What do you do with your 2.5 year olds?!

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horsesatemymoney

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What is everybody doing with their 2009 babies?! Me, not much, basic day to say stuff and been bitted, however I'm letting him be a baby- other people I know with the same age/breed have lunged, longrein, sat and walked briefly on theirs! Am I being too slow?! :D
 
Not at all. They all develop at different rates, so whatever you think he's ready for is best.
My ISH gelding is 3 in March and has been long reined (for 10 minutes at a time in walk and a bit of trot), he has learned voice commands to halt/walk on/trot on, can do basic lateral work in hand at walk (leg yield, turn on the forehand), we have done a fair bit of inhand showing this summer so he has been out and about seeing scary things, we walk out in hand on the road so he is great with traffic, and I have sat on him very briefly a few times.
But I only did this stuff with him one step at a time when he was ready! He has now been turned away for the winter, ready to refresh his groundwork in March, and ready for backing around May/June. Don't compare your baby to what others are doing, do things as and when you're both ready. There's no rush!
 
My filly is 2 1/2 years - I have bitted her this year, she did a little bit of basic lungeing in the summer along with an introduction to long reins but nothing too much - I did a lot of leading out with her as a yearling. Have not done anything much with her from july to september when I changed yards and share a small yard with a friend who has an older mare, so just the two of them together. She has a pretty strict routine and comes in every night and just the usual handling, tying up to be groomed, picking out feet, reinforcing manners always an ongoing thing as all 2 year olds try it on from time to time. I will probably just continue with this routine until the spring and then gradually start her again with a view to back her in April May. I went through a phase of thinking I should be doing more but as long as they are handled well and mannerly and all the basics are in place ei leading well, tying up to be groomed and are mannerly there is no need to stress. There will be plenty to do before you know it. Good luck with yours!
 
my 2 and a half year old is still just learning manners (bad start) i have owned her 5 months and she has come on a lot but she is way too baby to bit, sit on lunge or long rein. she has walked on the road once but we wont do that for a little while now so she is sat in the field being a field ornament :) i have started getting her used to things like my clippers being on while clipping taz and she is being seen by the vet soon for teeth and vaccinations but i have a feeling she will need sedating for her teeth as she rears and strikes out if you touch her mouth which we are currently working on :o and she is getting used to cows, sheep, tractors, motorbikes, geese and a very large speed boat which we have on the yard too :o
 
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Very little, by 2.5 they are expected to lead, tie up for grooming and farrier. As long as they know their manners thats all they have done but they will have seen things like dogs around them in the yard and tractors in the fields plus they are sometimes in the field by the road so they get to see a reasonable amount of life.
 
Mine has had a bit in, and he's had the odd walk about the place. He's been in the trailer and the horsebox. He picks up all his feet and knows 'stand', 'over', 'back', 'walk' and 'trot'. He's learnt about personal space and the fact that barging over people is rude. Mostly he's in the field playing with his mates. He's still a mere bairn.
 
I think you do what you feel is right for that horse to be honest. Mine will be 3 in May and we are his 4th home since he was born (I got him in July 2010 aged 15 mths). i bitted him this year and he has been to two in hand shows (very small, local ones) to get him used to being out and about and i really think he has loved it and he had even improved from his first outing to his second! Other than that he doesn't do much - he is though being the paddock companion for my sister's horse who is on box/paddock rest so is being very grown up about that! Therefore he is getting handled everyday, he has been out for some walks in hand, he ties up, trots up in and etc. I have not yet introduced lungeing or long reining but may attempt some free schooling and long reining over the winter months. I am not a hue lungeing fan anyway but I will do some but more to get him to walk away from me and to get used to long lines.

That's it really - I hpe to get on him next summer all being well and do the odd hack out - practice steering and moving off the leg and then he'll most likely get the winte doing not much at all -again! Lol
 
My 2.5 yr old is taken out for little walks in hand around the farm, where he sees tractors, animals, all sorts going on, he loves these walks, really drags his heels the last bit back to the field. He has been bitted and worn a saddle a couple of times which he didn't bat an eyelid at, he's been taught to load, to back up and move over and to stand still when told. Oh and he's just mastered how to use a hay net. :)
Will do more "proper" work in the spring.
 
Not much! It's cold, the nights are getting darker and I don't get down until its getting dark because of college so during the week she just gets brushed and may have the bridle on, at the weekends I do some groundwork/bomb proofing/mess about. Will increase the work very slowly as she will be backed next year but for now i'm happy letting her be a horse :)
 
Thanks everyone- mine lived out until he was nearly 2 and so I've bitted him, but basically general stuff, tying up, meeting the vet/farrier for vacs and trims, stabled at night, being groomed, so knowing stuff like 'back' and 'over' etc basic leading (as in to and from field) wore a rug and think I will introduce boots etc over the winter. That's it really, thinking about doing the long reigning and lunging from the spring, literally sitting on late september, turning away and starting properly in his fourth year :D I'm in no rush, as long as he's polite and well mannered he'll have years of riding, but I just wondered if I was doing him an injustice letting him have a sit off! ;)
 
Titchy is currently in the field, very scruffy and muddy. This weekend she will be brought in and tidied up as she has a show at the end of the month. She's good to handle, is bitted, has had a saddle on but not sat on. This season she's been to quite a few shows including a stay-away at the end of the season. The current plan is to back her in the spring providing she's physically mature enough, but right now she's rather bum high so it looks like we will be waiting.

On the other hand, there is a 2 year old at the yard I'm on that has been backed and not yet been turned away.
 
Mine has been walked out in hand round village a few times, had tack on, ties up, groom, trim, vaccs, loads, done one show and had me stand on mounting blocks and lean over (not full weight though) He is very laid back. Not doing anything till spring just being a horse in the field
 
Our 2 have just been bought in and shall be backed lightly and shown inhand next year.

The early one's which will be 2 next year will also be lightly backed and driven :)
 
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