What do you do with your three year olds?

My 3 yeard old gelding is still bum high, so dont do anything with him, other than bringing him in now and then to stop him turning feral !
Had my instructor look him over, and agreed to leave him until the end of the year before backing. He will then be turned away and brought back in work in the new year.
 
I do some walking ground work, plus enough to keep stabled at night, farrier/vet etc, but people on the yard seem to think that I should be doing much more, just wondered what everyone elses thoughts were?
 
Nothing.. He's rather immature, just three this month, so just working on getting him happy in and out the yard and basic handling.. He's doing well..

My 2 yo is more mature..
 
The chap who will back him for me likes them with nothing done, other than used to rugs, headcollars. He likes then to have had time to be young.
 
Mine is just three bum high etc. Lots of handling and ground work walking out in hand seeing everything and anything and general bombproofing. Laid across her but will not be backing until autumn. Then not riding until rebacked and ridden away next spring. Taking things slowly no need to rush it while still growing and teething. Lots she can learn on the ground which will translate to under saddle later on and great for bonding
 
Depends on how mature and level they are, one I've broken in, second one (a warmblood) not as mature have lunged and done in hand shows and will go to be broken/backed later this year, neither are bum high.
 
Similar things, groundwork and basic 'life skills' :D I'm having to lunge at the moment due to lack of turnout, really not wanting to do :mad: Possibly going to back end of year then turn away until Spring and send away to be broken
 
I've always shown mine in hand when they were 1 and 2 to get them "out and about" but by the time they got to 3 they were all bored of it! So I just did all the usual stuff of bringing them in/out/ walking them around, trips in the lorry and also I've always sat on my 3 years olds in the field- no head collar or anything but just so they to used to the idea. I've never worked them until they were 4.
 
Mine is out showing once/twice a month, never shown until this season.
Walks out with tack on, done some long reining. Leaned over him but I think he still has come filling out to do. Will back late summer/autumn:)
 
I've got a bum high three year old. I get her in from the field each day for her token feed,groomed, feet picked out - knows how to lunge lightly and starting to long-rein. I lead her out on the roads a bit as well.
 
We typically back aged 3, if mature and level. If unlevel they do everything to the point of having someone on their back, so all the preparatory acts, then actually back once matured.
 
My chap was getting into too much trouble with nothing to do - he wasnt bum high though - pretty level - was quietly backed as a 3 year old and when I had him back we did some siiteseeing, gentle short hacks out and about mostly in walk with bits of trot and as got older and stronger some canter (so it was no big deal for later) never pushed him - he loved it - we never over did it - all very low key.
 
what about taking out site seeing in hand, great way to get fit and you may find you have a happy solo hacker due to all the in hand siteseeing when you do finally get on board !
 
meesha said:
what about taking out site seeing in hand, great way to get fit and you may find you have a happy solo hacker due to all the in hand siteseeing when you do finally get on board !
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Well was thinking that maybe the end of the summer,its only busy roads near us and not 100% sure I have full control yet! :rolleyes: I've another horse that will be a fab nanny though ;)
 
horsesatemymoney said:
Similar things, groundwork and basic 'life skills' :D I'm having to lunge at the moment due to lack of turnout, really not wanting to do :mad: Possibly going to back end of year then turn away until Spring and send away to be broken
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This is exactly the case..!! Read Dr. Debs Ranger article that spells out the maturation of the horse. The last part to "mature" is the spine, which is where we put our weight!! In the meantime there are lots of things we can do. After all we send our kids to school at 5 but don't expect them to work until they are in their late teens, especially hard physical labour!!! So we need to exercise their minds!!

Now, I know many of you ridicule Parelli, but his basic games are excellent examples of ways you can exercise your horses brains. The friendly game gets him used to ropes all over him, around his legs for example (good if he ever gets caught up in a fence...!!), plastic bags, tarpaulins, noisy motor cycles! and the porcupine and driving games teach him about steady and rhythmic pressure and how to move off them.....then the other games combine those 3 basic ones and enable him to learn how to lunge (circling game), squeeze through obstacles, go sideways along a fence, back over a log, back away from you at the slightest wiggle of a finger, can you think of other ideas? There are so many things you can do with your youngsters without actually sitting on their backs!!! Another example would be teaching him to sidle up to you while you are sitting on a fence (or standing on a mounting block!) and waiting for you....!!! Good luck!!
 
Exactly the same as with my yearlings or two year olds - absolutely nothing other than normal farrier and vet visits and daily looking at.
IMHO far too many people want to do things far too quickly to young horses and it's not fair on their bodies or their minds.
You do get the exception of something that's too bright for their own good and is looking for trouble and I agree, those types do need to learn something just to keep their mind occupied but never enough to call it 'working'.
 
Mines backed and being ridden away - will do short hacks over the summer and have the autumn/winter off.
 
Have done basic groundwork with mine and a bit of spook busting, have also started the bitting process. I will continue with that until late autumn or next spring depending on teeth and growth rates
 
mine was quite mature WBxTB and was 16.2 and bored and getting into too much trouble so we backed her, lesson for 20 mins once a month, rode every 3 days for 20 mins or so walk and trot, hacked out on her own round the village to see everything, went cross country schooling in august up to 2ft 6 and loved it did a couple of walk and trot tests and then was turned out for the winter.
 
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