What would you expect when viewing a 3yr old?

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DellaMoon

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Got someone coming to see my little 3 yr old dressage mare today and not really sure what they will expect to see. She was backed earlier in the summer over about 5 weeks, had two months off while I got married and has now been back in work a week. I got straight on her last night, didn't put a foot wrong and had a couple of canters. Would you just be wanting to see her movement and trainability or would you expect to see a reasonable well schooled horse with a consistent frame? Just not sure how to show her off!!!

Thank you!
 
When I bought my 3 yr old, she was lunged on each rein (briefly), rider got on her and did a trot round on each rein and that was it. Like yours, she'd been broken over 6 weeks and when I went she hadn't had anything done with her for a month.

To be fair, I wasn't buying a dressage horse, I juts wanted something sane and mannerly, which is what I ended up with :).
 
I would b mainly looking at paces and temperament. I wouldn't't expect it to b backed but if it was I would look at how it copes with a person on board and if this affects their paces. I def wouldn't expect it to b really balanced and rounded at all.
 
When I went to look at my 3 year old I was very much looking for the "diamond in the rough"

I wanted to see him lunged so I could see the paces and if he had been backed ridden to see calmness willingness to work etc.

I would in no way be expecting perfect balance, rounding or any form of collection.

Very much a blank sheet with a few good lines written on it to enable me to work on but one that enjoyed working and was not fighting about it.
 
Personally I wouldn't expect the owner to show me canter work if the horse had been out of work for a few months, I wouldn't ask anyway, but it would be nice see the horse either on the lunge or free schooled just so you get an idea of the paces and could check for soundness etc.

If the horse is broken in, I'd expect to see the horse ridden around the school, but a walk and a little pop into trot would be all, just to prove he's backed, mouthed properly and accepts the rider and is going forwards.

Ridden work wouldn't concern me, temperament, clean legs and a nicely put together horse would, that's really all I'd be bothered about.
 
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i'd prefer it not to be backed but as yours is, i would like to see it accepting the contact and going nicely off the leg- whatever work that has been done needs to have been done well.

if it works in an outline that is fine- imo if a horse accepts the contact and understands the leg it will be in an outline naturally.

i would also like to see it free schooled in all 3 paces and then trotted up.
 
Thank you for the replies. I was hoping that was all that was needed. She moves off the leg and accepts the hand but not consistently as she's not being worked for more than 10-15 minutes and only for a relatively short period of time. You've set my mind at ease so thank you!
 
I wouldn't want any three year old to even be backed or lunged let alone schooling no matter what career was being mapped out for it. I want it to have decent joints for the rest of its life, I don't want them stressed already before I've even got hold of it.
I would want to see it free in a field to see the natural paces and be able to be handled nicely to prove it's a naturally nice person; then I'd like it trotted up too. If I can't see it has the good conformation and temperament I want and naturally good movement from all that, I shouldn't and wouldn't be in horses but I'm totally not dressage orientated which seems to go by different rules entirely.
 
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