Yearling help!

[Rogue]

So I recently bought a 15 month old cob pony yearling and he is my first as I have enough experience to train them from scratch.

However I have a few questions that I just haven't mastered over my years of riding and would really appreciate the help!

First of all, the yearling I have bought is currently out 24/7 without being rugged and is only eating haylage. When he comes to my yard would it be fine to stable him over night for a few days of the week and leave him out over night the rest?

Is it fine to begin him with hard feed, most likely a balancer, when he arrives as well as haylage and grass. I will be doing basic training with him. I was thinking on starting his hard feed in March time maybe, leaving him with grass and haylage during winter.

Worming, I simply cannot understand how worming goes. Do I measure the dosage by his weight and buy my own worming pastes?

Although I don't want to begin rugging him until he's around 3 years old, shall I just use a fly mask with fly spray through the bug seasons or is it possible to get him a fly rug.

And finally, I want to start bridle training him early, at what age is best to start?

Thank you.

 

[HandBR]

Personally I wouldn't stable overnight some nights, and out again other nights - but that's because mine like their routine and if they're in, they're in and if they're out, they're out! All horses on my yard are in at nights together so wouldn't be possible to leave some out, they would start pacing and shouting. Any reason why you'd want him stabled some of the time overnight, but not all the time?

Feed - I always feed according to condition and work-load. I've always fed during the winter however to make up for the lack of nutrition in the grass/hay but as he's on haylage you might just want a haylage balancer. Worth speaking to one of the feed companies if you're not sure about feeding.

Worming - I buy the wormers and dose according to bodyweight. There are plenty of helpful websites to work out a worming programme to suit you.

My youngster has only been rugged this winter, since he's been clipped and stabled overnight. Although backed 2 winters ago he was previously turned away for the winter with a little herd and kept naked and hairy. Now he's ticking over ridden-wise this winter so fluff has come off and he's rugged. None of mine have fly rugs or fly masks, as they don't need them. I'm fortunate our yard isn't fly-ridden and none of mine are that bothered by the flies anyway - when it's at it's worst I just spray them with copious amounts of repellent which seems to keep them happy. But if you are in a really bad part of the world, fly-wise, play it by ear. Some need fly rugs, some don't.

Bridle - my youngster was introduced, very lightly, to a bit/bridle at 2 but was actually backed and ridden away in a halter so didn't get a proper introduction to a bridle until he was 3 and a half. However, I can't say it's been detrimental to his progress. I think if you don't need to introduce a bit (i.e. for in-hand showing as a 2-3 year old) then there's little point until you actually need one. But that's just me - plenty of people seem to introduce bits around 2.

 

[be positive]

I hope you have someone experienced on your yard to help you as you do appear to have a lot of gaps in your knowledge, without knowing your yard the first question is not easy to answer but I would not expect a youngster to be totally happy with chopping and changing routine, if he is out with others that also have a few nights in then he will probably cope but if his mates are left out then he will probably spend the nights shut in getting stressed, I would just get him used to spending a short time in and leave him out with his friends every night.

I would give him a balancer during the winter, it is now that the vits/ mins are less available, it seems a strange time to introduce a feed just when the goodness is coming back as he is a cob he may be inclined to gain too much weight on spring grass.

Worming is done by weight, the same for a youngster as any other horse, it may be a good idea to speak to your vet or YO about a worming plan and doing FEC regularly to know what needs doing.

He is a horse he will cope with a few flies around him as long as he has company and some shade in the field he should be fine unless he has sweet itch, rugs on youngsters can cause problems if they slip and really are not essential if they are healthy and living in a good environment.

I would leave bitting him until you need to do it, there is no real benefit from bitting early, spend time handling him sensibly and leave him to grow up in the field as he should.

 

[Sparemare]

Is this your first horse?

 

[PorkChop]

I don't stable my youngsters until they are broken, but if I had to I would do the same everyday, so either in at night or out all the time.

No hard feed until they are in proper work, as long as access to good quality grass and forage.

Same for rugging, not until they are in proper work.

Worming by weight, best to do worm counts, but if you are on a livery yard I expect you will need to work around their worming plan.

I literally leave mine well alone until they are ready to be backed, apart from learning to lead and pick up feet