Youngster Tough Choice

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Pink Gorilla

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I have a rising 3yr old who is booked in to get started under saddle spring of 2027. I have however had a change in circumstances and no longer have him and my other horse at home with me. We are now on livery with no arena. So I'm worrying I may now have to sell my youngster, as I'm not sure I'll have the time to keep him in consistent enough work after breaking due to working full time myself throughout the week and only having hacking available, although there is an arena I can hire down the road. Realistically, what is the minimum a 4yr old warmblood could be ridden per week over the winter? I've always been under the impression they need consistent riding most days, although fairly short sessions. Spring/summer won't be an issue. But it's the lack of daylight and the extra yard jobs in the winter I'm worrying about.When I initially bought him I lived on a farm with my husband and the horses lived at home with me, but that all went pear shaped last year. I bought him as a 5 month old and would be devastated to have to sell him, as he's been so rewarding.
 
I bought a just broken 3 year old and she was ridden twice a week over winter in the arena. I’ve never really bought into the idea that they have to be ridden every day once broken. I feel it makes horses who can’t be left unridden for a few days, which can be a pain.
 
We backed our current 3yo at 3 and a bit. She pottered about on short hacks 3x a week until winter and then went out twice a week only (I would normally turn away but she wasn’t very receptive to that idea!). She won’t do more than that until she turns 4, and then we’ll start schooling. We don’t have an arena.

If you want to keep your horse because you love them, you absolutely can. If you are concerned about training a competitive horse - without at least a grass arena then you will have to get to arena hires for the turns and circles part of their education and for jumping.
 
I'm Dun said:
Zero! Give him winters off and pick back up in the spring. It would probably be benefical for him especially as a young horse anyway.
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THIS!!!

I have 3 'at home' so to speak. One is realistically a companion, but all 3 have the winter off as I don't have the time or facilities (or energy) to keep them all going in winter.

My rising 5 year old was back and hacked last summer and when the clocks changed his saddle went away. It came back out about 10 days ago and I'll get on him at the weekend. Even through the summer he will probably get ridden 3 times a week tops. As long as you are realistic about progress it really doesn't hurt and I think down time is good for all of them. I mean if you want to be doing GP dressage by the time he's 7 then you might need to think differently - but for a 'forever' horse giving them time is invaluable.

Traditionally, hunters would have the summer off and the show horses/ponies would have the winter off when I was a child growing up on a multi purpose stud yard. Down time is good for them IMHO.
 
Don't over think it! If you want it to work it, it will. You'll find a way.

Winter is crap no matter what but I'm sure if he's getting a bit of turnout and maybe long reining on weekends around the yard when it's bright and not bad weather it could work.

I have a fella I bought as a rising 5 year old and he's now 8, he gets most winters off due to my work schedule and he's grand with it. He's a warmblood cross so he can get a bit hyper. I try get him out for a little lunge or long rein during weekends and spend time with him during the week grooming and interacting so he has something else to occupy him. I'm lucky in that I have an arena, but a very quiet cul de sac laneway we can wander up and down on the long lines.
I just try keep his feed in line with the reduced work.
 
I personally wouldnt back at the beginning of their 3rd year. I like to leave them to the earliest at the end of the 3rd year, or the spring before they turn 4. But it depends on a lot of things. How mentally ready they are and how big they are.
I sent my 3yo away to be long reined last year around June. Thats the earliest ive ever done anything with a young one, and thats purely because he was so big, i thought a bit of inhand work would do him good. I wouldnt have had anyone on his back until this year.
His sister was in her 4th year, and she was backed and ridden away and then given the winter off, just back into work now ( rising 5) . All very low key as shes approx 17.1 ish. So i dont want her doing too much.

Once backed they tend to get ridden/hacked 2-3 times a week for approx 20mins, rising to 30 mins when they look like they can cope. I certainly wouldnt worry about not doing a lot with a youngster in the early days
 
I wouldn't stress and would focus on hacking then give the winter off out in the field. We backed ours (tall gangly WB) in the summer of his 4th year. He did loads of groundwork, long reining, and walking out round the lanes, was ridden several times in the arena to get steering, then hacked a few times and went back out in the field. He has just come back in after his winter off and will hack and do a bit more in the school. I really don't see the point of trying to keep a just backed 4yo (who should, at that age, be mostly hacking) in work over winter if you work full time.
 
Pink Gorilla said:
I have a rising 3yr old who is booked in to get started under saddle spring of 2027. I have however had a change in circumstances and no longer have him and my other horse at home with me. We are now on livery with no arena. So I'm worrying I may now have to sell my youngster, as I'm not sure I'll have the time to keep him in consistent enough work after breaking due to working full time myself throughout the week and only having hacking available, although there is an arena I can hire down the road. Realistically, what is the minimum a 4yr old warmblood could be ridden per week over the winter? I've always been under the impression they need consistent riding most days, although fairly short sessions. Spring/summer won't be an issue. But it's the lack of daylight and the extra yard jobs in the winter I'm worrying about.When I initially bought him I lived on a farm with my husband and the horses lived at home with me, but that all went pear shaped last year. I bought him as a 5 month old and would be devastated to have to sell him, as he's been so rewarding.
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How longs a piece of string. They are all so different.
 
It won’t hurt them to have the winter off as long as they have a decent amount of turnout . I backed mine at 4, and just did a tiny bit of hacking at the weekends during the winter then did more once the evening were light enough, we only had fields and stables and no arena
 
Lots of interesting replies to this thread and variations. All horses are different. have a rising 3 year old and wasn’t planning on getting him backed until he’s 4. Unfortunately I may have to sell him before then but my plan was to leave him in the field for another year. Have him backed and then turn away for the winter and begin again when he’s rising 5
 
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