What should a horse be doing at rising six?

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Agent XXX999

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Sort of in relation to forget me not's post below....In your opinion, what should a horse be doing at rising six?

To me it should have flatwork and basic lateral work established, ba able to jump a simple course, and be competing low level ( such as British Novice, should you wish to show jump, for example)

Just interested to hear the views of others.
 
Depends on the horses physic and mentality really .
but by the time most of mine where 6 i would have expected them to be jumping or nearly ready to jump Foxhunter level.
But without pushing them too often.
Quality more than quantity at that age if you like.
My show horses would certainly be able to jump a HOYS qualifier track at 6
 
Ditto what you have said! I would also want it to have been established with traffic, hacking out with sense and not spooking all over the place. Oh, and be able to work without wobbling!
 
I think it depends on what your personal goals are. So for me I would expect it to be good in traffic, have some good basic schooling, yes be able to pop a fence. I'm not particularly in to competing - however with the right horse could be tempted back over a course of fences.

I'm talking about your basic allrounder however, and not an up comming competiting horse.
 
I would make some allowances for breed, but in every case I would expect it to be broken and riding out quietly in all paces, capable of travelling, behaving for the farrier/vet, etc. According to type, yes, would expect it to be able to pop over small simple jumps (up to 3')..but not necessarily a course unless it was being trained to showjump.

However I have ridden and bought horses that were not at this level, and the purchase price has reflected that.
 
well over here the 6yr old classes are 1.30 which is the standard for young horse age classes at that level. so if i had an sj 6yr old i would want it happily schooling around about 1.25 at home and jumping 1.10/1.20 in the ring. established flatwork that is gradually progressing as well is important. if they did 5 yr old classes last year they'll have learnt to go against the clock so would build on that aswell.
 
If the horse had the right training, ability and rider (obviously) I would expect it to be jumping Foxhunter and doing Novice eventing. In reality I would expect at the very least doing everything a normal horse would do but at a lower level - and it does not Nap!

Saying that we bought an unbacked 6 YO, but he did have Spots, he also won £500 BSJA in year and was PN eventing
 
Hmmm - Bruce is rising six (in May) and he is jumping consistent double clears at BN, (one pole down in 6 outings, my fault) schooling over 1.25 at home and going in to discovery - hopefully we should be jumping NC by summer. Does that sound about right to you, for an amateur with no leg and not a very good seat?
 
Sounds perfectly solid to me FF
smile.gif
 
Am semi retired at the moment , havt ridden for approx 2 years but hoping to put that right after having major surgery at the end of the summer.
Just hope i havnt forgotten too much when i start again and make myself look stupid.
 
Jolly good Weezy, though if you saw me go round a course you would wonder how I did it without crashing, we bail each other out all the time!
 
I would have said that sounds fine.
It is horses for courses as well , obviously if you only want to compete at a certain level you want to take time and get it right.
No point in overfacing a horse if its not ready.
 
This is something that I have been wondering about, well worrying about really ever since I bought Oliver. Please be kind if what I am going to say is stupid, remember I am a novice and, as such, haven't got half as much knowledge as I would like regarding horses.

So, here goes ....... he was imported from Holland at just turned 6 and I have no idea what he had done before I got him. I think he had jumped a bit but I don't jump at all at the moment. I don't think he had ever been hacked out and, again, I am too scared to take him out myself since both of us lack experience in this area. So basically, all I am doing is what I feel capable of at the moment which is working in the school. I try to inject a bit of variety into his life and have done pole work etc but I am not good enough to jump or do anything very advanced.

I do have lessons but my instructor lets me take things very much at my own (slow) pace. What is worrying me most is, am I spoiling my horse? I am sure that he could and would do much more with a more experienced rider. I have asked about getting a more experienced sharer who could take him out and about and maybe compete him in some sphere but my instructor is adamant that I don't do this. Can I have everyone's thoughts on the matter please? I love my horse but I don't want to hold him back because of my lack of talent.
 
Quit worrying!
smile.gif

I have myself a riding 7 year old who is very green and has done very little because I have spent the last year building up my confidence. Its been a long low slog but we are getting there now and I really hope to do our first dressage test together sometime this year - no rush! Georige isn't going anywhere anytime soon so as long as I'm happy with what we are doing what does it matter?
 
Capondeville - he is YOUR horse, how on earth can you be spoiling him! You are keeping everything in your comfort zone and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that. One of my biggest bugbears is novices trying to do things with their horses that they themselves are not capable of - horses do not know that there are competitions to go to! Relax, you have an instructor and I am sure she is keeping you and your horse on the right tracks. However 1 thing I would say is your horse may well benefit from being hacked - a change of scene is good for a horse and stops it from going stale. so maybe you and your instructor should have a hack every now and then and she can instruct you during that, instead of constantly being in the school - you will benefit too!
 
Thanks JAQSZOO - I am glad that I am not the only one who is taking things slowly. I see everyone else flying round the jumps and off to competitions every week and feel like I am on my own sometimes!

Thanks Weezy - I think we probably are basically on the right track. My instructor said Ollie is working correctly and his neck is still muscled up in the right place etc. I agree with you about the hacking too. Unfortunately, my instructor is injured and hasn't been able to ride since before Christmas so she can't come out with me and the other lady that said she would take me out has just left the yard. I am quite scared about going out even in company though so I think I will continue to look for someone who will take him out for me, maybe with me cycling along with them until I get enough courage to ride him myself. I know I sound silly by the way, but I'd rather be honest about how I feel!
 
Here is my boy at 2nd BN

IMG]http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/chloemfinch/horses0003.jpg[/IMG]


Taken right at the end of last outdoor season.
 
FF lovely horse!

Capon - you CAN do that, in time, no rush, but there is no reason why you cannot jump once you have gained more confidence
laugh.gif
And the hacking, I think you are 00% right - I would NEVER recommend taking a new horse out hacking alone, especially if you are nervous about it - the right time will come!
 
You can!

I had no confidence and didnt dream of even owning a horse a year ago after a really nasty fall. Just put your mind to it!
 
I have a IDX who is rising 6. He had most of last year off due to pysical issues - dodgy back, dodgy hip and now a problem in his poll - all caused by him doing too much too quickly before I got him. Although he hadf the ability to jump and work nicely he physically wasnt ready and I am now having to put him back together again, thankfully he is responding well and at the moment is jumping better than ever - however it could have ruined him.

Personally I think too many horses are doing too much too young - a rising 6 year old, to me, should be working nicely on the flat and able to do the basics of lateral work, it should be able to jump a small course in a good rhythm and it should be hacking out - but it should all have been done with no pressure. My lad will get asked a little more of him this year - physical issues allowing - and we hope to go BN at some point. Many rising 4 years olds are too advanced for my liking.

I have a rising 4 and a rising 5 year old too... I am taking it really easy with them and letting them grow and mature a little more before I start asking for anything - the 5 yo will do some small shows and maybe a wee ODE this year, but the emphasis is on fun. The 4 year old will spend loads of time out in the sun over the summer along with hacking out and learning to jump - schooling will be limited and as varied as possible...

thats just my way of doing it though - I'm quite happy to wait!
 
We have a Trakener mare who is just 4 who we are aiming at BYEH and PAVO this year so we have to push on with her ridden work (her first event is in June). Having said that, she is more than ready and loves to work so I guess you have to take each horse as an individual.
 
Based on the idea that a horse should be backed late 3/early 4 and then brought into work at 4 properly, I would expect a rising 6 year old to have flatwork established. Not at a high level, but to be working correctly, carrying itself, understanding basic lateral work etc.

I'd expect it to have gone to a few shows and competed lightly at a low level [as FF said, BN type for an allrounder/sjer.] Have experience hacking out in different situations and be okay on the road, with traffic.

Basically I would want all the foundations put in at a good basic level, and the horse be then ready to start moving up the levels.
 
sorry but this sort of thing does my head in. Theres so much stigma attached to what a horse 'should' be doing at a certain age. It makes me so angry that people think theres a correct 'level' for their horse to be at at a certain age, there isnt. All horses are different and some find work easier than others and some dont. Some horses are out competing PSG/Inter at 8 years old, some are just starting elementary at 8. Theres no right or wrong that a horse should be doing at any given age. Its completly up to how capable the horse is and how much training its being given/work load etc.

My horse (whos nearly 6) hasnt even started jumping yet really, hes doing pole work and small jumps on the lunge. However his flat work is probably way above more horses of his age. Im not rushing the jumping as its something hes not confident with yet, but he finds everything i throw at him on the flat very easy.

The long and the short of what ive written is that you really cant expect to state that at certain ages horses should be doing this, this, this and this. Imo thats how serious damage can be done to horses, by owners pushing them on when they arent ready for it.
 
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