Guidance much appreciated with 2yr 7month filly

[vivaladiva]

Hi everyone,
im new to horse gossip so please be nice

I bought my filly in May when she was 2yrs 3 months (she was a early foal born in January!)
She is very well built for a 2 year old .. in fact she is like a tank!! She had never had anything done with her and would not stand still, lead in a headcollar, pick her feet up ... in fact looking back i wonder what i was thinking.

Now ... she accepts the bit, is getting placed at lots of local shows inhand as she has gorgeous movement. I hack her out inhand and have been to the beach and delemere forest with her a few times and she is superb. For me, she is a dream. Although she doesnt seem to like other people leading her and needs to gain their trust first.

Everybody has an opinion on what i should be doing with her, the vet checked her over and said she is wel built enough to start doing work with and that i should start to lunge he. She is doing very well with voice commands and does walk/trot/canter (although we limit amount of canter at the moment).

People are saying i should start leaning over etc and getting her used to the weight on her back now? Any guidanceon what other people have done with their 2/3 yr olds would be gratefully appreciated!!

xx

[bethanyy]

If you are new to HG bear in mind there will be many different opinions in response to your thread and people do treat their youngsters in different ways

IMO I usually start to long rein/lunge as a 2 and a half year old to 3 years old (depending on their maturity) and as long as you have a light jockey I don't see why it would do her any harm to be leant over now, especially if the vet recommends it. Obviously don't push her too much or work her for too long, although she may be physically mature to start work she may not be mentally mature so too much too early could blow her brains...

But I don't see why she can't start now, just bear in mind she is still a baby and ensure she is still treated in that way, even though she is a 'big baby'

Good luck xx

[vivaladiva]

One of the ladies on the yard has offered her 14 yr old daughter who is only 5ft and about 7 stone if that to lean across as she is currently backing her 3 yr old freshian too.

Work seems to do this little lady the world of good as since she has started being worked she has settled down really well ... she really is a true section D with lots of fizz and feistiness ha!

Thanks for your reply

[elmere]

I back mine when they are 3.5 so I would be waiting until next summer or at least spring, there really is no rush, they will be more accepting to work the older they are. If you want to do something I would long rein, I don't like the sound of your vet advising to lunge a 2 yr old, he should know better!!

[B_31]

I agree with bethanyy ..... i plan to start backing my 2.5 year old (when she is 2.5)! i believe (or lead to) it knocks the attitude out of them before they start and become too big to handle.

[sageandonion]

I do not think you should lunge your baby at just over 2 years or lean over her, very surprised a vet would advise that. Maybe pop a roller on and a little cushion whilst leading. You could have an IH representative come in and give you in hand tips to prepare your horse for when the time is right to back, that would be interesting.

Personally I would be working on education with regard to manners and respect (both ways) and I am pretty horrified that others 'like to knock the attitude out of them'. If horses are trained correctly in hand, then they have no attitude, that tends to be human attitude.

[hedgehopper]

Sorry,but would not dream of lunging or leaning over a youngster until at least 3. Agree with longreining and walking out in hand etc,plenty you can do with learning manners and respect at this stage,especially with a d! You will never'knock' the attitude out of welsh either!

[Deleted]

I wouldn't lunge a baby at all - it puts tremendous strain on young joints. Personally I wouldn't do anymore than you are doing, I like to leave mine as long as I can, they do the basics, tying up with a headcoller on, feet handled for farrier, other than that they are left to be babies, they learn a lot from their siblings and herd pals. If you over handle - you get nibbling, biteing, sulking attitude.
I would start to long rein at around 3.5 yrs

[sarahp]

I wouldn't lunge either, and mine do much as Jane Moore's do at that age. As for leaning over - I do do all sorts of stupid things and with my little Welsh As I would most likely have stood at their side, leaned over with my still feet on the ground and patted the other side, but i don' think that's what you had in mind! Mine are normally backed at 3 1/2 or so.

In my experience of breeding Welsh Ds for over 30 years if you try to "knock the attitude out of them" they will either refuse their co-operation from then on, or be frightened to death which doesn't help either. My aim is to get them to regard me as their herd leader - trust, obedience and respect. I don't over handle mine, but am wondering how I will fare with the one that has had to be dosed twice a day for the last 6 weeks and ongoing, so is now very tame indeed although not yet taking any liberties.

[Deleted]

Everyone will have their own opinions at the end of the day its not their horse. You have had two replies of two people on here that I respect their advise very much and they have both said don't do it. I wouldn't either. I've sent my just 4 year old away in march for schooling after I backed him myself. He did minimal lunging while there non with me. I longreined him all over the place while he was younger but never dreamed of lunging or leaning over and getting on till he was rising 4. There is no rush to do anything with a baby you can't do ridden showing til she I'd 4, you sound like your enjoying doing what you are doing with her. Don't spoil her due to people having opinions and believe me vets are not always right. Let her be a baby start leaning over her next year. It files by, its september tomorrow you don't have years to wait. Give her her 3 and a half years as she might go on to give you 20 odd years of ridden work I think she deserves childhood.

[fanfarefan]

lunginging is a very strenuous activity for a horse ,and at 2 1/2 yrs the bones and joints arent mature enough to take the strain,leave her to be a baby for a while longer, and becertain that she is upto to work

[sometime]

I dont back mine until they are least 4 by birthday but usually 4 and a half they are big chunky highland ponies but they take time to mature the chunkier the pony in general the longer they need to grow into their skeleton the bones are too soft in spite of how big a burly they look and dont harden off or get set into their joints until they are rising 6 that is every horse not just highlands so as little and as late as possible in my view with only proper work starting at late 5. Also babies are changing their teeth at 2-4 so may become uncomfortable in their mouths. What is the rush you will have up to 40 years of pleasure from your pony why ruin it for a few months. Turn her away let her be a baby and start her properly when she is 4 or 5 or if you must a late 3 year old

[wilbs]

I would just continue as you are - don't rush to back her or lunge her. Fillies in particular are easy put off and since she already does not trust others she is obviously a touch sensitive but has built up her confidence in you. It's easy to forget when they are big strong 2 year olds that their minds are still developing. Just be patient.

[nici]

I have a Welsh C a few months younger than your pony. He came home yesterday having spent the summer on lawnmowing duties for a friend. I restarted his education today with some leading practice in the paddock. Over the next month or so I plan to do more leading as he's forgotten a lot of his manners. We'll also take him into the jumping paddock and introduce him to obstacle courses - not big jumps, no more than raised trotting poles, but just getting him used to different objects. He'll then be turned away for winter. In the Spring we'll do more serious leading practice, with a view to getting him out to his first show or two inhand sometime next season. Then in the autumn next year his jockey (my daughter, who will be rising 10 ;D) will probably have a sit on him.

Real work will start the following Spring, when he will be 4 years old, unless he doesn't look physically ready, in which case we'll wait a while. I'm hoping he'll be Cerys's pony for life, so we're prepared to wait as long as it takes until he's ready.

[vivaladiva]

Thanks so much for your advice guys, im lucky enough to have a 7 year old section D gelding also so its not like i am missing out on riding by having this lovely little lady as i can ride him. With the winter fast approaching (sorry, did we even have a summer) i think i may just make the most of being able to get her off the yard out to places for the day inhand and then once winter is over begin her school work with lunging etc ... il try and upload a pic but not quite sure how to do it! eek!

[clifton]

i have a two and a half year old, we have just started walking her out for walks a couple of times a week and she loves it, she is very well built but i need to build her up even more as she had a few episodes of locking stifle so walking up hills is needed to help. i like to back my youngsters without a saddle at that age with a light weight rider as it makes it easier for them to accept when i do break them as they usually take it in their stride before they get full of themself.