Working with a youngster

StormBlade

StormBlade

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When working with a youngster how short do you keep the sessions?

I tend to work with my lad 3 times a day for 30 minutes maximum because any longer than that and he tends to lose his concentration and he gets all fidgety. But when I emailed my instructor she said I should try and work him for an hour at a time as that's how long riding lessons would be etc

Just wanted to know if I was being too soft on him and should be working him longer.

(When I say working I mean, he gets long reined in walk and trot for 15 minutes to warm him up, and let him get used to the feel of his tack on him, and then 10 minutes of me leaning over him etc, and today I've sat on him for the first time. So it's not exactly hard work :) )

Any help would be appreciated :)
 
I'm confused do you work with him x30 minutes 3 times a day, so 1 hour 30 minutes a day or 30 minutes in total? How old is he exactly?
 
Miss Bean said:
I'm confused do you work with him x30 minutes 3 times a day, so 1 hour 30 minutes a day or 30 minutes in total? How old is he exactly?
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Yes he does about 1 and a half a day, but it does vary. And its not all school work, he goes out on hacks (inhand)

He's 4. :)
 
A longer session or a 30 minute one ?

To be honest, he isn't bothered about being worked 3 times, it's not 3 times consecutively. It's once in the morning, lunchtime and late evening.
 
I would only work him once a day for a session between 30 mins and 1 hour depending on what your doing. If he is long reining and lunging, I'd do this for 10 mins then jump on and get on with backing him. He shouldn't need to be taught the same things 3 times a day. I'd ask your instructor to help you draw up a plan of action and see how that goes?
 
I dont repeat the exact same thing twice, for example today:

Morning;

long reined for 10 minutes. leant over him for 5. sat on him 3 times. praised him, and un tacked.

Lunchtime;

took him on an inhand hack, had a splash around in the river.

Evening;

(not done this yet, but the plan was/is:)
Tack up, lean over, sit on him a few times and untack.

He really loses his concentration after a while and gets all fidgety, which is why I thought short but frequent sessions would be better, but I fully understand what you're saying. :)

My instructor is away for 3 weeks, which is why I emailed her with the update :)
 
I would be horrified if someone worked my 3 year old for 90 minutes a day whether in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 sessions.

ETA just seen your above answer. The first session would be quite sufficient until you introduce different work, no need to make the poor horse sick to the back teeth of it, that's the way to make a nappy youngster unless they're a saint.
 
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Is he pretty chilled in hand walking out? Do you have any place you can hack that's quiet? I'd pop on and ride out! He's maybe losing concentration because he's bored? Hacking might interest him more. To be perfectly honest my 6yr old would be bored and lose interest if I tacked him up 3 times a day no matter what he did. You might make him stale before he's actually done anything. I don't mean to sound rude x
 
Maesfen - I'm not trying to make a nappy youngster. I'm trying to back him gently and take it one step at a time. I'm asking advice because I felt I needed it, and obviously I do, I'm on a learning curve and I'm trying my best :) Would I be better "cracking on with it" and asking him to walk on etc? Im worried Im going too fast, but equally I don't want to go too slow :)

Flying Solo - you dont sound rude :) I'm reluctant to just go for a hack, because I have no help until my instructor gets back. Plus, I've got no idea how he'd actually react to walking with me on his back :p

Should I just do 2 "sessions" - one "schoolwork" and the other an inhand hack to mix things up, or should I just cut it down to one session and do school work and hacking on alternate days? :)
 
Personally, I would go with the one session a day and alternate it with what you do....

When I backed mine, I only 'worked' him 3/4 times a week too, as he seemed to find stuff mentally tiring....
 
Subject to how big and weak they are mine would be hacking out for shortish sessions with a nanny as soon as they had grasped the long reins and been backed. All young horses must only have one thought in their young heads - to go forwards when asked.

They would wander around the lanes 3 or 4 times a week, alternating with a little school work consisting of transitions. All this would continue through summer to the Autumn and if they are mature enough aged 4 and a bit they would see hounds at a few of the earlier cubbing mornings.

Once winter closes in they go out and come back into work in the following March to go to big school.

I don't think I have ever had a mature horse that would be joyful to be worked 3 times a day let alone a baby with the attention span of a gnat.
 
Maisy said:
Personally, I would go with the one session a day and alternate it with what you do....

When I backed mine, I only 'worked' him 3/4 times a week too, as he seemed to find stuff mentally tiring....
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Okay thanks :)

I did forget to add that I don't work him 7 times a week, he gets tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays off :)
 
AdorableAlice said:
Subject to how big and weak they are mine would be hacking out for shortish sessions with a nanny as soon as they had grasped the long reins and been backed. All young horses must only have one thought in their young heads - to go forwards when asked.

They would wander around the lanes 3 or 4 times a week, alternating with a little school work consisting of transitions. All this would continue through summer to the Autumn and if they are mature enough aged 4 and a bit they would see hounds at a few of the earlier cubbing mornings.

Once winter closes in they go out and come back into work in the following March to go to big school.

I don't think I have ever had a mature horse that would be joyful to be worked 3 times a day let alone a baby with the attention span of a gnat.
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Okay, thank you :)

I'll work on getting him able to hack out quietly, I'll find someone to lead us on foot and go from there.

Ideally I need my instructor to be here, but he's progressed quicker than we thought.
 
Unless he was a very forward youngster, looking to get into trouble if his mind isn't challenged, I would be happy that he's had tack on, been led about/long reined (don't like lunging for youngsters, does their jopints no end of harm) been sat on and unless he's good enough to show then I'd turn him away until next spring to grow and mature naturally. Every time you handle him reinforces his manners, no need at all to be so repetitive, just re introduce things next spring and then get on with the job but I certainly wouldn't want him doing any more than that.
My 4 year old TB has just been started; had tack on, lunged only until she had learnt the basic stop start commands, long reined and led from another horse around the farm; she will do a lot more long reining before backing but by then she should be able to continue without being turned away; until then she knew her basic manners but had not even had a bit in as she hadn't been shown. The important thing is not to push both their bodies or their minds when too young, that way leads to a sour and possibly sore horse which should be avoided at all costs IMHO.
There's an old saying which applies very well to horses, particularly big horses and we do well to heed it if we want our horses to last a long time in a good state of mind and health - don't ask a boy to do a man's work.
 
Maesfen said:
Unless he was a very forward youngster, looking to get into trouble if his mind isn't challenged, I would be happy that he's had tack on, been led about/long reined (don't like lunging for youngsters, does their jopints no end of harm) been sat on and unless he's good enough to show then I'd turn him away until next spring to grow and mature naturally. Every time you handle him reinforces his manners, no need at all to be so repetitive, just re introduce things next spring and then get on with the job but I certainly wouldn't want him doing any more than that.
My 4 year old TB has just been started; had tack on, lunged only until she had learnt the basic stop start commands, long reined and led from another horse around the farm; she will do a lot more long reining before backing but by then she should be able to continue without being turned away; until then she knew her basic manners but had not even had a bit in as she hadn't been shown. The important thing is not to push both their bodies or their minds when too young, that way leads to a sour and possibly sore horse which should be avoided at all costs IMHO.
There's an old saying which applies very well to horses, particularly big horses and we do well to heed it if we want our horses to last a long time in a good state of mind and health - don't ask a boy to do a man's work.
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Okay thank you, I'm now thinking along the lines of getting him hack out gently 3 times a week for 1 month and then turning him away.

I think a lot of it is to do with the pressure of seeing other horses his age out competing, whereas up until today he hadn't been sat on.

Thank you all for your advice, I'll take it onboard. :)
 
I'd do one session a day, & dependent on age & development not necessarily every day. How long for depends on the work. At 3, I'd longline daughters pony for no more than 15 mins tops down the lane as mentally she found it harder being alone in front, but in hand would do much longer, & enjoyed hour long hacks being led from my mare. Only did that sort of stuff half the time, other days it would be 30 mins tied up with a haynet with kids, bikes, hose pipes, clippers etc all going on in the vicinity. Even now at almost 5, she loves hacking for 2+ hours with lots of cantering & galloping & we do most schooling on hacks. But when we did some jumping yesterday, 10 mins to warm up & 20 mins mostly trotting round a small course was mentally enough. It's not just the physical side of working a youngster but mentally too.
 
Ideal plan, I honestly think your youngster will appreciate it!

I find it very hard to see the sense of 3 year olds in ridden competition (usually only dressage I think?) hence the old rules always being 4 years and over for ridden competition; at least it gave the horses a chance to develop naturally. I wonder how many now stay sound or have a long working life without problems because the skeleton has been compromised by asking them to work unnaturally so young.
 
Slightly off topic, but I always wonder how many of the 4 & 5 year old BYEHs actually go on to have long eventing careers?
 
StormBlade said:
What would you be doing with him as a substitute then? :)
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I hadn't done anything with my four yr old since easter (when I had a willing victim... sorry, helper ;) ) until Saturday.

So Easter day, she was leant over, then sat on and walked (led) around the sand school. Total session 15 mins max.

This Saturday, repeat of above but slightly more walking with a 'rider'. Total session 20 mins max.

Sunday, walked out down the lane with the 2 year old (no rider or leaning over) for about 45 mins.

Today, see saturday.

Tomorrow, she'll do nothing except mooch about her field with the other horses.
 
StormBlade said:
I dont repeat the exact same thing twice, for example today:

Morning;

long reined for 10 minutes. leant over him for 5. sat on him 3 times. praised him, and un tacked.

Lunchtime;

took him on an inhand hack, had a splash around in the river.

Evening;

(not done this yet, but the plan was/is:)
Tack up, lean over, sit on him a few times and untack.

He really loses his concentration after a while and gets all fidgety, which is why I thought short but frequent sessions would be better, but I fully understand what you're saying. :)

My instructor is away for 3 weeks, which is why I emailed her with the update :)
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sounds perfect to me! I would just continue as you are.
 
I think what you are doing sounds just right :) An hour and a half a day is nothing - that leaves him 22 1/2 hours of being unstimulated and most probably bored. The more regularly you do stuff the quicker he will get used to it. I did exactly the same when my now 6yr old had just turned 5 (he was very very green and babyish) and i found he really enjoyed doing different things each day :)
 
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