What are you doing with your 6month olds and 2 year olds?

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zoon

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I have a 6 month old who has just been weaned and a 2 year old. The weanling is being led around and tied up, getting used to being touched everywhere/feet picked up, learning to load, being handled by dentist and vet when they come for the others so they are used to these strange people! and obviously spending most of the time out with the others being a baby. My 2 year old is a rescue and was only found by police about 4 months ago so is pretty much doing the same (only is a little bit behind as he is very very nervous so is getting more handling becasue of this) Also getting used to wearing rugs and to having saddlecloths etc on his back, people leaning over his back with no weight on him (easy as he is 12.2hh!) and things around his belly (weigh tapes etc as need to monitor his weight).

What is everyone else doing with their weanlings and 2 years olds?
 
Mine is a little older and 3 yrs old but had no handling until May this year. She's nearer to what you are doing with your 6 month old.
I've taught her to lift her legs and now we're working on bringing them forward to make it easier for a trim. Leading her and tying her up as she can be very nervous so making sure she feels confident before tying her up, so she doesn't learn how to break away. The vet handled her for the first time last week (very proud as she stood rock still for jab).

I'm also starting her with saddle cloths (and sweat rugs) as she does tense and tuck her bum in when putting these on so going with the softly approach.

Also leading her out in hand and teaching basics - stand, walk, move over, backwards.
I'm taking everything at her speed and hoping to get a trailer in next few weeks so can let her adjust to this, ready for going out in-hand showing next year.
 
I have a 2 year old 12hh pony who was wild 7 weeks ago. (so could apply to both of yours)
I have been practising tieing up for longish periods and grooming all over
Picking feet up and wiggling about in preparation for farrier
cuddling and hands round neck and over back with no weight (just sort of stretching over) and tapping her sides lightly with my hands
She has had a saddlecloth on and i flap it around all over her back.
Roller on and just walked round stable in it
Brushing boots on
had a cooler on for short periods
practising headcollar on (not fully mastered this yet)
walking out in hand on roads for 10mins or so
just started practsiing trotting in hand
walked her over poles just once and she was a bit wary so more practise of this needed
started doing some bombproofing i.e. walking over tarpaulin etc

She is my project pony i am working on her to sell for a child/ mother in a couple of years (she is an exmoor) so i am keeping this in mind when i do everything, like how i would want her to behave for a child etc.
 
I have a 3/4 ID thats nearly 2yrs 4 months, He is currently 15.3 and a big built lad. I have had him since 6-8 weeks old (long story explained in previous posts)

He was unhandled when he came to me and had only had a head collar on the morning before for the first time. My OH and I handled him every day getting him used to being lead. I showed him in hand as a foal, yearling and 2 yr old.

At 6 months old he was used to being lead out for short (5-10 mins) walks. he would lead round the jumping field between fillers and through a small stream, He was used to going in a trailer feet trimmed and picked out being bathed and groomed and rugged.

At 1 yr old he was used to being lead with a roller on. We had a hard winter with him as he pulled his shoulder and had to be on complete box rest and vets insisted that h was not to come out till all the ice had gone as if he got giddy and slipped on a patch of ice he could do terrible damage . He had a total of 3 weeks total box rest which totally blew his brain he had to be lightly sedated every day for last 10 days as took to racing round stable bucking rearing and trying to climb out.

This year has been the hardest, but i think above had alot to do with it. I had a lady come help me with him about 3 months ago and the difference is amazing. She said that he needs more to think about and have started the occasional lunging session. He has had a saddle on with stirrups dangling by his side.

Roll in year 3!!

Good luck with yours. Personally i feel that it depends on the individual horse. Whats ight for one is wrong for another! Do as you feel best!
 
No 2 year olds at the moment, if I did, they'd be walking about the place with a saddle and bridle on, doing a bit in the round pen learning voice commands and going on walks in the forest learning to go up and down banks, through creeks, over fallen logs etc, wherever I go, they have to learn to go too, anything to get them thinking about where they are putting their feet, I like a horse to be able to step through brush without panicking.

6 month old is currently re-learning to lead which he appears to have forgotten after being weaned. He and his 5 month old buddies come in every night and are doing all the usual brushing, feet, tying, blankets, stepping over poles in gateways etc. Practising loading and stepping up, on and off a platform - most trailers here are step-ups so they need to be happy with that. I don't do roadwork, they graze next to a road and the combines work 30' away from them, they couldn't care less about traffic or farm machinery, used to tractors around the place and quads and trucks driving through the barn past them.
 
I got my youngster as a 1 year old so over the last year we have done picking up feet, he's had the farrier every 6 weeks since I've had him, rugs, feed bucket!!!, groomed all over including shine spray etc, leading, being tied up and teeth checked (no work done!!!)
Since turning 2 (Aug) he's been bitted, goes for walks down the lanes and around the fields, he's had a roller on and soon we'll start long reining.
I seem to be quite lucky that he loves to learn.
There is no pressure on him to get it right as it takes as long as it takes however he's taken to most things quite quickly (except kicking over his feed bucket!!!)
After Crimbo we will start loading training and perhaps a show in spring so he can see the big wide world.
 
my yearling has been out to a few shows over summer so is used to the lorry, been bitted and leads fine trots to the voice and stands well (most of the time)
she can be tied up, rugged etc basically everything you would do to an older horse apart from riding
over winter she is handled daily but not taken for walks etc, i might take her to the local indoor school when i take my older horse over there just to keep her used to the lorry but she will be allowed to be a youngster and not over handled over winter
next year come spring she will get tarted up (mane/tail done etc) and get used to her bridle again then out to some shows over summer
i dont aim to back her till she is 4 going on 5 as i think she will be late to mature enough
 
Zoon, please don't be in a hurry with your rescue, it has all the time in the world and you'll possibly do far too much too quickly to try to make up time which will only suceed in worrying it. Now you have the basics of handling in place it needs to chill out and be allowed to mature naturally with no pressure; it's already gone through a lot in a short time, do please give it a break.
Apart from normal handling (catching, brushing, feet done etc) and unless they're to be racehorses, youngsters should be left alone to grow and play naturally. As long as they have their basic manners in place and are nice to handle they don't need to be 'schooled' in anything, they'll have all that and more once they get broken, they don't need to get sour of never being left alone to be a child at such a young age IMHO.
 
My 6 month olds are out playing.....exactly what they ought to be doing. That said, I do catch them, lead them in, feed them and back out they go.
Same for the two year old, but he does a little bit of groundwork (move back, move over etc) just to remind him of manners etc!
Being a baby is all about making friends and playing!
 
I have a home bred 2 1/2yr old - hes a big lad (16'2). Over the summer he has been out to shows and just out for little trips in the lorry. Hes also been out with my mare in the lorry (his mum) and will stand on his own when she is taken out etc. He has also done some very light lunging (a couple of times a month) with a roller, loose side reins and a bridle, and then more recently with a saddle on. Hes used to having his feet done etc and being tied up and will happily stand tied up on the yard or in a stable. I also loose jumped him yesterday (he has done it a couple of times before). Next Sunday is his last ''day'' before he has 4 months of total growing time, apart from being groomed once a week - he will be long reined next week. He also goes for walks around the farm, has had clippers on him, seen fillers, been over a water tray, will go in the school with others cantering around him and has been through the ford.

Next year I will break him in and sit on him over the summer - he will hopefully just do a couple of little hacks a week with a lead and then one 15min session in the school once a week along with some more loose jumping. Then the end of September time he will have about 3month break ready to bring him out for the 4yr old classes the following year (hopefully!)
 
ok well i am just breaking the 3yo now - we are on day 5 of riding and trotting circles and changing the rein !! she will carry on being ridden for another couple of weeks then turned back out till feb/march depending on the weather

2yo and 1yo are out in the field getting hairy though the 2yo is an early foal so will be broken next May then turned away from the summer (she is nearly as big as my 3yo) !!
 
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