What are you doing with your 3 year olds?

Saxon_Jasmine

Saxon_Jasmine

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Good afternoon.

Whilst attempting to revise for my Uni exams, and failing to, I was wondering if I'm doing an appropriate amount of work with my 3 1/2 year old.

He is a Welsh Sec A that has grown oversized (he is about 13hh now and still growing I think). He was backed last July-ish, bought on over the summer and ridden untill September-ish, turned away untill December, and now is in work again.

I'm currently handling him lots and making sure he knows how to behave when being handled. He's being ridden 2 times a week; one hack and one light schooling session. Most of his ridden work is in walk and trot at the moment and he has the occasional canter on a hack. I try and lunge him in walk and trot with a small canter once a week too.

Do you think this is ok for him?

What are you doing with your 3 yr olds? (Photos welcome :) )
 
I have two 3yos - one is 4 in May and the other will be 4 in July. I don't have any facilities and the ground is too muddy in winter to do anything, so all mine get is tacked up once a week or so and leant over in the stable. I'll back them properly in the spring once the ground hardens up.

I have no idea whether what you're doing is ok as I have deliberately erred on the side of caution with my guys, leaving them later.
 
I have a 3 1/2 year old who is 4 in june! Backed him in september he has been in light work such as a little hack etc bit of schooling. As he is at uni with me! He had a month off over Christmas and have lunged him and got back on him yesterday! I think as long as your pony feels happy and is enjoying the work you have nothing to worry about. Mine had 3 years of growing up on welsh moors and was hardly touched so I think hes ok doing a bit of work! He will be turned out for 3 months over the summer for a break then will start doing more with him when hes 4 and a bit! He is happy, fresh and enjoys his work!! So I think as an owner you know when your baby will have had too much (well thats what I am going on!!)
 
I back and rode my 3yr old (4 in July) and have turned her away for the winter to mature and fill out a little. I will bring her into work again in march sort of time. She is 16.3hh now and we felt she needed a little more time to work out her legs etc lol.
 
Iv been thinking of asking this question to :p ... I just bought a 3yr, 4 in April just over a week ago and have been worrying about doing to much to soon. As far as iv been told mine was broken in Sept worked for a month or two then turned out, brought back in near 2 weeks ago for us to view her and then we bought her. Ive been riding her 4 days a week in the school doing about 10 mins walking 10 trot and a couple of canters on each rein so about 20-30mins, then lunged once a week for about 10mins because she is a bit nappy on the lunge. We will probably pop her over some x poles in a week or two aswell. Hmmm does anyone think this is to much??
 
native eventer said:
I have a 3 1/2 year old who is 4 in june! Backed him in september he has been in light work such as a little hack etc bit of schooling. As he is at uni with me! He had a month off over Christmas and have lunged him and got back on him yesterday! I think as long as your pony feels happy and is enjoying the work you have nothing to worry about. Mine had 3 years of growing up on welsh moors and was hardly touched so I think hes ok doing a bit of work! He will be turned out for 3 months over the summer for a break then will start doing more with him when hes 4 and a bit! He is happy, fresh and enjoys his work!! So I think as an owner you know when your baby will have had too much (well thats what I am going on!!)
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Mine is at Uni with me too (as well as my TB). I agree with what you said; I'm sure he'd object if I was doing too much. Though I've never had a youngster before so thought I'd just check what others are doing.

Does anyone know when he should stop growing?
 
NicoleS_007 said:
Iv been thinking of asking this question to :p ... I just bought a 3yr, 4 in April just over a week ago and have been worrying about doing to much to soon. As far as iv been told mine was broken in Sept worked for a month or two then turned out, brought back in near 2 weeks ago for us to view her and then we bought her. Ive been riding her 4 days a week in the school doing about 10 mins walking 10 trot and a couple of canters on each rein so about 20-30mins, then lunged once a week for about 10mins because she is a bit nappy on the lunge. We will probably pop her over some x poles in a week or two aswell. Hmmm does anyone think this is to much??
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Our babies seem to be doing about the same amount of work, though this seems like more than everyone else who has replied! What breed is yours? Has she stopped growing yet? I'm a bit worried I'm doing too much, he seems to enjoy his work though, so maybe not.
 
Saxon_Jasmine said:
Our babies seem to be doing about the same amount of work, though this seems like more than everyone else who has replied! What breed is yours? Has she stopped growing yet? I'm a bit worried I'm doing too much, he seems to enjoy his work though, so maybe not.
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Shes an ISH about 16.1/2hh atm but she still looks a bit leggy and a smidgen bum high!! Farrier said shes still got some growing and alot of filling out to do lol :p I havent had a young horse in 3 years and he was about 4yrs 5mths when we got him and a Tb so had finished growing. I do know people who have ridden there 3yr for an hr a day with no ill effects but i personally think that is to much :/ hmmm maybe were soft :p
 
My 3.5yr old is standing in a field getting fat and muddy.

He was very lightly started at the end of the summer (sat on, learnt to stop, go and turn) and had a couple of little trots.

He'll start again in the spring, getting fit mostly inhand before doing much sitting on him - their backs are the last things to stop growing (5yrs old) so I don't want to wreck it!
 
I'll post some photos of his current condition, please comment on his maturity.

This is him last summer just turned 3:

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And this is him now, aged 3 1/2:

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(no comment on rider please, she's a novice child)

What do you think?
 
Also, just a thought; racehorses are being ridden consistently and in hard work aged 2, and there are affiliated jumping classes for 4 yr olds, meaning they must have been in at least light/medium work from age 3.

I know different breeds mature at different ages, but thinking about it a 3 1/2 yr old hacking and being lightly schooled a few times a week is hardly going to do him much damage, or is it?

What do you think?
 
mine will be 4 in mid April. she was borken and backed last May and has been ridden 3 times a week for 15-20 mins a time, one hacking, one lunging and one schooling. has just started canter at end of last yr. did one cross country scooling session at baby level she could walk over and a couple of walk and trot dressage tests at a freinds show just down the road just to get out with other horses and used to atmosphere of shows. she has had one week off every month or so and had from end nov to lats weekend off too. she is 16.2 and mature for her age. hope to aim her fo 4 yr old classes. she comes trotting over when i go to get her in riding hat and bridle and wants to work.
 
I have a Welsh A that will be 3 this Spring - I was talking to a Welsh pony society near to me that told me that in the autum of this year I would be able to bring him along and show him under saddle (leadrein).

We were talking about the official showing age under saddle being 4 (Jan 1 2012) and she told me that they had these early showing classes for riding 4s.

So, I would assume from this that at 3yo you could be quite happily be carrying a small child when he/she is rising 4 in the showring. So would expect to be breaking under saddle with said small child at age just 3.

Hope this helps.
 
Saxon-Jasmine: Your 3 and a half year old looks lovely, similiar to mine tbh as they are both hairy and native types!! Urs looks reasonably mature but got a bit of filling out to do will come with time, natives don't stop growing till later than tbs, iv been told my connemara wnt stop till hes 7!! Hes already overheight too, but what am i supposed to do wait till then??!! I figure people event in BYEH at 4 so schooling must have taken place to get them round a large SJ course at 4!!
 
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