Turning away 4 year old

[Michen]

When have you usually done it and how long for, and why?

My 4 yo has basically hacked and autumn hunted for the last 3/4 months. He's done next to nothing in the school, he was quite backwards and "lazy" in the school, so I've focused on hacking and hunting and now have a really happy little chap with a nice open forward stride (out hacking!) and a great attitude. I had intended to start schooling once the nights drew in, but I'm actually thinking that I might not bother putting him in the school and might give him a month or so off now (post hunting on Sat!). He's done a couple of weekends away hacking and staying somewhere new, and has worked reasonably hard seeing the world, is looking and feeling good.

If you turned your 4yo away, how long did you do it for? If I did it now, it would work well in terms of picking him back up in December as I'll have a month off work with no where to go, so can use it to get him going again. I don't really want to have to start fitness from scratch, so am thinking perhaps just a month off work, then probably the odd two week period throughout the winter, but is this really enough to "let" a youngster down or do they generally benefit from a bit longer than that? He won't be roughed off as is clipped and keeps my other horse company (so not to leave the yard and go anywhere) so will still be stabled 12 hours a day but he's a laid back chap so won't mind.

He's not weak as such, just lacking any mileage in the school, so I figured rather than start some now and stop fairly soon I may as well just start the schooling after a break perhaps...and end on a "high"

Pic of the cute dude to brighten

 

[Annagain]

I don't think there's a right way or a wrong way to do it so your plan of turning him away (of sorts) now for a month and bringing him back into work in December is fine if it suits you. I think SOME time off is preferable but it certainly doesn't have to be the whole winter unless you want it to be and it doesn't really matter when it is. It would probably suit me to give them January off and start again in Feb but that's because I hate January and never want to do much at all then, by Feb it feels like spring is around the corner and I'm a lot more motivated.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

If it were me i would keep hacking till the clocks changed, add in some pole work in the school for fun and then when winter really turned up those shoes would be off and he would get a holiday till spring I avoid winter though with the shoes off/ turning away plan anyway regardless of their age.

 

[Michen]

If it were me i would keep hacking till the clocks changed, add in some pole work in the school for fun and then when winter really turned up those shoes would be off and he would get a holiday till spring I avoid winter though with the shoes off/ turning away plan anyway regardless of their age.

Yeah it's more I don't really want to start him from scratch, and I'm happy to ride over winter even when it's bleak as then I am forced to school, plus I'll have a month mid dec- mid jan of being able to ride in daylight! I'd like to aim him at some baby comps in spring when the grounds good etc, so if I left him until spring it would be summer before he was ready to go and do anything

 

[ihatework]

Personally, as you have got him a little pepped up and enjoying life, I’d introduce the concept of schooling now for 2-3 weeks before letting him down.

As for the rest, I’m pro regular breaks but not set in stone on the duration. Whatever works for you.

 

[Michen]

Personally, as you have got him a little pepped up and enjoying life, I’d introduce the concept of schooling now for 2-3 weeks before letting him down.

As for the rest, I’m pro regular breaks but not set in stone on the duration. Whatever works for you.

Ok good point... how long have you generally given yours off?

Also, I’d assume with a month off it would only be about two/three weeks to get him back up to decent fitness..

 

[palo1]

It probably won't help but I am at a similar stage though we have been doing a little bit in the school. Alw is quite confident out and about and loads, is clipped etc quite happily and has seen and done almost everything I could have wanted at this point; we have even introduced tiddly jumps which she is loving. I have been sort of hanging on going so that she may have a chance of seeing hounds and I had thought of taking her to a comp venue to look at things there and do an Intro test but I am now thinking of scaling back a bit once she has seen hounds - I will probably just ride out on nice days and then give her a few weeks break when the weather is vile in January! I don't think it matters if you are not working at great intensity tbh; you can do what suits you best and if Bear starts getting bored then you can pick him up again fairly easily.

 

[ihatework]

My current 4yo this year started mid Jan, did 2 months then had 1 month off. Did another 2 months then had 2 weeks off. Did 2 months of harder work but only 3-4 days/week. Now is just coming through to the end of 2 months off.

He will probably do at least 4 months, if not 6 in the next stint. It’ll depend a bit on how things go. Might get the odd week off for bad weather etc.

 

[Polos Mum]

The old fashioned rule of thumb was that they needed the same time building back up slowly as they had off. So a month off = a month to get back to where you were, or 3 months off = three months to get back to where you were.
Clearly that also depends on the fitness you're starting with - a really fit horse won't lose that much in 3-4 weeks vs. happy hacker fitness but it'll take them that long to get back to where they were.

If he can have 24/7 turnout I personally think that helps them retain fitness too.

 

[ThreeWBs]

Personally, I'm pro for giving horses breaks.. especially young horses. If you're at a point where both you and your horse are happy with his ridden progression, I don't see any harm in giving him time off.

My horse as a 4yo was mainly hacked as he wasn't mature physically or mentally for the school. I turned away on the 31st Oct and picked him back up 28th Feb. He had a lovely long stint off work to allow him to be a young horse. He came back with lots of enthusiasm and hadn't forgotten anything he'd been taught. He had physically grown taller, but not wider in this time.

As a 5yo he had 30th Nov to 28th Feb off, and again, he came back a better horse, but still only hacking. He began to fill out during this time.

He's now 6 and schooling and hacking. He'll likely have January and maybe some of Feb off, weather dependent.

 

[Michen]

The old fashioned rule of thumb was that they needed the same time building back up slowly as they had off. So a month off = a month to get back to where you were, or 3 months off = three months to get back to where you were.
Clearly that also depends on the fitness you're starting with - a really fit horse won't lose that much in 3-4 weeks vs. happy hacker fitness but it'll take them that long to get back to where they were.

If he can have 24/7 turnout I personally think that helps them retain fitness too.

Yep true I'm thinking a hunting fit horse can be WTC hacking fitness reasonable quickly post break.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

@Michen Sorry to pop an old post up, but I'm in the same situation with my 4yo. Did you give him any time off, if so, how long? I was thinking off now until January, then start up in January and aim to get on by February.

 

[Sprogladite01]

I have a 4 year old on loan at the moment. She's wintering out with me, she was broken last summer, lightly hacked, now she's having a winter holiday until April time

 

[Abacus]

I’m sure I have heard (my osteo, I think) that it really takes 6 weeks for them to relax in non-work mode and their bodies grow and develop. She was a big fan of 6 weeks off in spring when they are really growing.

 

[Michen]

@Michen Sorry to pop an old post up, but I'm in the same situation with my 4yo. Did you give him any time off, if so, how long? I was thinking off now until January, then start up in January and aim to get on by February.

I actually really cannot remember! I'm sure I probably did tbh... or at least only did a little hacking. He didn't really school much until he was 6.

 

[Ratface]

@Michen Sorry to pop an old post up, but I'm in the same situation with my 4yo. Did you give him any time off, if so, how long? I was thinking off now until January, then start up in January and aim to get on by February.

I think this is a sound plan.
In my experience, young horses given time off over a few months after being started and ridden away benefit from this, both mentally and physically.
My horse, now 30 and still in light work, was started at five, did some successful in-hand showing and was then turned away for a year.
Over the years, he's been successful in a number of competitive spheres, had and given lots of fun and stayed sound.
I think taking the long view is preferable to doing too much too soon.

 

[Caol Ila]

I have been in the fence about this but now I’ve moved my four year old to a yard where she’s stabled part time.

She also hasn’t done sh1t. Not backed at all but I’ve leaned on her. She is lightly lunged and long reined and we go on in hand hacks.

Plan is to sit on her once she settles at new yard and then ride very lightly.

Not super keen to turn away.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I have been in the fence about this but now I’ve moved my four year old to a yard where she’s stabled part time.

She also hasn’t done sh1t. Not backed at all but I’ve leaned on her. She is lightly lunged and long reined and we go on in hand hacks.

Plan is to sit on her once she settles at new yard and then ride very lightly.

Not super keen to turn away.

Sounds like you’re has had a easy summer and ready to be backed and do a bit over winter! I’d be doing the same as you in your situation. Looking forward to her progress ?

 

[Caol Ila]

An easy everything!! She had her foal in June 2021 and all I did until he was weaned in January 2022 was basic handling, hand walking, and some tarp and umbrella flapping. She was more upset by weaning than he was. Once she got over that (like March), I started with the lunging, long reining, tack wearing faff.