherwise is allowed to be a baby.
 
s4sugar said:
My gelding is two next month. He leads, picks up feet & stands for the farrier Respects my space and otherwise is allowed to be a baby.
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So your gelding is pretty much the same as my filly then. Do you plan on just letting him continue in the same way this summer?
I know some dont do anything with them until they are 3 years old, others start work at 2 with things like introducing tack and long lining and leading out by hand to get them used to the local environment.
One thing I know for certain is I dont want to introduce lunging until she's 3 or over as I know this can put pressure on her joints, so thats out for sure.

Its interesting to see what others are doing with their 2 year olds, or in some cases what they aren't doing x
 
alligator40 said:
All my 2 yr old colts will be shown again this year.
They all lead, load, tie-up, have good manners, good with farrier and walk out along the lanes...and they all live in a herd together..just so they dont forget they are ponies :)
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Oh I would so love to show Tiger Lily, but sadly I dont have any transport.
I would think showing helps for the future, as in being out and about, seeing new things and realising the world isn't as scary as they might think seeing it for the first time at say 5? x
 
Henry will be two next month. He leads, loads and picks his feet up well. I’ve started to take him for short journeys in the box and hope to take him to a couple of shows this summer for experience. He hasn’t been bitted yet but will be soon. I also plan to introduce a roller at some point. He is already used to traffic as he lives on a busy farm/feed merchant which is a bonus as I always worry about leading youngsters on the road (ours are really busy).

The last few weeks I’ve done some short sessions in the school with him. He has the attention span of a nat at the moment so nothing too challenging, just getting him used to poles / plastic etc and also to reinforce personal space which he can sometimes find challenging!

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lilly1 said:
Henry will be two next month. He leads, loads and picks his feet up well. I’ve started to take him for short journeys in the box and hope to take him to a couple of shows this summer for experience. He hasn’t been bitted yet but will be soon. I also plan to introduce a roller at some point. He is already used to traffic as he lives on a busy farm/feed merchant which is a bonus as I always worry about leading youngsters on the road (ours are really busy).

The last few weeks I’ve done some short sessions in the school with him. He has the attention span of a nat at the moment so nothing too challenging, just getting him used to poles / plastic etc and also to reinforce personal space which he can sometimes find challenging!

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Henry is lovely :D
Yeah I was thinking of in hand work in the school, getting her used to poles, cones etc, and just allowing her to become used to what she's gonna see later in life, maybe short walks in hand.
We're also on a working farm, she doesn't bat an eyelid at the largest and noisiest of vehicles trundling by her which is great :)
 
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no personal experience but a woman at a yard had a weanling (sp) and she did SO much with him from day one. obviously nothing difficult, just leading on a long rain in a head collar, but she would walk him round lanes, stand him in the arena while the jumping clinic was on walked him alone with company, take him to shows, grooming, bathing etc basically everything you would do with a adult horse minus the riding/lunging stuff, last i saw of him (before they left the yard) he was an AMAZING rising 2yo would do absolutely anything :) so i dunno whether this is 'right' or not but it seemed to be doing the job for him :)
 
When Khan was 2 I was taking him for walks in hand, with an older steady horse with rider aboard to start, then just us on our own. It was great experience for him. We did several shows, just for the experience of going and seeing life. It made it really easy for when he was backed and we started hacking out as not much phased him, as he'd seen it all before. It also built a really strong bond of trust.
I guess it made it easy that Khan only made 14.2hh so was never a handful, easy to lead around in a headcollar once we'd established the basics.
 
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Albi turns two next month and we're hoping to get him to his first show soon. Apart from that he'll be left to be a baby and grow, punctuated with general handling... as you do! :)

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Mojo was two in January. He's a big puppy dog and follows me around the field, leaving his herd happily lol. He lifts feet, fine with farrier, great to lead and box/travel and is learning voice commands and today will be starting in the school stepping over poles to learn where his feet are.

He's not good with the hose so we'll be working on that too, this year.
 
My colt was 2 last week, we have just done basic handling so far. He will walk and trot in hand with me on either side. We have walked over the odd pole/small fallen branch and introduced to some equipment such as rugs, lunge cavesson and line (although not used these just had them on) and we have done a bit of leading with a roller on.

We have also done work on yielding to light and indirect pressure. He will back up when I ask whether touching him or not, I can yield his hind or forequarters with gently pressure or indirect feel, I can ask him to lower his head with gently touching his poll - basically working on things that will help me out later in his life.

He will also stand next to the mounting block while being brushed.

I won't be leading him out or taking him to shows this year I don't think as he's ready but we may box to other yards to do a bit of loose schooling and so he does get some change of environments.

I have a great book called 101 horsemanship exercises which has loads of exercises you can do on the ground. Many of these are too advanced for a 2 year old but some are perfect. :)
 
My filly was 2 last year and we did quite a bit. I liked to do short sessions a couple of times a week. I taught her voice commands (stand, walk on, trot on and steady) and we did some work in-hand (walking over ground poles, weaving around cones and turning without her rushing off).

I also took her on walks in her bridle once she was bitted. Finding a bit that she liked took quite also of time and I had to borrow quite a few before I found one that she liked. I had done quite a bit of getting her used to having her ears handled (as a yearling), because she hated her ears being touched to start with. I was concerned that I'd have trouble getting a bridle on her but it was fine.

Sometimes I would stand her by the mounting block, get on the block and make a fuss of her. Then I'd get off the block and lead her away from it.
 
Mine is 2 in just over a week. He generally doesn't do a lot. However, I have lead him out for a couple of walks and he ties up, is ok with farrier (although I need to graduate to him being tied up for the farrier as currently he's held as a bit of a fidget!). He was loaded into the lorry again last week - doesn't seem to mind - and I would like to take him to do a couple of in hand shows this summer. However, i would like him to be leading in a bridle by then as he's 15.2hh ish now and can be a little strong so I would want to feel in control. He's had an in hand bridle on about 4 times now and seems to be getting more used to it now but I'm yet to lead from it.

Oh and the dentist came to do the horses today so I had him looked at so he can get used to it. He was much better and calmer than i was expecting!
 
I think it depends on the attitude, type and size of the 2yo. I have 2; one was a twin and is very slow maturing and developing, she is only 14hh at the moment. She leads, loads, has her feet done and apart from that is being left to grow up a bit. My other girl is already 15.3hh, she leads, loads, has feet done, will go to a couple of shows this year - she has been bitted and long reined, had a roller and saddle on and been leant over, just quietly in the stable. She needs it as she is a 'busy' person who needs things to think about.
 
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