What have your 5 year olds done this year?

[LEC]

10 years ago on here this post would have been very different. I think it just reflects the demographic and that most people don’t compete that seriously.
My 5yo (don’t do rising) - it’s the 1st Jan for mine. Has xc schooled, hacked a fair amount, been to a camp and a sjing competition. Needs to go to dressage at some point and then will hopefully go eventing in May. Optimistic only 1 x 80 but maybe will need 2. Then can do a 90 and be sold. The other 5yo is lounging in a field which he has mostly done since August to grow and develop and then I ran out of time to have 3 so just turned away.

 

[Cates123]

10 years ago on here this post would have been very different. I think it just reflects the demographic and that most people don’t compete that seriously.
My 5yo as don’t do the rising crap - it’s the 1st Jan for mine. Has xc schooled, hacked a fair amount, been to a camp and a sjing competition. Needs to go to dressage at some point and then will hopefully go eventing in May. Optimistic only 1 x 80 but maybe will need 2. Then can do a 90 and be sold. The other 5yo is lounging in a field which he has mostly done since August to grow and develop and then I ran out of time to have 3 so just turned away.

I do think attitudes have changed over the years, mostly for the good I hope. I aim to compete mine in the future (or have someone else do it if he is very good and can go further than me), but he's most likely my horse for life, hence not wanting to rush him. I'll only have to deal with the fall out myself further down the line if I do. I wonder how, overall, the different approach splits between those selling and those keeping. I read an interesting article a while back about riders competing the young horses they wanted to sell and holding back the horses they wanted to keep for themselves until they were a bit older (ie the ones they really thought would make it to the top).

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Hacking mostly, some pole clinics, some small 40cm jumping and a bit of flatwork. But yeah mostly hacking.

 

[sjdress]

10 years ago on here this post would have been very different. I think it just reflects the demographic and that most people don’t compete that seriously.
My 5yo as don’t do the rising crap - it’s the 1st Jan for mine. Has xc schooled, hacked a fair amount, been to a camp and a sjing competition. Needs to go to dressage at some point and then will hopefully go eventing in May. Optimistic only 1 x 80 but maybe will need 2. Then can do a 90 and be sold. The other 5yo is lounging in a field which he has mostly done since August to grow and develop and then I ran out of time to have 3 so just turn

 

[LEC]

I do think attitudes have changed over the years, mostly for the good I hope. I aim to compete mine in the future (or have someone else do it if he is very good and can go further than me), but he's most likely my horse for life, hence not wanting to rush him. I'll only have to deal with the fall out myself further down the line if I do. I wonder how, overall, the different approach splits between those selling and those keeping. I read an interesting article a while back about riders competing the young horses they wanted to sell and holding back the horses they wanted to keep for themselves until they were a bit older (ie the ones they really thought would make it to the top).

Most of the top guns won’t do anything with a 4yo really other than the basics. They will fairly often do 5yo or 100 level. Had a Quick Look at last years 5yo champs and they seem to run around 5-8 times on average at 100 though Dani Evans ran one 16x. Tim and Jonelle seem to run theirs around 6 times and finish with a novice but don’t do age classes. I guess because theirs don’t tend to be super flashy and bigger fish to fry at cornbury like 3* so no point. I have kept an eye on a few 5yo sjing stallions and they seem to come out 4/5x and then do age class champs at 1.10m.
As with everything it’s all down to the individual horse. Not a single one of mine has ever made an age class but this current 5yo might as decent jumper with a pretty good brain. At the moment he is just trotting round 70cm so a long way off. But if quality with a good brain they find it easy and improve quickly.

 

[UKa]

I know this thread was about 5year olds but this is why I won’t rush 5 is also still so young

‘Why the rush?’ Equine physio speaks up on young horses doing too much, too soon - Horse & Hound

A veterinary physio who says she has had enough of seeing horses started too early, pushed too quickly and breaking down injured too young has spoken out in hopes of educating owners. Zoe King of Performance Veterinary Physiotherapy posted on social media with the phrase “for crying out loud”...

www.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[lme]

@LEC when I was looking for a 4 or 5 year old, I ruled out any who had been produced for age classes or done what I considered to be too much. That ruled out an awful lot of nicely bred young horses.