What would you be doing with your horse at this age?

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mandy4727

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Just to fill those who don't know in. Calli is 3 at beg of April. 16hh and a sports horse. Filly. What would you be doing or have you done with a horse at this age. What age would you back? She seems very sensible and keen to learn is willing to have a go at whatever we have tried to do with her. ie trying her in a wagon, trailer, taking out in traffic etc. I broke my old pony in when I was very young and we made a brill team and had many fantastic years together. But now I am older (a lot) i want to get it right and things do change over time don't they?
 
my mare is 3 1/2 and we broke her in Aug last year - gave her 3 months off as she had had a foal VERY young (before i got her) and i wanted her to have some time to be herself. Am trying to bring her back into work but this weather is coming against me LOL
 
If you feel she's ready to do more go for it!

When Bear turned 3 in the July he done in-hand showing, out for walkies, lunging, long reining and got backed, and I rode him on quietly for months. And then last summer we tried ridden showing and came 1st 4 times! and did a few clear round SJ classes (only 2ft and 2 ft 3') and a couple clear round XC's. He's a sweet heart. Im glad I started him then, I haven't pushed him whatsoever in any way, we went hunting for the 1st time on Boxing day and it was the day of my life!! He was so good!
 
I know you have started to introduce her to tack etc, has she been long reining at all? I would be tempted, if you have somewhere nice to do so, take her on "hacks" with someone at her head and someone long reining her for a bit, and then work to just longreining. Gets them introduced to going out alone and being "infront" all the time which should stop any future questions over hacking out alone. In the spring/summer, I would back her and lightly ride her away, teach her stop and go, very short hacks etc, and then turn her away until next year, when she will be ready to go
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If she done all the ground work etc longreining and intro to tack
I wouldnt attempt to do lunging till shes aleast 4 as it can put stress on the joints etc at this age
If you fill shes ready to under take on a little work then go a head just back her and walk and trot .
It wont harm her if you hack up and down road as this does help with the convidence.
I profer to do this first as long as you cover the legs with boots and only stick to walk as trotting at this age can bring on splints as there legs become jard .
I did this with my youngster and she goes past everything etc cars buses lorrys coachs and walks up a very heavey main road .
 
Personally, I'd turn her away til her skeleton is a bit more mature.
I've worked in backing/breaking/schooling in the past, but would never break anything I intended to keep myself til it was fully four.
Of course, if you want to sell it, people are really foolish and will pay more money for a 3yo jumping silly heights....they think it's a sign of talent rather than overwork.
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My boy is three at the beginning of April, i have just started doing a bit of loose schoooling wiht him, getting him to walk around the schooll and standing allowing him to become familiar with the voice commands, hes only done it three times now and he seems to be enjoying himself.
Im hoping to take him to be evaluations in August so i just want to do a bit of ground work with him this year, ill back him next year
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Dosnt time fly i remeber when we were exchanging pics of them when they were months old
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Have you got any pics of her havent seen one of her for a while
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i agree with you with jumping but she not wanting to jump it she just simply wants to start working on it etc backing it
A youngster of that age can take a little work etc little schooling etc walk and trot and little hack up and down roads ive work in breaking and schooling i have backed horses and brought them on for a fewer people but then sent home to be turned out to mature
 
Ischa, I struggle to understand your posts...could you try to type a bit more slowly so old folk like me get what you're saying?
Physically, 3yo horses are very immature and therefore prone to injury, so it is best to concentrate on mental training rather than physical work. Perhaps play a lot in hand - loading/unloading, walk, trot, halt, back and over commands in hand, walking over poles in hand to increase co-ordination, meeting as many spooky things as possible...cars, tractors, polythene bags, tarpaulins, jump fillers, traffic cones, and so on.
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Every horse is prone to injury what ever age as long she takes the proper pecautions to prevent this.
Then there is no worry if you look in all books etc foal to five years then at a three year old you could be doing pole work to improve the horses balance and pick up feet.
It depends on the horse and rider and if she fills he ready then there should be no problem in doing a little work then turn him away to mature .
 
I think that if you've already introduced tack and the idea of moving off on voice commands, the best thing you can do is turn her out until christmas.
 
I would be looking at backing her this year. When I've looked after youngsters of the same age, I expect them to have practised loading, done some in-hand showing, be able to long rein, be good with the vet and farrier, be used to traffic and be starting to get used to wearing tack.
 
I think you're doing the right thing with lots of introductions to things like loading and traffic. I would carry on doing stuff in hand (not lungeing yet, though) and get her used to as many different things as possible - will make your job a whole lot easier when it comes to backing and bringing on further. I'd probably back her at 3.5 - 4 then turn her away for a bit.
 
Seeing as my mum hasn't replied....
Calli already had tack on and been long reining her for the last 6 months. Shes alot better at voice commands now too. Been practicing inhand showing, shes foot perfect at that. The only thing left to do really is take her out on the roads a little more once the weather sorts its self out.
Won't be backing Calli until she is at least 3 1/2 as mum and i have decided that i need to loose some weight first, so hopefully can start her in August, when it's a little hotter, do a few light hacks and turn her away until next year.
Thanks for the help everyone.
 
I would leave her until August early September then start long reining/lungeing, back her and carry on riding her after that.
We rarely back ours before this age preferring them to be four really ,as they are still growing.
I'd play with her by putting tack on, leaning over etc and bitting but no formal work until three and a half. I've seen too many young horses wrecked by doing too much too soon.
 
Started our youngster the October after he was 3, he's a cob cross. Worked him for 15/20 minutes every other day until after xmas and then increased work. He is now ridden 3 to 4 times a week including short hacks. We do not turn any of ours away as IMO it is a waste of time.
 
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