what age do you back your young horses

[SKY]

heavy and light horses, i would mouth and long rein as a 2 yr old and do some ground work and leave back in field till 3, bring in and refreash and start backing and light training and bomeproofing them but no heavy work til 4 or 5. its just i have heard of people backing and jumping at 2 1/2 yr. to me that is so bad for the horses back and joints.

what are your views on this.

 

[Cedars]

I will (first youngster, she's only a yearling atm):

Long rein at 2years. Mess about with some tack (i.e. lying saddle pads on her etc), she's already bitted.
More long reining at 3 years, along with alot of "bombproofing" in hand - i.e. hacking from the ground. Would love to be able to ride and lead but not got the other suitable horses for it. Will also towards the end of her third year begin leaning over her back and have a saddle fitted.
Will back and ride away at 4.

She's a chunky cob, but I'll mostly judge it on how mature she's looking!

 

[Cedars]

Should add that she's a charity horse and WHW don't want them backed much earlier than 4 so I will probably wait longer so as not to upset them.

 

[EventingDaun]

I went to try a horse today, (actually I didn't ride it, let someone else do that bit!) a 3yo KWPN, almost 17hh. As a yearling he was bitted (for showing, I believe) and started being taken places in hand for 'bomb proofing', and as a 3 year old has just been backed, and is hacking at walk and trot, cantering in the arena.
If I get him (Although I have no problem with his current owners method) I'll ride him in the same sort of way until October, then giving him the winter off, before we start the hard stuff! I have to say, as a three year, hacking out in a new place as he was today, he was so unflappable! Especially in comparison to the horse I had borrowed to go with him!

 

[SKY]

yeah i agree start them young with everything, apart from backing. i leave till 3 to back, i have a mare at min and she was only every mouthed and long reined as a 3 yr old and now she is 7 and i am backing her this winter, i bought her last year and she has a foal now, so when foal comes of, i will give her a few months to relax and start to back her, i would call that late, but previous owner didnt know that much, so at least they didnt start her and mess it up. she is like a lamb and doesnt mined saddles on back. so have her to train this winter.

 

[Tinypony]

Handled well and taken out for adventures as they get older, then backed at 4.
I would be careful cantering a 3 year old 17hh horse in the arena much, that's not a lot of space for a big horse and could put strain on the joints. With a backed 3 year old I'd be considering turning away until next spring.

 

[Pipkin]

Depends on the horse and its level of maturity, my PBA i done my self at 3 /12 and didnt really do much at all except lazy hacks out once or twice a week, a year on and I`m doing gentle schooling involving walking in circles and popping the odd tiny cross pole.
My/OH CB was back at 4/12 and is being brought on slowly, she`s 5/12 now, they take a long time to mature physically (i dont think they ever do mentally lol )
I went out with my local ride and drive group recently and someone has their 2 yr old out which had been broken for 4 months, pony was not happy did not want to move and played up, personally id have dumped rider and pissed off....bang out of order imo

 

[SKY]

i agree, its just too young 2 yr old and you siad it was riding 4 mths. that is just not right

 

[clopclip]

We take our time with them at 3, back em, turn em away and then start again at 4 - try and not have them too much in the school though (ours is quite deep - better to mision about in our field!)

 

[almrc]

I'm backing mine at 4 or just after. Tough a lot of her training has been done:

General manners, tying up, leading, rugs on/off, farrier, dentist, vet, introduced to saddle, bit, going out for walks, seeing traffic, getting used to voice commands, introduced to trailer, been for a trip around the field getting used to fly spray and very scary fly masks(!) and some very rare long reining...

 

[rangerover]

Just lost a reply so apologies if this happens twice...Full ID going to be a big boy...long reined and backed at 2 1/2, brought back into work this week (but did a bit of long reining in between) cantered on lunge, sat on yesterday, today HACKED OUT WITH MY MARE FOR ABOUT 15 MINS!! including taking the lead for nappy old cow past extremely scary (not) yard down the road which we always go past. He will have tomorrow off, lunge/hack Sat and Sun then probably be turned away until the Spring when he will be 4 (although I might do a bit of long reining autumn/winter if the weather is nice). Obviously already done farrier, went to an in-hand show, has tack/rugs on/off, ties up, goes in stable, trailer,can bath, fly spray etc. Wow! When I read that back I realise what a long journey we've had from the wild escapologist that was delivered at weaning!!

 

[ladyt25]

I think I shall be coming on here a fair bit for tips with mine but from what most of you say i think I'm going about it right (or my plan anyway). Just bought a 15mth old, he will be caught, lead, have his feet trimmed etc etc. he hasn't done much else so my intention is to walk him out in hand to let him see the big wide world - done this twice so far in the 2 weeks I've had him (just enough for his brain to cope with!) then i am going to take him to 1 or two shows to do some in hand classes the end of the summer (if i feel he's up for it and I mean only v small, local type shows more to get him out and experience things than anything else). This winter he'll be doing next to nothing other than more handling a bit of walking out and that's it.

Next spring I intend to do a bit more and will start long reining and see how that goes and maybe try see if i can get him to lunge a bit.

He is not used to rugs etc at the moment so i am going to try get him used to that and I also already and getting him used to me just having an arm across his back everyso often when i lead him just so he gets used to the sensation more than anything.

I have no intention of rushing him, I think it's when people rush that things go wrong and, until I know a bit more about his personality I will just introduce things to him when i think he's ready.

 

[rowy]

I have just finished backing my youngster. I bought him as a 2 year old who had been bitter and longreined. I then didn't do anything with him apart from odd walk down the road until he was nearly 3. Then started lunging and getting used to saddle. Then gradually backed him. Walk trot and some canter in very big school. Then turned him away about a month ago. Since then have been bombproofing and taking for walks and will be taking him to his first in hand show. I will not back him again until next April when we have a menage built.
I am just in the process of buying another youngster and this time I will only sit on it and walk it and go for hacks before turning it away till 4 as I felt I did too much too early with my youngster this time.

 

[Jenna500]

I would never back before three, preferably three and a half. I have a six year old who I backed at four because she was very immature as a three year old - we did lots of long lining and walks out in hand instead. I didn't start jumping her until she was five.

I have two, two year olds - one who is big and chunky and I'm going to be long lining her from the end of this year and probably lightly backing next year, some very gentle hacking (no schooling) and then bring her back into work as a four year old. The other two year old still looks very immature physically, and I'll probably do him a year later (so back at 4).

I'm always aware that horses take until they're six or more before they're completely mature, and I want my horses to have a long hand healthy ridden career!

 

[V1NN]

plan wit mine is start slowly next yr a 3yrs (he is extremly well handled now) then just turn him away next winter until he turns 4 then start more seriously again, people keep telling me to do more with him now i thin mainly because he looks so mature but i dont want to.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=391055

Thread on the same subject.

 

[loubymay]

Well I have a yearling atm and he is already bitted and walking out on the roads as he loves it and isnt scared of anything strangly so we walk out with my mare together he's only bitted as i show him, I will start long reining next year when he's two and then back him at 3 winter off and reback at 4 x

 

[Tinypony]

Faracat, how many times do you plan to post a link to the Ranger article on this thread?

 

[Lgd]

My current baby did some ride lead from her Mum as a 2yo. Light long reining in walk from 2½yo (I don't have a cat in h*lls chnace of keeping up with her trot!).

Just started lunging her as a 4yo and planning on sitting on her in the autumn. Have left backing her to now as she was so immature physically. She's grown over 2 inches this year alone and looks like more to come. Her dam was the same, so not unexpected to have to wait for her to grow up.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Faracat, how many times do you plan to post a link to the Ranger article on this thread?

Why? Do you think I should post it again?

 

[raylegend2002]

Better to do bits younger to get them used to being done then progress preoperly from 4yrs old. Ive had my 3yr old daughter sat on our chunky rising 2yr old welsh standing approx 12.3hh. He's strong enough to hold her and we've just walked just a few steps. I think this really can't hurt, and he seems to like it. Is there proof that horses are strained if backing before 4?? No i don't think so.
If its not strenuous then it can't hurt!!
Obviously i wouldn't be tacking him up yet with a saddle and riding him around myself.
They race TB's at 2yr olds!!

 

[MrVelvet]

My welsh x warmblood boy will be 4 in July. Last summer I lightly lunged and long reined him, he has seen traffic and walked out on roads in hand. He has been bridled and wore a roller and boots etc. I have leant over him in his box. When the weather cheers up I will begin long reining him in tack with the view to be sat on him and maybe the odd hack out over Summer. He will have winter off and be brought back into work next Spring as a rising 5 year old when he will begin the odd schooling session. If the process takes longer... thats fine I'm not rushing him, his attitude would make it easy to rush things... xx

 

[MagicMelon]

The youngest I've bought is 3.5yrs, usually they've been off hillsides having not done anything other than had their feet trimmed. I normally begin groundwork straight away, getting them used to tack etc. and then as soon as they turn 4 I will start leaning over them. I have it in my head that I would never get on a 3yo, they always have to have turned 4! I had one horse who I bought at 3.5 and he'd already been backed - it had been done way too quickly as he wasn't happy under saddle when I got him, took far longer to get him going happily than had they just waited and I'd backed as normal! As 4yo's, I normally have them walk/trot/cantering happily within a month (depending on the horse), and will introduce small jumping etc. from then on. Normally take them to their first ridden show at about 2 months (usually showing or a tiny dressage comp). Really all depends on the horse though, I just go as quick/slow as they are happy with.

 

[Zimzim]

My risng 4 year old(4 in may) currently youst to tack, lunges, walks out inhand in traffic, and long-reining at the moment (today was the first day we did it completely alone!).

Going to keep long-reining for a while yet (with odd lungeing session) then start to get him youst to my weight and back him, could be in the next few months or could be longer. He has a bout 3 days to a week off between being introduced to new things, which seems to refresh him and also lets him have time to think about whats happened.

Hes very sensitive and needs to be introduced to new situations gradually, so were just taking each day as it comes. Plus he had 3 different injuries over the winter which stopped us from doing alot and set him back a bit (abcess, injury to face from another horse and a puncture wound to leg!), so Ive had to gain his trust with other people again (hes fine with me just not too keen on people he doesnt know i.e. the vet!).

But were finally getting there,Ive only had him 6 months and he came straight from field so he hasnt had the same handling as alot of other youngsters his age

 

[scarymare]

Having done a lot of thinking, I'm not touching my 3 year old till next year. Spoke to someone who worked on WB stud abroad. When they backed at 3, had to shoot many more (temprement) that when they backed at 4. I've already notice that despite being pretty much unhandled, I can do so much more with her (including putting big bale haylage wrapper on her back whilst she's standing in field). I also had my gelding backed at 3 and as he was capping he ended up at the Royal Dick for a week with mouth issues.

 

[MeganLindsx]

My mare was fully backed and ridden away at 3 (not by me!!) When I got her aged 8 she had already done a lot of grade B sj. It has put me off buying a high mileage horse because IMO it has really aged her legs and I don't think her being broke so early helped her conformation (very bum high!)

My NFx was broken in lightly at rising 4 (by me) and has now been turned away for a year. Next summer I will re brake him and ride him away slowly. (Hopefully he will mature by then LOL)

 

[shadowboy]

How long is a piece of string? Depends on the horse!!
My NF was backed at 3. And actually he was so developed he looks like a mature 8 year old. Totally depends on the phycal and mental make up of the horse. End of!

as you can see weightwise its better for this boy to be in work thather than sat in the field doing nothing! Plus hes not weedy or gangly in any form.

 

[Enfys]

I don't, I tend to sell them before they are two to people who enjoy that stuff. They'll have been bridled and saddled by that age though.

 

[Business]

Sit on at 2, turn away - ride for a few weeks at three- first canter, turn away, get going a bit more at 4 - more serious schooling - hacking but nothing too hard, pop a small fence or two, and assuming strong enough keep going but with the maturity and development in mind.

 

[amandaco2]

basic stuff- wearing tack, inhand showing and walking down the lane in company/alone, in traffic, wearing boots etc etc was all done by the time they were 2
long lining in walk was done at 3-4years old and over walking poles.

actual riding and work started at 4 or in 2 cases at 5years old.
the first 3 months was spent mostly hacking out so they learn forwad and straightness.

mine are not to sell so i want them as ready as possible without undue stress.