What did you do with your Highlands from 4 onwards?

HiPo'sHuman

HiPo'sHuman

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Hi everyone! After being Highland obsessed for so long, I finally have my own :) She's 4, unbacked, done a bit of long reining and lunging last year but nothing since. Planning to start from the beginning and take it slow. I'm in it for the long haul and have no intention of rushing her. Obviously a lot will depend on how she handles things but I'm planning to back her shortly and hopefully hack out over summer, sound reasonable? A few in hand shows too. Will play it by ear but hoping to keep her in light work over winter and start focusing on schooling next spring, but again taking it slowly, would like to show next season but from what I've been told/read, many people have said their Highland wasn't ready for that at 5?

Just after some opinions and experiences and general HiPo talk, lol. Thanks!!
 
Was too late to edit -

Eta. When I say start schooling I don't mean hard work, we're only talking local level novice type classes...She's predominately going to be a nice allrounder, that's the aim anyway ;) Probably a couple of shortish sessions per week plus hacking and generally getting out and about for some life experience.
 
A pony starts to learn as soon as it hits the ground after being born. Then they have to learnt to get on their feet, find the udder, suck, follow mum, etc. which is a lot in a short space of time, so my philosophy is to guide them gently in the right direction. What you propose sounds fine to me. Just don't over face them and let them take new stuff on board at their own pace. I had a foal born this morning, this afternoon I've been gently scratching her bum! Another born a week ago was allowed to sniff the quad and even taste it, she now knows that quads are not good to eat but they don't bite either! And so it will continue. Gentle stress is good for youngsters but scaring them out of their wits is not. Just stop before it gets too much!
 
One of mine was out locally doing intro / prelim and showing novices in his 4 and 5 year old summers (but was turned away both winters).

My other one is 6 now and has done an awful lot less and has had a lot more time off, because he simply wasn't as mature physically (although arguably more so mentally).

It's very individual. You just have to see how they go.
 
My highland has just turned 5. She was very lightly backed at 3 before I bought her then last year she was physically very immature so I just did inhand work in arena and hacking out inhand. She did very little then from September to Feb then I restarted the inhand. Currently she is away being properly backed and this year I will probably mostly hack over the summer aiming for some intro/ prelim dressage next winter. She has been lightly shown inhand since a yearling so will do more of that over summer too.
 
my Highland is also 4, Ive had her just about a year. I backed her a couple of months ago and now I hack her out gently, mainly in walk with a bit of trot only once or twice a week. She has a lot of maturing and developing to do. I won’t do any schooling work with her as such until next year and even then I plan to play it very carefully.
 
My boy has had a very easy life.
I bought him at 3... Backed. He was turned away.. Climbed over and exposed to the elements of the world! At 4 he was being schooled on and given the idea of jumping. By 5 I realised it was all far too much too soon. So he had 5 doing some light hacking, by 6 he was hacking out longer and doing some light schooling. 7 we started jumping again which he really enjoys. Now 8... We hack everywhere because schooling frustrates me and him.. So we do what we enjoy and don't give a flying monkeys what anyone else thinks about what we should be doing :)


You'll learn what they can cope with yourself. I was naive schooling and jumping at 4, but had s Latvian instructor who was telling me the horses in Latvia are expected to be jumping courses by this age! He got sacked.

P.s- PHOTO'S!
 
See I have no problem with light schooling and jumping at 4/5 - provided the questions are age appropriate. Expecting a highland to work in a collected frame, for extended periods, pushing the paces is probably unrealistic, as would be jumping fences of any significant height - but light strength training in the school, or popping courses of little fences, is reasonable in my opinion.

So much depends on the physical and mental maturity of the individual horse - as well as their management, the quality of the surface (and the hacking!) available, as well as the rider's approach / style.
 
Thanks everyone, it's a relief to know I'm on the right track! She's still got a lot of maturing to physically. Mentally she's still a baby but she definitely needs a job to do, be that in hand work or ridden. Just going to see how things go and have fun! Waited so long for this girl, I want to make the most of every experience.

I'll try and get some nice pics tomorrow!
 
JFTD said:
See I have no problem with light schooling and jumping at 4/5 - provided the questions are age appropriate. Expecting a highland to work in a collected frame, for extended periods, pushing the paces is probably unrealistic, as would be jumping fences of any significant height - but light strength training in the school, or popping courses of little fences, is reasonable in my opinion.

So much depends on the physical and mental maturity of the individual horse - as well as their management, the quality of the surface (and the hacking!) available, as well as the rider's approach / style.
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Definitely, the surface was extremely deep unfortunately where we were when he was 4, fortunately it didn't have any impact on his joints! I think the best thing for them is to see the world at that age if they haven't already!
 
Lintel said:
Definitely, the surface was extremely deep unfortunately where we were when he was 4, fortunately it didn't have any impact on his joints! I think the best thing for them is to see the world at that age if they haven't already!
Click to expand...

I don't even have a surface these days, so I sympathise ;) For me schooling is on grass the vast majority of the time!

I think there's a few worlds out there to see - hacking, but also competing / show grounds and the world of school work too. I did most of Dae's hacking by ponying him out from F because it was more convenient for me, but without a doubt, straight lines and gradual strength building are the cornerstone of bringing on youngstock. And adult horses, for that matter :D
 
backed mine at 4 She was ridden about three times a month but will admit to her doing everything as she got bored very quickly and has always jumped loose, from 4 months old she would jump the course set up in the school by herself. She learns very quickly so short sessions the odd show, dressage, a class of show jumping, a round of x country have all been on her agenda since she was about 5 She does have loads of turn away times She is 7 now but if you added together the number of hours she has had a rider aboard they would average less than 1 a week since she was 4. She keeps herself fit living out 24/7 mooching about. barely breaks a sweat on a xcountry comp round
 
My girl is 6, backed at 4 literally sat and went out 4/5 times, at 5 broken had n extended time t breakers as I was really ill. Hacked all winter till a month ago, now been to dressage a few times, lesson and a poles clinic. She's a poppet!
 
It depends greatly on how mature they are, both physically and mentally. Some are ready to get out and see the world at 3yrs old. Some can't mentally cope until they're much older. Some are very immature and not even ready to sit on until they're 6, some are ready to do a bit of hacking at 3. If their mental maturity matches their physical maturity, that's fab but if not some creative thinking may be needed to sitimule one without over tiring the other.

My friend has just bought a lovely 4yr old that I'm doing some work with. He's a bright inquisitive little thing who's ready to start doing stuff but physically quite immature. So most of this summer will be spend inhand hacking with a small amount of ridden time.
 
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