youngster....need advice...

[Falco]

H have been working wth horses for many years but have never had a youngster of my own. I now have a 14 mth geldng who wll make 16.2 hopefully. So far he has learnt to lead, tie up outside and be left for short perods of tme (although do just hde where he can not see me and watch him)Has been lead around the outdoor schools whle others were riding, Has had a bridle on (as would like to take hm to a few shows later ths year) Has had a roller on and a heavy cotton summer sheet, (for 10 mins at a time)Wears a fly fringe happily, gets sprayed all over wth fly spray no problem, And has also had his first bath with a hose and was excellent. He also has his feet trmmed as is no problem..
He lives out most of the time just comes in now and then to sleep and at weekend so i can play wth him a bit more even then he goes out at night.

So what do do with hm next?? is it too early to start walkng out down quiet lane?? and if so should i use a bridle?? do not want to start long reinning till he is 2ish dose this sound alright to all you people out there wth more experience of youngsters than me and what should my next steps be ?? all help and usefull critisim gratefully accepted

 

[kerilli]

that all sounds good, as long as he's really good about picking his feet up too, i'd probably leave it at that for now.
if you have a very quiet lane and want to take him for walks, and are sure he'll stay controllable, then why not?
i don't do as much as that with my youngsters, but i don't show them, so that's probably why.
best of luck with him.

 

[Falco]

Many thanks for your advice i got a bit concerned he was not taught well enough after watching video on youtube with a younger pony doing the same stuff and began to wnder what should mine be dong as he is older....i hope to get a few more peoples advice on ths subject on this forum too....

 

[nadinek82]

Another thing you could start doing, if you haven't already, is to begin loading him to get him used to the trailer/lorry. Then when you do want to take him to shows it won't be an issue. After he's loading well and standing quietly you could start taking him for a wee run in the box for 5 mins and gradually get him used to it. Have you tryed pulling his mane or anything yet? You could start plaiting him up to get him used to standing quiety for that do be done aswell. Other than that i'd petty much leave it at that for now. You sound like you're making good progress with him

 

[Falco]

Hi i will try to load him this weekend he came down from cumbria from meal-rigg stud and was as good as gold havng never been in a box in his life before. I picked him up in the new 2 horseboxs that you can drive on a normal licence that i had rented. (try pegasus horseboxs if you ever need one they were soo good and very helpfull) He loaded in 5 mns whickered twice and came down perfectly.(5 hrs straight) unloading took 15-20 mins as dd not lke the step down. Will not be pulling his mane as is a friesian but will try plaiting it just to get him used to it and tail too....

plan to turn him out 24/7 for 2-3 months from october so he can go semi ferral, he will ghet checked daily but NOT handled as such, is this a good idea??? i think he will need time to grow and play as he will be handled all summer.....

what do you think??

 

[henryhorn]

He will benefit from going walks and seeing traffic, but always use a lunge line not a leadrope. It's much easier to keep hold of something with one than anything else, you might find a control type headcollar good for this.
I think everything you're doing sounds excellent, just keep showing him new things and eventually like Jez the mare we've just broken, they accept being ridden as no big deal.

 

[Falco]

many thanks henryhorn i will ensure to use a lunge line....I can not see being ridden as any big deal to him even now when i put a roller on he lies down and sleeps and he bears it being out on firmly as well.....

any more advice guys what do you think re turnng him away for a few months??? would you do it???

 

[Theresa_F]

You are doing everything I have done with my little cob at that age. I also got him used to loading and used to loud dogs, motorcycles, mental kids on push bikes, walking over bags and having brollies put up near him - all bombproofing stuff.

When he was rising 2, I started leading him out off our very steady old clydesdale down the bridleways. He got used to going past other horses, people on foot, bikes, dogs, tractors, combines, crow scarers - again all stuff getting him ready for ridden work. I used to let branches flick into him, walk him through mud and water and break branches above him.

I started long reining with him at 2 and he was sat on at 2 1/2 - he was ready for this mentally and physcially. I started little hacks when he turned 3 which he took in his stride, I think due to the leading work off the old chap.

Sounds like you will end up with one very sensible chap - so far mine has been wonderful at taking in new things.

 

[mandy4727]

We got Calli at 9 months old and just spent ages showing her new things. Kids riding past on bikes and skateboards. Walking round cones, starting car engine and shutting car doors, music, walking through gates and standing whilst we closed and opened them etc. We still do this now and she is 3. She has just seen sheep for the first time and that has been an education and she can't get to grips with them at all. We also opened the bags of shavings round her, let the lead rope drag a bit. Things that might happen by accident but that we didnt' want her to "freak" out at when the did happen. We also put a saddle on her when she was about 1. And then took it off again. But got her used to the smells and movements of it. Girthed it up slack when she was older but trying not to be too careful cos if you do they may think there is something to be worried about. Take it in your own time and there is no rush. We did about 1 thing a week gradually at first and then let her see it everyday. And then the next week the same obstacle and then something else.

 

[Falco]

cool great advice from everyone i am happy now that I am doing things just about OK....cheers everybody that helped me

 

[Highstep]

I lead my youngster out in hand down quiet lanes at 16 months and have gone from there he now likes Tractors Cars etc and showed him last year as a 2 year old and again this year. He officially turned three at begining of June. I have tried to treat him as a normal horse like one of the others and it amazed me the otherday to think that as a 3 year old he will tie up on his own and stand quietly, good to catch, trim, turn out/bring in in headcollar, load either alone or in company and come on of the box as we require at shows, trim legs, tie up, pull mane, bathe worm etc and he is going to be big as well just keep doing everyday things and dont overdo it just do what youre currently doing and you will be fine.

 

[Kenzo]

Never too young to walk out, providing you use your common sense and think safety at all times, the sooner they get used to traffic, lawn moors, dustbins, kids on roller blades, barking dogs, birds flying out of hedges the better! trust me its a a lot easier doing it with 14 month old youngster than 3-4 year old adult horse!

Babies accept things better at that age than when they get older, why? because they learn to associate danger with survival, spook at things etc but while they are young and impressionable they will accept pretty much anything you throw at them. I spent at lot of time doing varies things to my other youngster, he was out on the roads in heavy traffic at 15 months old, some may disagree with this but it certainly paid off, walking them over tarpaulin, tying bags to them, popping balloons, umbrella's, firing blank shots into the air, going through deep water and lots of puddles, loading, travelling, lots of shows even if you don;t go in any in hand classes.

All this will lead to a bombproof horse proving you keep it up all the time in different places, horses get used to objects,sounds in safe zones like there livery yard or where ever they are kept. The trick is to do these various task in different places otherwise you'll end up with horse you can do anything with at home but will flinch at a bag in an unfamiliar place or road. Also its how you do it, I'm not advising you to scare your horse as this could cause an opposite affect, if you have a good bond with your youngster you will know 'when' to do these things if you so wish without scaring him into accepting them.

Sounds like you doing very well with your youngster at the moment.

 

[Tia]

Oh yes it sounds like you are doing just fine.

Personally, I have my yearlings going out for walks, have them used to flapping bags, flags, windchimes, bicycles, tractors and all farming machinery and vehicles. They get used to wearing rugs, teeny saddles and "things" on their legs - actually I will put anything on them, quite literally, so that I cover every eventuality for what they might come across as mature horses. I walk them out, generally in rope halters and with 10ft leather stallion leads (not short but not long enough to cause you trouble), and once in a while lead them out from an older horse so they can go up the trails and experience all the things they will see when they become riding horses.

It is so much better to show them all of these things when they are little, than waiting till they are big enough to pull you over if they freak ... mind you if you do your bombproofing right, they shouldn't freak.

Over here and in my chosen discipline, most youngsters are backed and gently ridden out once a week, at 2 years old, so by the time they are 3 they are pretty competent and confident with most things they will come across later in life. I much prefer this slower method of backing/breaking than the rush job of doing it at 3 or 4 years old, over a space of a few weeks and then expecting them to take it all in. So much better for them if you can take a year or two with their learning and you give them so many more life skills by doing this.

Well done - have fun with your littley.