Why??

xnaughtybutnicex

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Why are horses being backed so young now. I was being nosey at younsters and seen quite a few 3 yrs 2 months, 3 yrs 4 months started backing in january, or 6 months ago ect. Sorry for such a pointless posts but they seem to be getting backed younger and younger.
 

Tia

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35 years ago horses were being backed as 3 year olds - 25 years ago horses were being backed as 3 year olds - 15 years ago horses were being backed as 3 year olds - today many horses are being backed as 3 year olds. See a pattern?
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I'm guessing you are young and haven't been around horses for decades?
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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I haven't owned horses for decades but have been around them about 15 years so I'm not an idiot i just think 2 is a little young to start backing a horse, not being particularly well developed at that age.
 

Tia

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Not if Jan 1st is used; then they would be 3 years old. I never work to the Jan 1st date personally, I prefer to work to the horse as a whole and back it when it is ready - some of mine are very lightly backed at 2 (going by real date of birth) and some of mine aren't backed until they are 4 - totally depends on the horse.

However putting that aside, most horses for many many generations have been backed as 3 year olds, so this isn't something new
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GinGin

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Having never had a youngster before I got Phoenix (as a weanling) I had never really thought too much about when horses were backed.

It was obvious to me when the time came that 3 was too young for my boy to be backed, let alone younger than 3. Phe was 3 in June and I am leaving it until next spring, he will be approaching 4... and even then, when the time comes if I still think he's too young I will leave it.

But I have the luxury of knowing that Phe is for life, I'm not selling him on so it doesn't benefit me to back him as early as possible.
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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By very lightly backed do you mean sat on, walked around ect.? I've also seen quite a few 3/4 year olds being sold as brilliant show jumpers, done xc ect. I suppose they are buying to back, bring on and sell.
 

Tia

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I guess there is also the problem of many people having a different idea of what the word "backing" means. To some, this means full blown breaking, to others such as me, it means very light bareback riding only in walk and only for short periods of time a couple of times a month.

Over here it is quite normal for many western horses to be backed as 2 year olds (real birthday being used) however a lot of them are not broken until they are 3 or 4. I was aghast at this when I first moved here, but very quickly I saw the benefits for the horse and these outweighed any prejudice I had previous to moving here.
 

seche

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Horses race on the flat aged 2
See nothing wrong what so ever with breaking in at 3, ive stick and balled polo ponies at 3 and they are more than ready to go! On the other hand its horses for courses and not all are early developers and need more time.
 

Tia

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Lol!! Lots of crossed posts here
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3 and 4 years old, in my opinion, should not be schooling to an outline, let alone jumping.

I am lucky in that my youngsters generally come to me as yearlings and aren't sold until they are 4 or 5 years old therefore I have all the time in the world to very slowly and gradually bring them on to a good standard before they are sold. Some dealers will get horses in and try to do as much as possible in a very short space of time, in order to bump the price up a bit.
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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Maybe it's just me because i think backing properly would take about 3-6 months just for the basics and fittening ect. so being sold as a broken 3 year old seems that they have been started young.
 

Tia

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Each person does things differently; very often these things are not wrong, just different. Every horse is different and should be brought on when the time is right for the horse; with some this may be 3, with others I really wouldn't waste my time until they were 5.
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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[ QUOTE ]
Horses race on the flat aged 2
See nothing wrong what so ever with breaking in at 3, ive stick and balled polo ponies at 3 and they are more than ready to go! On the other hand its horses for courses and not all are early developers and need more time.

[/ QUOTE ]

And again i'm not talking about horses being started at 3 i'm talking about horses being sold as fully broken at 3 meaning they were being backed as 2 year olds.
 

Tia

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Well not necessarily. Breaking usually only takes about 6 weeks - it's generally rushed in comparison to someone very gradually backing and then not breaking the horse for another couple of years. I'd far rather work at this speed, 2 years till the job is done, than whizzing along at a rate of knots over 6 weeks. However I have no problem with those who do, it's just not for me.
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xnaughtybutnicex

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I didnt post this because i have a real problem with it either just seems young to me for alot of horses to be already fully backed or broken at 3 i just personally wouldn't do it, not just from a mental point of view also don't think they are developed enough to be fully broken at 3 although, saying that i have loaned a 3 year old rising 4.
I would like to back something myself(not right this very minute but maybe next year) so was being nosey a 3 year olds which alot of them seem to be already back, hence this post. So if i wanted to back one myself i would more likely be looking at 2 year olds now. I would be backing to keep not to sell so obviously wouldn't do it that quick but i understand what you mean for people trying to make a profit on it.
 

Silverspring

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I think it depends what you want to do with the horse, if you are backing to sell then I would want to start as early as possible so I could produce a nice horse for sale and have as long as possible to do it in. I would rather back at 2 and a half to bring on at 3 for a few months than back and bring on in the space of a few month, that would bemore traumatic IMO.
If you are backing to compete (say in the 4 or 5 year old clases in BD) then you can't seriously think you can back at 4 and have the horse ready for these classes (the 5 year old classes are medium level!) The horse has to be backed at 2 and a half so they can be brought on as a three year old.
If you are backing for pleasure then I personally would also start as young as possible and just play at walk and getting on and off then start proper work once the horse was mature enough (could be 3 could be 5 it doesn't matter)
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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It does really depend on what your backing them for but i suppose everyone has their own opinion. I haven't back a horse before but have ridden one been backed about 4/5 weeks so TBH am not very experienced in that area but seems alot of people are starting at 2. We've had a 2 year old come to my yard already lightly backed for bringing on and they are being paid to do it but doing as little as possible with it as almost everyone has refused to ride it?!?
 

Tia

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Hmm, well that is fraud then. If the owner is being charged believing training is taking place, when in fact it isn't, then if I was the owner I would be taking your YO to court to regain expenses paid for services not received! The person training the horse should NOT have accepted the horse on the yard if they were not prepared to do the job asked of them. They are taking money by deceit.
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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Riding school owner took the pony for schooling but it is quite a small pony and at a young age so most people will not ride it, it is getting ridden just lightly(in walk and trot) by small children that come for lessons there but there aren't many lessons during the week only weekends. The owner of pony does know this and knew when bringing it there it would be used for small children on lessons(i think that is what they wanted as it is being backed for owners young child) Owner has been to see and had child ride it and says it is coming on ok but knows it is only in light work.
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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I think they wanted staff schooling it aswell but it is really too small for any to ride it so they wont and a couple of younger liveries have ridden it but no-one the right size to school it properly.
 

Tia

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Ah I get you. Well providing the owner is happy then that's fine.

I am, however, very surprised that any riding school was given insurance for any member of the public to "rent" a horse/pony of only 2 years old. My insurance only allowed the public to ride my horses/ponies from the age of 5 and over. I strongly suspect there are clauses in the insurance which negates this pony and as such if any accident were to happen with a paying member of the public on this pony and a court case was to ensue, then the riding school owner would be in deep doo-dahs!
 

cazmoreton

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Comet was backed at 3 years 5 months and turned away for winter
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i think it depends we had an anglo arab who was backed about the same age as comet and not turned away after about a year since being backed when we got her(not knowing she was never turned away) she turned absolutely nutsss. had an accident couldnt ride for about 2 months we realised that the time was doing her well left her another month or so, in all she had about 3 months off and she came back into work a dream. sadly i came off her ONCE and because of previous happenings my dad banned me from riding her so she's just having fun and being a brood now
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basicly after allll that i think its fine to back a horse slightly young aslong as its right for THAT horse, and your going to do it corectly
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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I saw 1 earlier was 2 yrs 1 month that had been backed and turned away and it was nagging me as to how long exactly it had been turned away but as tia said everyone has different ideas of what backing is but to me is walking and trotting and starting to learn to canter.
 

JM07

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post 3 isnt young......

up until 25 yrs ago 2 1/4 was seen as a good age to back....

my first pony was a 2 yr old colt and within 3 months of having him, i backed and had him gelded.....he died at the ripe old age of 33!!
 

xnaughtybutnicex

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Maybe thats my problem .. i wasn't born 25 years ago lol I'm nearly 20 but have been around horses since a little kiddie but just have never seen one backed at 2 or starting to back at 2.
 
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