What do you with your 4 year olds?

[tonitot]

As title really. Ethel will be 4 in april and I've been thinking about what to do with her. She is currently on a break and I'm planning on bringing her back into work who she turns 4. So what do you guys normally do with your 4 year olds?

 

[Doormouse]

My 4 year old did a little bit of everything this summer but all in moderation. I did a bit of showjumping, bit of xc, couple of small shows, 6 days autumn hunting and a lesson once a week. The ground this year did stop me doing much at all but I basically tried to make sure she saw lots of different things but without putting her under any pressure either physically or mentally. Every horse matures differently and what might be fine for one is not for another so it is really a case of seeing how you get on and what you think she is ready to do. Most 4 year olds are quite weak and may even grow once in a bit of work so you need to be careful not to do too much, if you are not sure err on the side of caution. Having said that they do need to get out and about and the more you can do that when she is young the better. Good luck and have a great summer.

 

[asterid]

Mine is an ex racer and was 4 this april. I spent the summer re-training her and did basic schooling, going out in the lorry a few times for hacking, popped little cross poles and some little XC fences. She has had some time off due to knee op (my knee), but am now bringing her back into work and next year when she is 5 we will be doing in hand showing, low level dressage, clinics, hiring schools elsewhere and some SJ at home. I plan on going fully ridden competing in her 6th year.

I am not a professional, so am happy to take my time and produce her slowly to get her brain into riding horse mode not racehorse mode.

 

[Bug2007]

My racer will be four in Jan/May, she is currently on a 4 month break....only four weeks in which is killing me, she has only just settled into not doing anything, she has loved the hacking out and bits we did this season.
She will start her schooling work, as only did a few hours altogether this season, she will also go out do some Prelim, SJ and XC, with the idea of working to some small unaffiliated ODE at the end of the season, in her 5 yr old year she'll be doing BE 80.
Looking forward to a nice summer of low level fun, so she can get out and see everything.

 

[only_me]

mine is a big 4 year old, July born.

Currently he is ridden 3 or 4 times a week, 1 day flatwork (no longer than 30mins - 10mins is walking,warm up and cool down), 1 day jumping (could be at home or at a competition) and 1 day hack or little xc training (again, at home or away).

On saturday we are doing a dressage comp, our first, and will be doing 2 prelims.

He will be kept in that amount of work till probably christmas, when he will then have a small break off work.

I have also planned to do 2 drag hunts with him over christmas.

He is quite mature though for a proper ISH

 

[tonitot]

Thanks guys what you have said is what I planned to do with Ethel but wasn't sure if i'd be doing too much. She is also am ex-racer although never raced, was only in training but she thinks she's a racehorse lol.