What should a horse be doing at rising six?

What I would expect from a 6 year old competition horse is:
- responsivness to light aids a priority
- working at good novice dressage level regardless a discipline it is aimed at
- jumping BN/Discovery if a jumper
- good manners on the ground

I am not however strict in this thinking and if I saw an unbroken 6 year old with good movement, temperament and this something special and I thought I can bring it on I would not think twice about byuing it. I used to help a short of money competitor with finding show jumpers...We would go to visit farmers and it's amazing what some people breed in their sheds! It wasn't in the UK but to give you an idea we would by a horse (sometimes it was an unbroken 7yrs old or even older! Some just had children sat on their backs for a round around the backyard) for £500 and it was sold for £7000 one year later. said competitior was a very good rider though, very well known and his name alone added value to those horses.
I think what I am trying to say is that it all depends on circumnstances and if I was to put my money on a table and buy right now I wouldn't be too concerned about a brilliant 'CV' of a youngster.
 
Disagree strongly with age classesin BSJA, IMO, the height (1.25 for 4yr olds) is excessive, and ive seen first hand what it can do for a horses confidence later in life, these classes are purely for pros using them as a shop window IMHO, and not for horses that are for "keeps".

FF, your boy is gorgeous, and if you're haoppy with what level he is at, then he;s at the correct level for his age.
 
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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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Just to add that with the above I also agree entirely; couldn't quite put it into words myself.
 
I'm not fussed if it's done little provided a) it has the temperament to want to learn and b) the price reflects it's lack of training.

I prefer them to have done nothing than have been messed up!
 
Ryu is 6 at the beginning of April, he has been with me, I've had him 15months and bought him just brought back into work after being turned away. I'm a fairly novicey rider but feel comfortable with the stage hes at, he is obidient in the school and has started leg yielding and shoulder in and can rien back, he'll jump small grids and we've done some RC clear rounds although this is not my area. Hes been to local showing classes, dressage, autumn hunting and even an adult riding camp where we stayed over. I'm sure had he been produced professionally hw would have the talent to do young horse classes, but I'm so proud of what we've achived so far and can't wait till the summer shows this year. PS we got 60% this weekend at the prelim dressage even though we were a little bit wobbly.
 
My horse (George) is rising 7 (July)

He's hacking alone, loads like a old pro, falls asleep for the farrier, fine with clipping/dentist etc.

He's done little jumping (mainly gridwork) but will happily pop over any fence infront of him (we've kept the height's down), he's done one hunter trial at the end of last year and done about 4 XC schooling sessions prior to that.

He can't however do novice level dressage, as cantering within the 20x40 boards is still a task and a half due to his size and so I haven't forced the issue.

His walk and trot are wonderful though.

I too get very pressured from reading about 6 yr olds doing wonderful things, but I know it wasn't right for my horse. He is mine for me forever, and so I know I shouldn't feel pressure, but I think that we always find something to beat ourselves up about!

I do plan this year to do more jumping, more XC and aim to get the dressage canter much more established, but if it's not right it's not right.

I have always tried to keep in mind good advice I was given when he was a baby, that heavyweights take much longer to mature, and that a vet told me that any horse's spine isn't fully fused until age 6.

It is hard though, as I know others think if they had my horse they'd have done much more with him
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I'm not fussed if it's done little provided a) it has the temperament to want to learn and b) the price reflects it's lack of training.

I prefer them to have done nothing than have been messed up!

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As my trainer said the other night, you have a blank canvas if he starts picking up bad habits, it's all your fault!

Every horse is different you can't judge them by age.
 
I've had a 6 yo novice eventing and so naughty that barely capable of a decent novice test. And a 4yo winning novices with 70%, but would rather not jump. They are individuals and need treating as such - they all have different talents and therefore can be pushed at different rates. I also think it is important to not push big horses with the growth rate that they are coping with.
 
Well, every horse is different, and different breeds mature at different speeds too. Bo was 'produced' in Holland and i have a fiull listing of everything he did over there. He did his first dressage competition on his 4th b'day (and won points !), and by the time he stopped doing dressage at 6yrs and 3mnths he was competing at Medium level.
He started competing in SJ'ing at age 4yrs and 6mnths and by the time he was sold to the UK at age 6yrs and 10mnths he was competing at 1.20m / 1.30m. He then started jumping 1.30m / 1.40m over here at age 7yrs
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At six I would be looking for a well rounded horse, one with great manners and working well on the flat. Personally I would like something that has done a bit of everything perhaps a little hunting, dressage, XC and show jumping. I also belive that showing classes are a great way to develop manners and gain experience without being pushed too hard. I am not hugely competitive and I am sur those who have interest in particular discilpines would be looking for different qualities.

When I got my boy at 5 he had seen fences out hunting, done some xc, basic flatwork, he was sane and sensible but still had a lot to learn. He had never seen coloured poles but had gained lots of confidence out hunting.
 
I think it depends entirely on the horse and rider as each is very different. Personally I'd rather see a rising 6 year old happily hacking out alone and in company, more that capeable of going to riding club/pony club rallies and events and out and about having a good time. It wouldn't bother me too much if it was PN eventing for example but if the horse and rider were more happy hackers then why should they be doing any more than enjoying hacking and maybe a few fun rides? I hope that I will have Tilly doing 5yr old BYEH classes and by the time she is 6 going PN happily but that is my own goal and not what everyone wants to be doing.

I also think that a lot depends on how fortunate a horse has been in its education prior to the age of 5. IMO a horses education should start at day one and very, very slowly built on over its first 3 years where I feel, if physically and mentally ready, it can be lightly backed. But if the horse has had 5 years effectively stood in a field then I wouldn't expect it to be doing a lot. Slow and steady wins the race - as long as training is progressive and done at the horse and riders/handlers own pace to achieve a desired goal then I feel that you can't go too far wrong. Each to their own I guess.
 
A lot of talented horses have their careers cut short by excessive competing as youngsters, especially at the ages of 4 and 5 with over ambitious riders. I know event riders with their REALLY special youngsters will do a few age classes and thats it, they will run 3 or 4 times a year at their respective level.
 
I think the same. Although as a 6yo Id expect them to be happily jumping at least British Novice and ideally to have popped round a few BE intro's. (depends what you want to do though obviously). I think at 6, they're old enough to get going a little but at the same Id still be taking them to loads of different things / situations so they get used to everything. And make sure to work out any little problems now.
 
First of all BSJA 4 YO classes are 1m not 1.25.

Secondly if a horse breaks down at 6 it was always going to break down. As soon as it did any work it would have gone. So better to find out now rather than later.
 
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First of all BSJA 4 YO classes are 1m not 1.25.

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I thought that too....but wasn't 100% certain
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you would have to be very brave to take a 4YO round a 1.25, don't think they would have many entries.

The other thing is that they are Style and Performance classes
 
I got a pony who had basically hunted, but the end of his 6th year he was pre-novice eventing (we got him at the start of his 6th year able to jump 1m, green jumping courses sort of thing)
I think a 6yr old should be happily jumping 1m courses, hacking out sensibly and TBH be fairly educated IMO in flatwork etc.
 
Hmm, apologies, a frined has a horse who was placed in the scope 4yo class final, and am 99% sure was told it was 1.25m at final.... apologies if been mis informed....
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William is rising 6. He was broken in jan/feb of the year he was 4, did maybe 2 or 3 showjumping classes that year and 2 of the 4yo PAVO qualifiers and the champs. He xc schooled once that year (with santa145 doing a very good job, she can claim all the credit for his xc for life!).

As a 5 yo he did some BSJA shows, could certainly count them on my two hands, jumped one or two NCs, did 3 pns and 2 Novs, all clear xc.

This winter after 6 weeks off on holiday he has been taken to task a little more with his flatwork, a more advanced outline has been asked of him, along with more focus on the correctness of his paces and some lateral work. He will go out at Novice level from April and hopefully do some more events this year, aiming towards */Int in the Autumn. He is of quite light build and stopped growing as a 4yo pretty much, so hasn't had to be hammered to be fit.

Liberty on the other hand is rising 7 and trails behind William in terms of physical and mental maturity. They are two different kettles of fish.
 
Everything has a price....
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. Honestly, having had geldings break down before I wouldn't say no to any sensible offer on one. At least with a mare you can hopefully breed from them if they've been decent and something goes wrong.
 
Well my boy is rising 6, bought at rising 5 10 months ago had been backed 4 months earlier & hunted.

I am relatively novice but have good support with current & previous YO and he has now established basic lateral work, jumping clear over 85 in public and about 90cm at home - he's capable of more but that's as far as I go! He has done a week @ ponyclub camp, 3 days at adult BHS camp, completed a pony club ODE, (clear sj over 90cm & one stop x-country), he hacks out well in company hasn't done much by himself so still a little spooky, he is great over drains & ditches, good in traffic, good to box/shoe etc (we won't discuss clipping)

we plan to Hunter Trial in April (novice) and compete riding club over the summer...he's in fact probably capable of a lot more but is gonna have to wait for me to catch up!

I had thought he had done too little for his age but he has been out and about a good bit & seen plenty of different environments, he may not have competed at a serious level yet I'm pretty happy we are getting there at our own pace.

To be honest we're a lot further along than I thought would be, particularly thinking about a post I put up last summer saying that people said I was overhorsed & he had the potential to event (implying he was wasted on me)....then I got upset....no chance that would happen to me now!
 
Well we're not far from you (I think) and I'm looking for a gelding for my son (nearly 16). His instructor is Claire Shepherd who you may know. If you know of anything suitable you could always pm me
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How tall is your son? W scrapes 16hh I think, and doesn't take up the leg very well, if he's a tall boy he might look a bit silly on him! Liberty on the other hand has a lovely deep girth, and will be for sale in May I think....
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. Shall keep your name in mind anyway!
 
This notion that a six year old is a young horse is DUMB - at 6 they should be doing their job, yes maybe not at a high level yet, but still.
 
My new horse is 6 in june but was only broken in november of last year and had been running with a band of a mares up until last september so hadn't been handled for the first 5 years of her life. Shes only been schooled since I've got her about 5 weeks ago. So work wise shes only at the stage of a 4 year old, but she learns very quickly and the progress shes made in 5 weeks has been amazing. Shes going to her first training show this week to pop around a course of crosspoles. I think though she'll come along much quicker than a 4 year old as shes more mature and I can probably push her more than I would a younger horse. At hte moment she is a good bit behind in what most 6 year olds are doing though in the long run that might not be a bad thing.
 
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