What are you doing with your 4yo's?

S

Starbucks

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 May 2007
Messages
15,799
Visit site
Not been on here in a while! *waves*

So I've got a rising 4yo. We had her broken in the autumn, I rode her a bit and the she's been turned away for the winter.

I'm just bringing her back into work now but tbh I've got a baby, new house, puppy, getting new stables built.. Basically a bit distracted so I don't have much of a plan!

What are you doing with your 4yo's any advice what I should be doing with her or what you would do? Just planning to do a bit of low level competition with her. She's about 16/16.1 fairly fine ISH. Seems to have a very sensible temp so far.
 
Last edited:
Mine started education last year but has been a long process as wasn't an easy horse to break! Then he had several problems with teeth etc and we moved yards so we've not long been going under saddle. His thing was bolting so it took a long time to correct this as much as we could on the ground and in long lines and he is comfortable walking and trotting on his own now. My last year 4yo was a quick learner and was jumping and doing 4yos by the middle of the year but I'm not so sure about this little guy. He's taken a bit longer but hopefully he will be worth it as he seems very talented! If he carries on improving and happy in his work we will soon start poles etc, and maybe aim for a 4yo at the end of the year but we will see. So hard to make a 'plan' and set it in stone with a youngster!

12527799_610771492410144_1501269073_n.jpg
he's still a little skinny but has put on so much compared to when he went downhill!
 
Myself and my other half backed my soon to be 4 years old at the end of last year and she has been pretty straight forward with a few bucks. I took her back into work a few weeks ago with long reining for the first few days and then got on and she has been pretty good. Had our first canter last night as it just felt like the right time to ask and away we went. Apart from that we are just plodding on really. Needing to aim for something now since the season for everything is coming up fast :D
 
Oh god johnsons that sounds a bit scary! Mine hasn't ever really done anything wrong and I was still scared getting back on her! Hope you get him sorted.

Glad other people don't have much of a plan either! I'm not even that sure what my longer term hopes are with her I think I'll just pootle along and see what we fancy!
 
Haha happy to read this thread as I'm a bit aimless with mine too!

Backed Sept/Oct, turned away until Jan brought back into work, had a weehaa rodeo'ing me off start of Feb, then had a week or so off due to a cut leg, then went into bookcamp to sort out the weehaa'ing, halo was re-instated but now my saddle doesn't fit!! Loving everything moment so far :D.

Need to sort out a fitter to come out as my saddle may be ok but I'd rather an expert take a look, and she's ahppy having a bit less work and more field time :D. Hoping for some showing and prelim dressage at some point this year but nothing set in stone.
 
Mine was backed and hacked for a couple of weeks in August and is just starting to wear tack again. Unfortunately I'm injured so she won't work for a little while yet but I don't mind- she won't do much until she's 5 anyway, just have a quiet allround education and do some baby competitions with no pressure. She's good so I'm happy to take my time (destined to event)
 
AlexHyde said:
Haha happy to read this thread as I'm a bit aimless with mine too!

Backed Sept/Oct, turned away until Jan brought back into work, had a weehaa rodeo'ing me off start of Feb, then had a week or so off due to a cut leg, then went into bookcamp to sort out the weehaa'ing, halo was re-instated but now my saddle doesn't fit!! Loving everything moment so far :D.

Need to sort out a fitter to come out as my saddle may be ok but I'd rather an expert take a look, and she's ahppy having a bit less work and more field time :D. Hoping for some showing and prelim dressage at some point this year but nothing set in stone.
Click to expand...

That's the thing though - everytime they have a bit of time off you risk the weehaa'ing again lolz.

Have you guys started hacking out much? She's been down the lane a couple of times and I've got a feeling she might be a bit nervous of traffic which worries me. We are moving her to my yard with no school and no one to hack with soon so she will have to get used to it!
 
Ive not done alot of hacking due to no hacking buddy but hoping that will change this week but have ventured down the road ourselves a couple of times. I dont think she will be to bothered about going down the road as shes generally not bothered about traffic etc. Its more me and my now retired horse put the fear of god into me with hacking. So we are building up to it all :D
 
You shh you, had her on the lines last night and she managed to contain herself to one small weehaa, (bootcamp consisted of teaching her she was not allowed to do it under saddle or we come to a halt until she's sensible again), so I think the message has stuck. Plus we build up to ridden work with a day before of ground work and then a walk round on the lines before getting on so I'm hopeful we can limit the number of times I hit the deck :D.

We've hacked a little and have to use the roads, so I lined her out first to assess her reaction, she was pretty good but prefers company (equine or someone on the gorund). She just gets a little bouncy and usettled but nothing too rediculous yet! I've found just manning up and getting on with it is pretty good to be honest, I have taken her down the road alone and she was fine. Consistant work really helps her so I'm looking forward to the longer days so we can hack a bit more often (limited to weekends currently, well before saddle issues anyway).
 
Our youngster is strictly 5 but pretty sure he's a late foal, and almost definitely wasn't broken until just before we bought him as a very green 4yo in October.
He's had a winter of clinics/lessons every couple of weeks with as much riding as possible in between - very limited at times due to my work/light etc. He's had a few yeehaw moments and I certainly don't get on without a BP - bronc and spin is a favourite when he's not been worked for a few days so I'm slightly apprehensive about tonight as I've not managed to ride since Monday. Although he got turned out for the first time since November yesterday so hoping that will have taken some of the edge off :) One of his wolf teeth has also just erupted and this explains why one rein is more likely to bring objections than the other so that's being whipped out asap.
Education wise he's comfortable jumping round a course of 80-90 with a few baby / green mistakes - such as going like a banana round a corner as he gets distracted then it's ooh fence! But he's very bold and so far hasn't been phased by any fillers / water trays etc when schooling or by anything on the local arena xc. So his education schooling wise will continue and we'll start to get out to a show every 2-3 weeks after Easter.
 
Also glad to read this! My girl will be four in April and as back and started in Autumn. We've just started getting back into riding after a little break, we had our first canter which went very well but afterwards she slipped in the field and felt stiff so back man came out and now she back to normal.

We're building schooling up slowly with the aim to do a walk and trot dressage test in April and our first in hand show of the year beginning of April (might ride round the show field)

At the minute she's fighting contact on her mouth so my dentist pal is out tonight to see if she thinks it's because she's not comfortable or if it's just trying it on. So fingers crossed we sort that tonight :)
 
I know Skylla's mouth is fine (after the dissappearing wolf teeth she has a good mouth), but she can get a little fussy in the contact. I think it could be a combination of when she's teething and when she's feeling a little tired/ anxious. When working sweetly she's very good but inclined to curl behind the verticle so I'm debating changing bits but not sure what to start with...
 
Just brought mine home, she's been away being restarted. She turned 4 last Sunday was started in December, and turned away at xmas. I sent her away to be restarted 4 weeks ago. She did lots of hacking, and the last week a bit of schooling.
I had my first ride on her the other week, we hacked through the forest, she was amazing. I rode one handed she was that chilled.
So far I'm really impressed with how she's handled the whole thing.

She has started to understand transitions, done a bit of pole work, and a couple of very small jumps. Seriously looking forward to next week, when I start to ride her
Properly myself.
 
I'm on southern hemisphere time, so it's autumn here and my girl will be five in November. She has been under saddle for a bit over 12 months and she has just been getting out and about and schooling. Lots of hacking, riding club to get her used to being in a crowd, lessons and some low level dressage comps. Just giving her as much life experience as possible.
 
A bit of an update from me, my girl is home, and I've ridden her twice. First time she felt bonkers, so didn't do much, but second day I rode with my daughter, and the other horse must have helped her confidence. She was totally relaxed, and we even managed our first trot. So going to take things at her speed, and keep her happy and relaxed. She will still be schooled / hacked by a real rider every week, to keep her education going in the right way. Couldn't be happier with her. I've got my mojo back, and look forward to riding now !
 
Asha said:
A bit of an update from me, my girl is home, and I've ridden her twice. First time she felt bonkers, so didn't do much, but second day I rode with my daughter, and the other horse must have helped her confidence. She was totally relaxed, and we even managed our first trot. So going to take things at her speed, and keep her happy and relaxed. She will still be schooled / hacked by a real rider every week, to keep her education going in the right way. Couldn't be happier with her. I've got my mojo back, and look forward to riding now !
Click to expand...

Well done! Sounds like you are making some good progress! I wish I had a real rider to come and get on mine every week!

Update on mine - she's doing so well! We've had a little jump and she was perfect and a little hack (alone) and she was perfect as well! She didn't eve really look at anything she just marched along, much more forward than in the school.

She seems to be going a lot more nicely than when she came back from breaking in the autumn. I guess she will be stronger now and less fed up. Plus I feel braver I think because it's longer since I popped the sprog!

I can't imagine it's all going to be as plain sailing as this but so happy so far!
 
Brilliant stuff, those brave pants really help don't they ! Sounds like she's enjoying her work.

I'm with you, it can't be all plain sailing, but it will be worth it ��
 
Asha said:
Brilliant stuff, those brave pants really help don't they ! Sounds like she's enjoying her work.

I'm with you, it can't be all plain sailing, but it will be worth it ��
Click to expand...

The thing I like about babies though is its not really a big deal if they are a bit crap or prat about some days. With a more established horse I'm always dead nervous in case they don't go well, but I don't really get that with babies (just dead nervous in case they chuck me off instead!)
 
We are doing what my OH calls squircles and wobbly lines. We can now do a circle left as well as right in trot and not wet ourselves as we see the mirrors.
 
CrazyMare said:
We are doing what my OH calls squircles and wobbly lines. We can now do a circle left as well as right in trot and not wet ourselves as we see the mirrors.
Click to expand...

Lucky you - my idiot is the only horse I've ever known to try and attack his own reflection!! Even after he's been allowed to look at himself and do the usual oh yes that's me, if he's on his own in a school with mirrors he will try and bite the "other" horse :confused: he works quite happily with other horses in an arena - although still scowls at his own reflection my only conclusion is that he's a weirdo.
 
Eek. You are all doing so well, mine was "backed and hacked" by me late last summer, but only hacked on the lead rein. I'm currently trying to get him to move forward off the lead rein, he lacks confidence and tries to nap back without a horse or person to follow. He is forward going on long reins though. I'm taking it steadily and quietly. Sounds like he is way behind everyone else's.
 
Lanky Loll said:
Lucky you - my idiot is the only horse I've ever known to try and attack his own reflection!! Even after he's been allowed to look at himself and do the usual oh yes that's me, if he's on his own in a school with mirrors he will try and bite the "other" horse :confused: he works quite happily with other horses in an arena - although still scowls at his own reflection my only conclusion is that he's a weirdo.
Click to expand...

Lol, sorry! Mine crashed into the wall because he was looking at himself. These young horses don't make you feel like a good rider!!!!
 
Mine is 4 at the end of June. I backed him last year, turned him away at the end of October and he's now been back in for a month or so. He feels 100% ready to crack on now, so apart from hacking (as I have no school) I'll be making various outings to different places over the summer so get him used to the big bad world. First aim is Hamptons sponsored ride, second aim is autumn hunting (as his grow up self is expected to be a hunting horse).

I think if you feel like you're ambling, that's a far better place to be than feeling like you're rushing, or forcing yourself into situations that make you uncomfortable, not necessary nervous but more that it might be a bit too much. I really hoped to get mine to one autumn meet before I turned him away, like I have with previous, but he just didn't feel ready.
 
Not even started mine :-( he had a injury last summer, so left him till spring, now I'm unsure what to do as he's still very bum high. 15.2 in front 16 on his bum.keep waiting in hope he will level off?
 
Nice to know it's not only my one that's bum high, that's made me feel a little better. Fingers crossed the spring grass when it comes will sort them out x x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top