What "should" horse be doing as a nearly 6 year old?!?

T

teazle

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 July 2010
Messages
125
Visit site
I was up at the yard today riding my mare, and one of the other liveries (a newish person to the yard) was lunging her horse in the ring next door so was watching. When I got back, and was waiting for my horse to finish her dinner, she started chatting away, and then asked how old my horse is. When I said she was going to be six in June, she looked slightly confused and then said - "Oh, I'd have thought she was younger than that, from what she's doing. You haven't been doing much with her then?"

My horse is a 15.3 TBxWB who is currently doing unaff 1m ODEs, not placing but getting around 40-45 for her dressage, but her SJ and XC are somewhat erratic - can fly round one day and have 3 refusals at a simple jump the next.

She has done unaff prelim and novice tests and scores in the low 60's % every time. I have owned her nearly two years and she had to have 3 months off the first winter due to my getting extremely ill, and 6 weeks off this winter as I recovered from a concussion.

So.......what am I "supposed" to be achieving with her?!? She's flown round a 3'6 hunter trial, she's jumping around 1.10m at home, we're finally getting a little consistency in her flatwork. She can be inattentive and silly, and I haven't got access to transport all the time so she hasn't been out and about as much as I'd like so is still babyish when she's off the yard, but I'm working on that.

I just wanted to get other opinions as to where on earth we should be, and whether it's me or her that is way off the mark, as I think we are doing okay, could be better, but then couldn't it always?!

Thanks if you made it through all this, I'm just slightly bemused!:confused:
 
I would really not worry about what she "should" be doing according to other people. My 6 YO will not be jumping this year as I have to get her and her mates home to the states. The gyp I get is unreal. Horse going to waste ect. She has plenty of time for a career. Last year she did 12 shows and finished double clears in the 1.10m. Still, people thought she should be doing more.

My advice is as this seems a permanent horse, just ignore or put little miss nosey in her place. This is your mare and she's doing what she can now. She and you will be fine. Don't worry about them haters!

Why people feel they have to be in competition with others over what their horses do is beyond me.

Terri
 
in that case were defo backward.....


my rising 6 year old and myself are currently plodding around intro and prelims quite hapily...done some clear round jumping (not for me).. :D

(shes had a long time off with ulcers/back problems etc)


were happy - i couldnt care less what others think :)

mine did only start jumping at 5 too :)
 
I have a 16.3 wbxtb who has just turned 5, she has done hunter trials last year to 80cm, went cross country schooling to 3 different course and jumped up to 3ft3 water, drops, steps all lovely. did prelim dressage and got a second and third. this year we are working mopre on her flatwork as it is aslo erratic. If yours is like mine she si VERY opinionated and tries to dominate all the time and is def not an easy ride but also has confidence issues one day but will be fine and chilled the next and like a 10yr old. I wouldnt worry as i know mine is not an easy ride at all and many wont ride her.
 
Thanks all. I am indeed just going to carry on enjoying my girl and ignoring her. No comments on how HER horse goes!!

It was only that I was flabbergasted by someone saying that to me - I'd never dream of saying that to someone else, I was so stunned that part of me started wondering. Then again, this is the same person who thought I must be too small to ride my girl - I'm 5'3 and under 8st but the horse is not much bulkier than a TB and is 15.3hh. She asked me how I possibly held her XC or was effective - I said we had never had problems with control, she's never run off with me! I felt like saying 'hey, I'm strong, I rock climb, I'll take you on any time'.

We'll just carry on as we are. It's not like either me or the horse are aspiring or able to be 4* eventers or do Grand Prix dressage so what does it matter?! The most I'd like to manage is MAYBE a Novice BE course in our lives, but we'll see!
 
People ask how old my mare is and when I say 6, they seem shocked at how little she is doing.

It's not until I mention she has raced combined with 2 years off that they change their face expression.
 
pfffttt she'd probably laugh me and my horse off the yard then, my girl who is 6 on 7th May still can't even canter properly, she's disjoined and unblanced, I only ride her probably once a fortnight on a happy hack and i couldn't give a shove to be honest what anyone else thinks, she's happy, i'm happy, full stop :D

Enjoy your horse and take it at your own pace.

WHOOPS - JUST REALISED MY GIRL IS ACTUALLY ONLY 5 THIS YEAR - dohhh :0)
 
Last edited:
Honestly, people like that just make me want to lie on the floor laughing. Or rofl as my son would say. Is your horse well cared for, fed, fit etc? If so, then of course it doesn't give a damn if it jumps a twig or wins the Olympics. Enjoy what you are doing and stick two fingers up at idiotic interfering people.
 
Crikey, mine has just turned 8 and we're only just getting out to competitions! I've had her a year but only just got transport and due to a job loss last year all lessons and other plans were postponed. My horse had been bought as a four year old by her previous owners who didn't really do anything with her for two years so we're really behind. Plus she's irish so a little late developing! I do worry that we are in the remedial class but my thinking is that (with a following wind!) we have years together and you can suddenly gain experiences and progress in quite a short time.

I wouldn't worry!
 
If you are happy with how she is progressing then she is doing exactly what she should be doing as a six year old - making you happy!
 
My rising 6 year old is nowhere near 1m ODEs :eek:

He's working novice level at home (give or take), getting similar results to yours at prelims and in the novice he did (haven't compete dr since last year :o ). He's schooling up to 1m10 (single fences) at home, with courses up to 90cm (before the rain!). Competing around 75cm sj, hoping to make a HT debut in the not too distant future around 70cm :o

Mind you, we spend half our time doing TREC things, playing horseball or generally behaving like children in the floods :D Ultimately, we have horses to do what we want with them. It's hardly like your chap is sitting in the field getting fat :confused:
 
Horses haven't read the book that says they 'should' be doing this or that at this or that age. They do things in their own time, and each varies so much.

What you 'should' be doing is enjoying yourselves and each other's company.

Anyway, those who are overworked as youngsters either physically or mentally are those least likely to make it to an active old age...........
 
Erm I got mine just before his 6th birthday and he had spent most of his 5yo year eating in a field getting very fat, he'd never been ridden at a show and could barely canter :o. So your a long way in front of what we were at that stage.
 
I don't know what a horse should be doing at 6, but I know what someone who is lunging should be doing, and that is, concentrating on the way their own horse is going and not other people's!

But hey, my horse would have no chance of jumping 1m 10, and if she did, I'd probably fall off anyway!
 
dafthoss said:
Erm I got mine just before his 6th birthday and he had spent most of his 5yo year eating in a field getting very fat, he'd never been ridden at a show and could barely canter :o. So your a long way in front of what we were at that stage.
Click to expand...

"Mine" is around yours stage's. :D
He has done nothing since december.
 
Erzie said:
"Mine" is around yours stage's. :D
He has done nothing since december.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that :) I didnt own mine at the time but its not held him back, hes gone from wobbling round a 55cm course of sj's to jumping round nearly 1m sj courses in a year :D. He could have done without it as it made him horrifically obese but hes fine now.
 
Just brought an unbacked 6 year old mare. Been left in the field and only handled for farrier visits(not even up to date with vaccinations!) for the past 3 years. Was,however,shown inhand at county level up to a 3 year old, so the basics are coming back to her. Will be a while till she anywhere near ready for even hacking, never mind jumping etc!!
We backed our NF mare aged 9, she had also sat in a field most of her life doing nowt!
Does it really matter what anyone thinks as long as said horse/pony is well cared for?
 
A rising 6 yr old should be doing what both you & the horse are ready for. Last year when daughters pony was 4 some numpty was quite shocked that poles were as far as I was prepared to go jumping wise. Bearing in mind due to ponies size my then 6yr old daughter was the only one who'd ridden her. My reply was 'yes, but for a just turned 4yr old, who was backed 3 months ago she still has more consistent flatwork than some adults much older horses'.
 
this is really interesting. i hate when you go to a dealers and see their irish record. at for they're jumping 1m-1.10m at least! itsterrible, no wonder they have so many problems.
this also brings me to the hatred of when you go to sport horse sales and the youngstock are jumping to the top of the wings to impress the buyers! its like the racehorses being galloped to a pulp :mad:

i think that what your doing is absolutely fine! and as everyone else says HAVE SOME FUN
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top