What are your 3 year olds (4 in 2015) doing?

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Always-Riding

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Mine has been backed and now 3 weeks into his winter break. He's grown a bit and constantly filling out more so for him, it was best to turn him away to develop, but I know many are being ridden through winter to make sure they are ready for their 4 year old season.

So what are yours up to?

(If I could get photobucket to play ball, I'd upload photos but it won't...)
 
Mine is off to be backed tomorrow! He's having 6 weeks then off for Xmas and new year then in proper work from feb! Excited for his future!
 
Sod all, fat fluffy and playing with 2 other youngsters. I sat on him once in the summer, but that was literally it. Thinking of starting him after Christmas, he is 4 in April.
 
Always-Riding said:
Mine has been backed and now 3 weeks into his winter break. He's grown a bit and constantly filling out more so for him, it was best to turn him away to develop, but I know many are being ridden through winter to make sure they are ready for their 4 year old season.

So what are yours up to?

(If I could get photobucket to play ball, I'd upload photos but it won't...)
Click to expand...

Almost exactly this.. mine was backed in the summer at 3 and hacked out for a few weeks with a lightweight rider, now he's back to just walking out in hand a few times a week… aiming to start him again properly next Spring :)
 
She's being ridden away - hacked and small schooling sessions both in long reins and on board. I don't turn away but try to keep them in a holding pattern over the winter ready for some proper schooling in the spring.
 
I am so far behind on this. My 3 year old should have been backed in the summer but we've had events here and been really busy with haying and fencing all summer long, so mine has done nothing so far. We're on the tail end of jobs that need doing before winter so once they are finally finished I'll crack on and get him backed and will trail him out over the winter, then start to up the work a little in the spring and planning to take him to a few baby green hunter shows next summer.
 
Don't ask !!

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I feel left behind! Bought my baby in April and he looked like a fluffy yearling! He was 3 in May and since then we've had saddle and bridle on, done a bit of long reining in school and down the lane, had a lean over and a small person sat on about two weeks ago but apart from the usual de-spooking groundwork fun that's all we've done! Although he is so quick to learn and definitely not as scatty as my last boy. I don't anticipate "riding" for quite some time yet as, although he's Sec D, he's still quite small physically but Im telling myself that going slowly isn't a bad thing at this stage :-)
 
Absolutely nothing other than chilling & eating! But he is an ex-racehorse so having some well deserved time off before starting re-training next summer.
 
Going out for adventures long reining along the roads, bridleways and occasionally a quick 5 mins in the school -

(All whilst being horribly embarrassed by what I make him wear ;) !!)

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Little 10 minute rides around the yard/bridleways etc once a week -

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We had our first trot this week along the bridleway. He was a star as usual :)
 
Just come back into light work after a 5 week holiday. He'll be lightly ridden twice a week until February and then get another holiday. I'll start him 'properly ' next summer. He was a late foal so won't be 4 until the very end of july.
 
My 3 year old was backed and lightly hacked over summer. Now turned away, but coming in everyday for groom and odd walk out along lane.
Will begin work leading up to re-back early spring.
 
Nothing at all - she hasn't had a bridle or saddle or anything on either! In my defence she is still growing (little runty TB) and had a major colic episode in the summer and a lameness episode alongside!!! Have considered starting her in the next few weeks then turning her away again over what's left of the winter but what with the clocks changing I don't have enough daylight hours!
 
Well my youngster is five and half now but at three he was going for walks in hand along the roads and over the moors three/ four times a week but nothing more. At four and a half he started long reining and have tack on and off before being backed and lightly ridden on last winter.He has spent the summer lightly hacking and schooling and will have two months off come January to have a break and think about what he has learnt. Then he will be brought into proper work come March and hopefully start canter work in the school ( walk and trot are beautifully established) and learn to jump at end of summer.
 
Eating his head off :D No he had been long reined, lightly lunged and backed in walk and trot. Now doing not a lot but is coming in at night to keep up with the handling, he has had a small clip as he was getting bitten in the field (by a horse) and was much easier to clean the cuts without the woolley mammoth look. His saddle has arrived today and once it has been reflocked and fitted I plan to hack out once or twice a week while the weather allows before starting some proper work in spring :)
 
Mine hasn't done much at all in the 6 months i've had as she didn't turn 3 until June, but she was very, very lightly backed then has spent the last 6 weeks doing nothing other than eating and causing havoc in the field with my old mare who is also having some time off. She has really levelled out and filled out over the last month and is looking a lot more mature, so she will I will probably start working with her again around Christmas time and then giver another couple of months off in Spring depending on she's doing and looking, with the intention of riding away properly next summer. She has somehow though managed to develop the biggest splint I have ever seen, despite barely leaving her field in the 6 months i've had her so i'm keeping my eye on that at the moment.
 
Mine has done nothing at all. She has had a bridle on once and a saddle on once, but other than that, nothing at all. I used to back horses when they were three but now I believe it's better to wait until they are older due to the skeleton maturing. Also my girl is very small still and I wouldn't want my weight on her for a while yet.
 
Nothing as yet. Plan was to back the two of them during the summer but that hasn't happened. Next plan is to do it through winter when they are barned in yard. Will that happen? Ask again in the spring!! My four year olds are backed, ridden and jumping small fences at at home. They should have gone out schooling and to some small shows. That has not happened either!! I am sure they will all be fine and not hurt for being taken a bit slower.
 
We moved yards over the summer so letting her settle, doing short sessions of groundwork, liberty, obstacle courses for despooking, saddle on practising girthing up, gentle long lining to sharpen up on voice commands and yielding, and the most important lesson for this one, to stand still! Will be soon venturing out and then long lining out. She will be backed once we have the above fully established. I'm so pleased with her, all last year I was posting 'help my filly is so explosive'! Just needed her environment sorted out and very small steps using positive reinforcement, we've cracked it!
 
Hi Mine was backed in the summer working well in walk and trot . Did two in hand shows to get her used to trailer and new stuff and now turned away till spring .
Her she is with my girl in the child handling class .
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I backed mine at the end of the summer, she was hacking out nicely alone and in company. Had established walk and trot without falling over herself and seemed to be loving her work. I had planned to keep her in work until mid november but she has an accident in the field week before last and cut her leg so she is now turned away. She is also ridiculously bum high having gone through a growth spurt seemingly over night.

I will bring her back into work beginning of spring, maybe sooner depending on how she's looking, if she's levelled out etc. And then she will be sent away for schooling for a month around June next year. I'll try and get her out and about next summer, start jumping and then give her another easy winter before the proper work begins Spring 2016!
 
Mine is eating and growing. He has had a bridle and roller on and has been out in traffic but proper work towards backing will begin in April/May next year. He is over 17 hands and still growing!
 
Mine is two weeks into being backed and is out long-reining, which she will be doing for another 3-4 weeks. She is happy to wear a bridle and saddle, and led around with a rider :)
 
Mine is arriving on Wednesday. Purchased today - feels like Christmas.

Will be backed and lightly hacked over winter. Then start schooling and jumping in March ish depending on how she feels.
 
3 of them have had bridle saddle and being long reined, will be sat on tomorrow! Will have them riding away, break over jan-feb, bring back march and maybe start some proper jumping, depending on how they are.
2 are staying out for another 6months to a year as they are just too gangly to even consider starting them yet. Both have had a bridle on and a roller, they just need to fill out!
 
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