What can I do with my 3yr old?

Leo Walker

Leo Walker

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 July 2013
Messages
12,384
Location
Northampton
Visit site
I dont really want to put him in work until next year but I'd like to do something with him. Hes been sat on a couple of times, lead out in traffic and round the village etc. Hes happy to cross a ridiculously busy road. Hes learnt the rudiments of long reining, but where he is now I'd be straight out onto the road and I dont have anyone to help me at the minute, so I'm putting that off for now, but it is something I plan on doing.

I dont have a round pen or anything, but I do have access to a stable and small yard. I'm a big fan of leaving young horses to grow up, but I'm only working part time at the minute and he seems to really enjoy doing something everyday. I thought about clicker training, but have literally no idea where to start! Or even trick training. Any ideas welcome!
 
No idea about clicker training.

How about teach him to load, clippers, wearing boots etc. It is a shame you cannot long rein.
 
is he ok the wash mane and tail? if not you could teach him to be still and patient with that. What about laoding into a trailer or lorry?
De spooking around umbrellas, bikes,pushchairs etc?
 
Er, why don't you just ride him lightly? If he's mature and well grown there is no reason why you have to wait until he's a gurt big 4 year old to do some basic work 2 or 3 times a week for 20 - 30 minutes. Unless they are really big or weak we always have broken ours at 3 and kept them ticking along until they are mature enough to start proper work at 4 - ish. I'm not talking about major schooling or jumping or anything like that, but there is a reason why 3 is the traditional age to break horses in.
 
Hes 100% to handle and totally bombproof. The only thing that ever worried him was kids on swings in the play park, but hes fine with that now :) I dont want to ride him as the back end is nearly 3 inches bigger than the front end at the minute! Hes done a couple of lead rein sessions with a very light weight rider and I've sat on him 3 times, but I'm too heavy to be riding a 3yr old in the middle of a growth spurt. And again, I dont have any one to nanny him etc and I'd be straight out onto the roads, whereas I will have help and facilities from November time
 
FrankieCob said:
Hes 100% to handle and totally bombproof. The only thing that ever worried him was kids on swings in the play park, but hes fine with that now :) I dont want to ride him as the back end is nearly 3 inches bigger than the front end at the minute! Hes done a couple of lead rein sessions with a very light weight rider and I've sat on him 3 times, but I'm too heavy to be riding a 3yr old in the middle of a growth spurt. And again, I dont have any one to nanny him etc and I'd be straight out onto the roads, whereas I will have help and facilities from November time
Click to expand...

Do you have transport? If so, show show show :D I have taken my youngsters out all over the place to show and it has done them the world of good :) Fun and exciting for you both (with a bit of education thrown in there) ;p
 
No, but I'm going to bite the bullet and hire some to do a local show at the end of the month I think. Suppose I should really practice running him up for that! :D
 
My now 4 year old was easy to handle at 3 so we did lots of hands on things with him. He is being backed now and all the work we have put in has really helped. We started off with getting him used to having a bit. Then saddle pads and finally the saddle and a very light rider were all introduced. He was also lunged and walked around with verbal signals to get him used to the voice etc. He hasnt been out and about yet so that is the next job after being fully backed. He was lunged over some jump poles this week and after the first few times of refusing he did it and loved it. There are all sorts of things to do with them to get them ready for the big push and it seems like you have made a good start.
 
When my youngster was three I had her out in hand showing. We had a whale of a time! You meet lots of nice people and if you keep it really low key it's a fun, educational day out. I also used to through her in the trailer when I was taking my older horse for his lessons for her to tag along and just had my hubby lead her around, practise tacking up beside the trailer etc. All good practise for later in life. I was riding her for around 20 mins a time three times a week around the lanes and sometimes in the school. Nothing heavy, mostly walk some trot thrown in. I practised bathing her, in hand exercises, long reining, mounting from odd places (like logs, rocks etc), chucked sheets of plastic on her back for bombproofing, did some light lunging in a few different places like in the fields. I did a lot of repetition too so don't feel like you have to do different things every time. It's really important to have the foundations totally solid so that when you step up the ridden work at aged four nothing comes as a big surprise. I really overdid my traffic training and now as a four year old my mare will go past anything, we passed a crop sprayer the other day flashing lights and all! It's also a good idea to begin to build up some fitness and suppling so I did some gentle hill work in the long reins with mine last year and did some bending and stretching in hand too to prepare her for the step up in the work load this year.
 
I'd check out the 7 games of Parelli and use your imagination to develop them.....keep things interesting for the horse and get him using his brain!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top