What do you do with your 3 year olds?

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QueenDee_

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As title! Just wondering what you all do with your 3 year olds. Mine has currently just been backed, and still deciding the summer plan.
 
At 3 and a half my boys just had 2 weeks of groundwork & light backing he now has 3 weeks off, he will continue for a few months and then I'll give him a holiday from when the clocks change until his 4th birthday/when the clocks change back and he will be brought back into work for some hacking and occasional lesson 😊
 
Usually at 3 I'm preparing to back but current 3 year old I don't feel is physically mature enough to carry me yet so she is pretty much just a field ornament, she does the odd in hand hack, shows etc but that's it, fingers crossed she will be ready for backing next year because she's going to be a cracker, although theres no rush, she is to be my daughters 2nd pony and she hasn't even grown into her first pony yet lol
 
I've sat on my homebred twice so far. Lots of ground work in place, getting on board was just the next natural step. He's been very good *touch wood* without being completely zoned out (as in he hasn't just shut down like I've seem some do, he's very accepting and willing) he seems to be enjoying doing something. Over the past month or so he really seems to have grown up mentally. I'm going to have to do things a little bit backwards to others as the winter turnout on my yard and in my whole area is pretty dire (we lost half an acre to the river last winter with the floods! Thankfully no horses anywhere near it) so my aim is to get him walking (on board) in both indoor and outdoor arenas, maybe a tiny bit of trot just so he gets used to the feeling then he'll spend the rest of the summer off and I'll start again in October time quietly hacking out just do own our lane (private lane to the yard and one other house so nice and quiet) just doing this twice a week or so with some long reining out and about in between to keep him ticking over... That's the plan anyway!
 
For me, I taught the basics at 3, then turned away. They won't forget.

In the spring of her 4th year, in hand work, light rebacking, short 20min hacks, turn away again in autumn. I took mine to in-hand shows and loads of trailer travelling. All about seeing the world.

This year, more ridden work mainly hacks for fitness, some schoolwork but very meaningful bends, learning the aids and basics, tools for later work like renders, travers, shoulder in, quarters in all in walk. Fun rides and some jumping. Just keeping it interesting.

I learnt PK with my last horse and has been a joy with this one.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Leave them to grow on until they are strong enough to carry a rider without danger of damage to themselves.
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Totally agree. I have a 4 year old who at 3 was much too underdeveloped to even thinking of backing, now 4 he has just matured and looks physically ready to bring on.
 
Generally I lightly back them in the spring of their third year usually to the point where they can walk, trot and canter round the field. They then get turned out in a big field with their mates. In the autumn I tend to repeat the work that was done in the spring and turn away again for the winter. I generally find that 3 days on followed by 3 days off during the backing process works well.
 
I usually back mine when they are 3.5 - that's usually in Autumn. (Octoberish when the flies are reduced and it's a bit cooler and ground less hard for hacking) They then do a couple of months until Christmas/new year and then get turned away until the clocks change in the spring of their 4 year old year.
 
I personally don't start them until they are 6 when they are more physically and mentally mature. In the mean time though I do lots and lots of ground work with th
 
I do lots of long lining and pole work to develop strength and suppleness which will help them eventually carry a rider. Until their topline is muscled up, I don't sit. I don't have a specific age - my sec D I backed at 5 but I have an appy who is well muscled and mentally seems ready so I have actually backed her at 3 1/2.
 
At 3, just occasional long reining and a tiny bit of lunging just to establish voice commands. Walks out on the long reins or in hand. That's all. I back at the end of summer in their 4th year, but I tend to have big horses who mature slowly.
 
Merlin is slobbing around in the field and will stay there until either next spring or if he's sold, whichever is earlier. I really prefer for them to go genuinely unstarted just with manners for the farrier and vet and being handled generally.
 
My youngsters from an early age would have been taken out in hand on the roads and be exposed to all sorts of different things that they are likely to encounter such as dogs,
sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, ostriches, pheasants, partridges, flapping and not flapping plastic bags, drains and drain covers, strimmers, lawn mowers, bicycles, cars lorries, aircraft, helicopters etc. (Also walked down to the pub so that they get used to people).
They would have been taught to walk through water, load in a trailer and lorry and have got used to the farrier and vet and being washed and used to a water hose. Also they would have been exposed to the noise of clippers.
So lots to do with them so that they are exposed to loads of different things which they will treat as being perfectly normal.
 
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