Work for a 3 yr old

[DellaMoon]

Following on from the post - How late was your horse born. My mare was an end of February foal so is now just over 3 and a half. She has been lightly backed and turned away until early next year. Having read the above post though it strikes me that if she was born later I would probably have done exactly the same thing so she would be brought back into work as a three and a half year old - technically though a four year old. Her early birthday will be great for age classes and she is at an advantage compared to the late foals.

Do you take their date of birth into account when planning breaking/backing/competing or is it just done on when they reach their fourth year they can compete so get on with it?

 

[BroadfordQueen]

Like you, my 3yo was an early baby. Shes been backed this year and is being turned out in 2 weeks (when I go to uni!) for the winter, and by the time we bring her back into work she will be officially 4 (going by her actual birthdate).
I think you do have to take in their actual birthdate, as you need to take into account their physical age aswell as their mental age.
On the other hand, if a child is born in late August, they are put into a school teaching group of children who may be born in early September of the previous year, making them nearly a year apart but expected to learn the same things.

 

[Bug2007]

I was a 31st of August baby so I was at school with people a year older than me...

On the three year old front, mine was broken as a two year old.....before you all scream she is an ex race horse and raced on the flat as a two year old, I got her at 2 and 4 months......she was ridden then for five minutes twice a week in a GP saddle before having time off, she was then re-backed as a three year old.....she has done a bit of in hand showing and schooling but mainly hacking and bomb proofing. she has seen coloured poles etc....but being TB she is a lot more mature than most three year olds....

She is now been turned away for the winter until the nights start to get lighter again. She is 4 in March, I could start to compete her earlier with the whole first of Jan thing, but i'll wait until her birthday comes round.
She'll then work the summer, doing her first small hunter trails this time next year and a morning of cubbing then she will have the winter off again....once she is five she'll be worked all year.