What is wrong with youngsters wearing tack or learning to 'lunge'?

[The_snoopster]

But your orginal point was people were outraged at the filly wearing harness, i'm pointing out you missed the point. People were outraged that the filly had been driven and ridden... Different thing all together, nobody seems to disagree with handaling etc of young horses... but 10 months old and driving...?

As above really the example of that filly being broke to drive at 10 months is the whole reason why they went up in arms, you see far too many on the cheap sale sites that are being totally ruined by being broken far too early.

 

[Cortez]

Not sure that it would be "totally ruined" if you bought it, turned it away and then brought it in for work at a more reasonable age? It's all a matter of how much work people do, and many people are capable of doing just a few minutes as a mental excercise, rather than hammering the legs off something when it's a baby. I wouldn't bother doing anything with a 10 month old, but some people do - vast majority wouldn't actually do any real "work" with something so young, surely?

 

[scarymare]

I get annoyed by people who think that a horse shouldn't be touched until they are 3/4 and end up with a horse that can't be handled, lead, tie up, put tack on, scared of it's own shadow but at least knows the pecking order in the field!!
At 3 my baby was 16.3hh weighing over 550kg...I wouldn't fancy trying to take him out of a field for the first time never being handled, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have respected my body space!!!
It does no harm to handle young horses and teach them basic manners which will help them in later life...like to OP said common sense and moderation.

Hmmm, will have to agree to disagree on that. I might have reacted like you but have learned so much about horses since I started breeding. I agree that the big ones can be intimidating but honestly if you leave them alone they will always just have that healthy (and instinctive) respect for you. I suspect most one horse owners will agree with you though. I would imagine most professional breeders would err on the side of leaving them alone although tbh if you are producing a horse to go and do (for example) SJ /BE at 4 you probably have to start something back end of 2 anyway and you will certainly need to break end of 3rd year. I'll start my rising 3 year old in the summer but the 3 years she's had in the field have done most of my job for me - born seriously introverted I can already 'groom' her with big bale haylage wrappers and I honestly haven't touched her since microchipping which was done in the field. For safety and that alone (in case they get out on the road) I make sure they can headcollar and lead by the first winter and then just leave them till 3/4. All very mannerly!

 

[Perissa]

Scarymare - genuine question, what of trimming, teeth and jabs?

 

[Abbeygale]

I wouldn't consider myself hugely experienced with youngsters, but I have owned, backed and ridden 4 or 5, and they have all gone on to be nice well adjusted horses. What I don't think I have a huge amount of experience, I do think that I can make up for with common sense however.

The last 2 youngsters I had went as follows - filly, bred by me - handled daily and consistently since day 1. After having other 7/8/9 year olds that didn't know how to have their feet picked up, for example filly had her feet handled since about a week old. Not every day, but regularly. She was used to having a bridle on and a saddle on her back, and a rug thrown on by the time she was about 12/18 months old, and was completely laid back and happy to let me, or anybody else handle her and do as we wished. I would trust her with anything. She was a doodle to back - pret much jump on and go.

Gelding came to me as a 2 and a half yo - entirely untouched, only gelded 6 months before, and just abandoned in a field before then. Now he was waaaay smarter and more switched on than the filly - but was rude, bargy, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was so underweight and small, would have been even more of a nightmare to handle.

He was very difficult to break - he was scared of his own shadow,and on the whole life was a trauma for him on a daily basis. He wasn't nasty in the slightest, but so sensitive, and I really believe that if he had been handled since day 1 he would have been a completely different horse.

So I would agree with you OP - regular sensible handling and de-sensitising to life is important to me with youngsters. I've just taken on another 2yo (after sadly losing my gelding last year) and once she's had a little time to settle with me, she will be doing the same as my filly, and having a little and often of introducing these scary things that I will be expecting her to put up with as an adult.

I think the main difference between my filly and the gelding, was that the filly really was anyone's ride - a few different people jumped on her, and she will just pootle along safely. The gelding was another story, and there wasn't have been many people that I would have let get on him.

But I think common sense is the problem here - severe lack most of the time with most horse owners

 

[Meowy Catkin]

She is only ten months old, driving very well for her age.

No, I wont be breaking any youngsters to drive at 10 months old. As mentioned earlier, the removed Preloved advert for the same filly, stated that she had been ridden too.

When I got my first youngster, I read lots of differnt books, opinions etc.. and I have tried to get the balance right between letting her be a young horse and setting her up in good stead for her ridden career. I'll soon know whether I messed it up or not and I'll let you know when I know.

 

[amandap]

No, I wont be breaking any youngsters to drive at 10 months old. As mentioned earlier, the removed Preloved advert for the same filly, stated that she had been ridden too.

I agree and I think anyone with any sense would too. 10 months is a baby.

I was answering the question asked by OP which was not, in my understanding, about riding or driving (working) a baby.