what do you do with your 1yo-2yo's

Apart from reminding them about catching, leading and feet handling once or twice a week I dont really do nothing with mine except watch them grow. I will not break any of mine to ride untill rising 4 so next year will be the year I start upping what I do ready to prepare them for breaking the following year.
 
Nothing really. They live out 24/7 all year round in small herds. They just get handled for farrier, vet, etc. I don't do much with them at all until they're 3. Then they're backed for a few weeks (hacking only), turned away and then come back in when they're 4 to start their ridden career.
 
I have a 2yo gelding. He has basic handling, he ties up to be groomed, feet picked out, he behaves himself for the farrier, to be wormed etc. I take him for a short walk around the village a couple of times a week just so he gets to see things and have good manners. He isn't bitted yet, if he was a big horse I would have him bitted before I lead him out on the road but he is only approx 10.2hh. The rest of the time he just enjoys being a baby in the field. His best buddy is my mini Shettie who has taught him how to climb through the elec fence :rolleyes: Next year I will show him in hand, just relatively lightly, no more than 3 or 4 times during the season :)
 
They live out 24/7 and dont do much of anything. They will lead, load, general basic stuff, might do a bit of showing in the summer. Right now they will get daily attention but otherwise left alone for the winter apart from vet/farrier visits.
 
My yearling is stabled at night and out through the day so every day shes brought in and out from the field. Usually shes given a groom or rug changed in the evening. She can stand tied up, groomed, vet and farrier etc all without a problem. Through the summer we were out showing in hand so she was bathed plaited and travelled both alone and in company. She will be bitted over the winter so she can be shown in hand bitted next year so really next year will be a big repeat of this year! I plan to long rein and walk in out in hand when shes 3ish then start backing the following year but we will see how it all goes!
 
My 17 month old sec A lives out. Once a week I bring her in for my daughter, her owner and future jockey, to brush. Usually take her for a walk in hand and this weekend I put a cub saddle on her and walked her around for a couple of minutes. She was very highly strung although well handled when I got her and she is settling down nicely with this regime. Daughter usually wanders off and starts playing with noisy toys and going down her slide and things which is all good experience for a future child's pony!
 
Absolutely sod all apart from a months worth of basics! The yearling colt was de-balled, dragged out of the mothers field and spent a month in boarding school, sent to very low key show, learnt the very basics and is now being a baby again and will continue thrown out in the field until he's 4. The 2yo Is backwards and weak so apart from occasionally bringing him up for his yearly bath, to see the farrier and when he starts attempting to play fight with humans/getting bored and damaging himself he gets brought up for some groundwork. He has been bitted because we were bored one day and does come in unrugged at night over the winter but that's only because he's a wimp and hates getting cold. Not a fan of over handling babies/fussing/teaching them too much too young.
 
My two yearlings are out in the field 24/7, they get a hello and a few mins fuss each day and come for a walk round the village every couple of months, when they are brought up to the yard. They get a groom when they need it but not too much. They were introduced to the hose and had a bath in the summer, as well as 2 small shows (one in a lorry, one was just in the village so no travelling). Other than that they are left to their own devices to watch the world go by except for farrier visits or field changes. They had a couple of months of daily handling last winter to get them happy with leading, feet and grooming so I can do anything I like with them, but not much new stuff since then. They let me know when they are bored and want to come in for a "play" at walking in hand!
 
My 17 month old lives out 24/7 with other youngsters and a herd of cows. He gets checked every day and is good with the vet and farrier. He has seen traffic as a necessity when we moved field last weekend and had to walk 2 miles down a main road! He was a good boy though. When he moves back nearer the yard in spring we will start with introducing rugs, boots etc. I don't like overhandling but he must have manners when asked.
 
I posted some pics of mine and my OH's yearlings the other day. Two of the boys are living out and doing nothing but growing until they come in next autumn to be broken, my boy is growing like a mushroom and learning to have his feet picked up ready to go to the sale in three weeks time (he can be groomed all over and leads well) and OH's other yearling is in the process of having harness on him to get him used to it all. He'll be broken in around February time and possibly race next summer all being well :)
 
They eat, poo, play in their water buckets and follow us around the field :D :D

They are caught once a week and checked over, pick feet up and have a walk and trot inhand around the field then stood up square. They are very good for vet but still quite 'wild' I guess.
 
Nothing at all unless they need farrier/vet. They live out 24/7 as near year round as practical - in at night in barn during the worst of winter. Most professional horsemen would far rather back an untouched youngster than one who has been 'fiddled' with all its young life. For some reason the untouched ones have a greater respect for humans than those that have been handled a lot. Incidentally, by 'respect' I do not mean fear!
 
I suppose it depends on what you want them for, doesn't it? I can see that a sports/performance horse might be better with minimal handling but ponies destined to be a family pony, or perhaps a deer pony, are much more saleable being bomb proof.

So my youngsters are given a fair bit of de-sensitisation, feeding in the trailer, etc. which may explain why one of my 3yos was recently tacked up and ridden away in just four short sessions, no bucking or rearing at all. The most laid back pony so far was one I was blackmailed into entering for a show with his mum as "foal at foot". That was the most convincing argument in favour of shows I've encountered yet!

But I am quite happy to be the odd man out! It works for me and I'm not out to impress anyone -- except the man who signs the cheque!
 
I don't like youngsters doing too much amymay! I would do more but my local venues have some silly ideas about riding under 4's!
 
I do a fair bit with mine, bit only playing to desensitise them, nothing intense.

Once a day they'll be checked and fed.
Once a week they'll be brought in, groomed, feet picked out.
Once a month or so (more if they are bored, which some 2 year olds do get) they'll have a little play session, maybe walking over poles/ between wings, or wearing a saddle, or being bitted (2 year olds only), or "over" and "back" in hand which a schooling stick.
 
The come in, they get fed, they get chucked back out.
Provided they lead, tie up, and will pick up feet for farrier I'm quite happy to leave them be.
Littlelegs has however given me food for thought......shall I do a x-country course on the unbacked 2 yr old???:D
 
Well joeanne, leaving till two is asking for trouble imo, but if you hop on tonight it should be good for wkend xc. Just remember, 2 is still young, so remember your draw reins to keep it 'on the bit' over fences. And don't go too big first time, 3* courses are enough first time out. No point in rushing!
 
Dry Rot said:
I suppose it depends on what you want them for, doesn't it? I can see that a sports/performance horse might be better with minimal handling but ponies destined to be a family pony, or perhaps a deer pony, are much more saleable being bomb proof.

So my youngsters are given a fair bit of de-sensitisation, feeding in the trailer, etc. which may explain why one of my 3yos was recently tacked up and ridden away in just four short sessions, no bucking or rearing at all. The most laid back pony so far was one I was blackmailed into entering for a show with his mum as "foal at foot". That was the most convincing argument in favour of shows I've encountered yet!

But I am quite happy to be the odd man out! It works for me and I'm not out to impress anyone -- except the man who signs the cheque!
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I'm the same - my 15 month old was completely unhandled when I had her at 5 months old. She will now stand on the yard on her own or with other horses for hours (even with loads going on), stable on her own and with company, share a stable with another horse (important to us as we have 6 horses but only 4 stables), lead, be caught, have her feet trimmed, lead out on the roads and load. She has been to a couple of local shows also.
 
They get brought in and groomed and stand on the yard most days and are checked and fed everyday. The work we do is mainly desensitizing - walking over tarpaulins, under height restrictions and into the trailer etc. teaching ground manners and a bit of in hand walk and trot and over very small jumps and poles. Apart from this they live out and are left to play with each other. :)
 
I'm probably one of the odd bods here too. My 2 yr old pony gets seen everyday and fed a polo or two. She can be caught, led in, tied up (held for the farrier). I groom her, hoof oil her feet (her nemesis!) - getting her used to it. I pick out her feet however I like, from one side or the other - she crosses her toes over nicely!! She has been bitted, long lined both 'naked' and with a roller in the fields and also down the lane. We have in hand walked through streams and fords, through a wood and over some logs/stumps and poles in the field. I've led her around the farm, we've done some 'cattle' drives - she loves telling the cows off!! She went to three local shows as a yearling, travelled in a single trailer and a lorry. She has been well spook-proofed.. tarporlines, barrels and tyres - over, under and on!! I've led her off my mare - both sides, on some of my local short rides.
I had a minor battle today when she didn't want her near hind leg hosed... other three legs were fine, but NH took a good 5 min. I won, she got praised.
I KNOW if I had done none of the above, and 'left her to grow', I really would be dealing with a stroppy brat of a very bored pony who has had nothing else to think about other than jumping on humans... and as a future PC pony I don't need that.
She will be ''left'' for the winter, to think, and to grow but i'm hoping winter is going to be short as I fear major boredom will strike otherwise!!

Should add I ''work'' her 2 or 3 times a week, varying from 10 mins to 30 mins.
 
my colt is fed and checked twice a day and handled,come the end of Oct he with the other 2 boys will be stabled at night and turned out each day,he has his feet trimmed every 6 weeks and he is now going to be taught to load into a trailer and having towels put across his back ready for when I buy him some turnout/stable rugs:):)
 
Eh dispair?! I don't do much work with him but he more than fills his days up with running around and making a mess of the field. :rolleyes:

Roo is almost 2.5yrs and was unhandled 6months ago and teriffied of humans. He spent almost two months on his own (he also had ringworm) being handled. Rugs on , lead about, headcollars on and off, feet picked up, flysprayed etc. He now very much LOVES humans :D

I wasn't doing much with him until recently (daily itch) and occasinally picking feet up. However he's been such a menace recently and SOOOO full of energy that he's start to coming in daily. Tied up, groomed, saddle and bridle on. Going for walks to see the world. I'm going to start getting him long reined so he can long rein out on hacks occasinally over the winter. He'll be sat on (if he's less weedy) next year at 3yrs old and continue his walks out in hand. Maybe properly backed (i.e walked about on at 3.5), or prob just leave until he's 4. Depends what he's looking like physically and how sane he is!
 
I feel a little behind with the young ones now!!! I'd never even think about popping tack on our 2yo, long lining, lunging etc. He's a big lad, very strong and powerful but he's still very much a baby. I have happily broken in yearling racehorses before, younger than him that we're much more mature. I guess it's each to heir own
 
The wife said:
I feel a little behind with the young ones now!!! I'd never even think about popping tack on our 2yo, long lining, lunging etc. He's a big lad, very strong and powerful but he's still very much a baby. I have happily broken in yearling racehorses before, younger than him that we're much more mature. I guess it's each to heir own
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I did naff all with my previous baby when he was 2yrs old. However Roo is bored bored bored and desperately looking for something to do. It's all a great big exciting game and mentally he's totally up for doing lots of new and fun stuff. Physically he's not ready to do any 'work' at all.
 
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