Those with 3 yr olds/rising 4 yr olds - turned away/in work/routine??

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lucky7

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What is your routine with your 3yr olds/rising 4 year olds?
Mine will be 4 in May and is a LW cob.
She was backed in June, she was hacking out alone and in company, did a few walk and trot tests, travelled in the trailer, and did some short schooling sessions and managed a few canters across open fields. She has now been turned away for about 6 weeks and is out 24/7 hairy, chunky and rugless :o she has a few sharp edges and wolf teeth so these are getting removed in Jan, she is also due a physio check in Dec just to make sure everything is okay ;) planning on bringing heer back into work in Feb in time for the showing season when she will be doing cob classes, dressage and a few fun rides. Jumping will be introduced mid summer.

So what are your plans?
 
Well Jay will be 4 next June. He was backed last June, ridden lightly hacking and short schooling sessions, jumped a few tiny poles. Rode in the trailer.

Now he's turned away, he went at the beginning of October and won't be back til Feb or early March. he has a medium weight rug on and I go to see him every 2-3 days. I usually put a head collar on, take off his rug and give him a quick brush.

There are four horses in the field and the other owners go too, so they are all checked every day by someone.

Next year daughter is hoping to get on with his schooling and do som walk trot dressage tests and start his jumping a bit more. She hopes to do BS with him eventually. We will be having help/lessons from a dressage rider/trainer and also from an SJer.
 
Not backed yet; I prefer to leave it until they are 4. Did a couple of in hand classes this year for the experience. In at night, out during day. TBx
 
Mine was backed in July. Will be 4 on 5th may. All he has done is hack in walk and trot alone and in company. He is on his 3 month break from Dec 1st. Will still be in at night just not ridden.
 
Mine is out 24/7 and hasn't been backed yet, she will be 4 around July time. After Xmas she will start coming in at night to get used to a routine and being handled daily (By that I mean rugs changing, being bought in and out, tied up, mucked out around etc - She just needs everything sharpening up, especially the stabling part as she hasn't been in since she was a foal!). Once she is settled and used to all the above I will start introducing a bridle and roller and then progress to long reining with the aim of backing her around Easter time.
 
Two rising three year old dartmoor ponies, starting the odd long reining session every couple of weeks, in-hand hacks and saddle/bridle desensitizing ready for next summer :), had a small 6yr old kid on backs for fun, probably only back them very lightly with a bit of hacking next summer
 
my cob x will be 4 in march, he was backed this summer/autumn, has done 4 short hacks out and thats about it, i wont be turning him away, he might be ridden quietly once a week through the winter and then start some proper schooling in spring.
 
my 3yo will be 4 in June
Have only had him a month, hes in pretty much constantly, out every 2nd day if it doesnt rain (but we're moving yards so that he can go out every day)
Have started Lunging him. He had his wolf teeth out this week so will start bitting him and taking him out for walks.
plan on backing him lightly around April/ May time :)
 
my girl was backed in may, hacked lightly, learnt the basics. traveled in box etc until oct then turned away. she wnt be brought back into work til april/may as shes quite immature mentally so will just do few months and if she cnt cope shell be left again !
 
My youngster is 4 in June. We started the backing process late July. He went to one show and did one in-hand class early September. Was ridden away mid Spetember, he did approx 10 weeks of light hacking. In this time he's hacked alone, in company, in largish groups. Gone first and last in most situations. And cantered accross fields, in the above situations. He's been a superstar throughout and hasn't put a foot wrong. He deserves his down time now.

He's now turned away, hairy and rugless. He's been in at night this week, for the first time in a long time.

We will bring him back in to work around March time. He will be started from scratch again.

We're going to do some hunt ambles over the summer. Some in hand showing, and maybe a novice ridden class late in the season. If all's well he will go to a couple of cubbing meets before being turned away for the following winter again. But this will only happen if we feel he's both mentally and physically capable!
 
Four year old, backed september, now roughed off for winter, out 24/7.
Had wolf tooth out, now having bit in her mouth, long reining, in hand walks down the lane.
Hope to start riding her properly next march (light hacking), with the view to take her to a show in the summer if I can.
I am planning to keep her, and she will make a nice allrounder.
 
Mine was backed in august was gently doing walk , trot and canter and rode in a horsebox
He is now turned away till may-June time when he is 4 then he will be introduced to hacking and alittle pole work
Don't won't to over do him as he is a friesian and they are very slow maturers
 
My Welsh D will be 4 on 1st April. She has been introduced to wearing a bridle with a full cheek french link, a roller, having a saddle on and girthed up and learned the basics of long reining (walk, halt, large circles, changing the rein, taking a couple of steps back and a short trot on a straight line). I have leaned over her and sat on her 3 times, twice bareback and once with her saddle on. I've walked her once round the school on each rein while sitting on her bareback, then I decided to turn her away for the winter. Every time I bring her in though, she wants to go into the school. I might now have a rethink and do a little more with her over the winter. Her wanting to go into the school tells me that she enjoys being in there learning. I'll do more on the long reins with her, which she picked up as if she's been doing it all her life :cool:. I'll ride her mostly in walk, incorporating large circles, turns, changes of direction and walk -halt transitions. A little bit of trotting on straight lines and large circles, and a little gentle hacking. I thought that she would benefit from being turned away, but she clearly enjoys learning so I will do things with her maybe 2 - 3 times a week and see how she goes with that. She has had a few weeks off now since I last sat on her, so will start again this week. I'll give her another break before spring (that's IF she wants a break), before doing more with her over next summer.
I plan to do 2 or 3 in hand shows with her next year, but I don't like over showing youngsters, and she won't do any ridden classes until she's 5yo :).
My rising 3yo (22nd May) New Forest is living the life of riley out in the field in a herd. She will do a couple of in hand shows next year, but I won't back her until she's 4yo. :)
 
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Ours is 4 in May. She was backed in July then turned away. She comes in 4 or 5 times a week and goes for a short hack, usually on her own but occasionally in company. I am going to take her on hound exercise/hunt rides when they are organised
 
My Comtois X will be 4 in April and he's not been backed. He's worn a bit of tack, had a bit in his mouth a couple of times briefly but I want to have his teeth checked before we start proper work. At the moment we've just started weekly long-lining off a lunge cavesson with my husband leading him, so it is still all very low-key really....
 
I have a both a 3 and 4yo. Not backed yet either, both have been in a trailer and walked around the lanes etc.

The 4 (who will be 5) is off to be backed in June and the other (who will be 4) will go at the same time. There's no rush for ours, both are little 13.2hh so will need to be ridden by someone smaller than my 5'7 frame.
 
3y/o, 4 in april ex racer. Lightly hacked out in w/t, lunged a little over poles and been to a inhand show just for experience. She'll now be turned away until next year, most likely march before she comes back in.
 
My Section C will be 4 in June and he is being broken in to drive, he is too small for me to ride and will be a while before my son is big enugh for him. He has had lots of handling, rugs, feet, grooming, trimming, loading and travelling, etc. I bitted him and did some work in hand then introduced to a roller. He also had my toddler sit on him a few times.

Weve have done some light lunging then introduced the long reins firstly in the school. He is worked 2-3 times a week at the moment. We've done a lot on long lines now, we do lots of obstacles in the school and de-spooking work, we hack out on long reins round the village , on the main road, round the fields, all in full harness and great experience for him. Hoping to put him to (carriage) in the spring
 
Mine will be 4 next year and he's done sweet FA :) Out all day, in all night, eats, sleeps , poops and grows like a weed.

I'll see how he looks next year and decide if I'll break him or leave him longer. Very big, very immature. He has worn a bridle a couple of times, and I sat a saddle on him once, and thats it.
 
Mine'll be 4 in May. Lightly backed this summer, hacked out walk/ trot alone and some gentle lunging and long reining. Currently out 24/7 and she won't be doing anything now until Feb time, although that's mainly because I don't have access to a school. Can't wait to get going- I've had her since 8 months old so it's been a long old wait! 16.1hh and still growing!
 
Mine will be 4 in June. She was lightly backed in August and ridden away, although not much, mostly just walk and trot and cantered twice in the school and twice out hacking.

She is now hairy in the field and will stay that way until the nice weather of the proper spring. I'm in no rush with her
 
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