what do you do with your 3 year olds?

[greencoulghstud]

just seen a video of someone jumping a full course on a 3 year old whos been broken 2 months... the horse wouldnt go over a single jump and didnt look at all happy! i think its to much for a pony whos only been broken 2 months ! Shouldnt they just be happy hacking if that at that age! ?

[lilliella1]

Mine get to be babies and live in a field 24/7 365 (handled everyday) untill broken just before their 4th Birthday. I rareley show inhand as babies (i have some cracking 3yr olds at the moment who would do very well in hand). I feel they spend such a long time being ridden it is nice for them to be babies as long as possible:-) x

[nici]

Mine is still 2, but will do very little until he is 4. I prefer to let babies be babies - he has a long life ahead of him as a grown up pony, so he can enjoy his childhood for now!

[Deleted]

Mine will be 3 next year. She has only been to 2 inhand shows and one grading in her life. I try as much as possible to let her just be "ferrel" although she is in at night, as I dont have the grazing for 24/7 turnout. She wears no rugs and isnt cossetted.
When she is 3, she will be showing in hand about once a month, just to acclimatise her to the show environment. She will be longreined, lunged and lightly backed and then back to "ferrel" until she turns 4. Slowly slowly - no rush - no pressure - she is a warmblood and they tend to mature around 8 years, so really musnt be pushed too much too soon.

[bethanyy]

You get some plonkers in the horse world, nothing surprises me these days...

[sometime]

A bit of in hand showing and maybe a bit of longreining round the roads

[Deleted]

Inhand showing and walks inhand down the roads. A brush now and again didn't go a miss lol

[prettyreckless]

mine has lived out from 6 months old with his freinds and left to be a pony.. i lightly backed him about 2 months ago and he gets ridden maybe twice a week if hes unlucky lol...

i cant understand how or why anyone would push them so much..

[NeverSayNever]

I have a three year old TB coming four which I am starting her education. However she is three is march so she's an early foal. I will be doing short hacks, dressage schooling and a bit of jumping at a later date.

I have nothing against people schooling horses young if the horses are mature and kept well. I am against people who go from 0 - 100 and expect horses to be grand prix horses in a month. Plenty of good horses gets ruined that way.

[carrie17491]

I have a rising 4 year old that jumps. (Shoot me down I don't care - she loves it) and she will be goin out jumping small courses next season. I broke her in the spring and gave her all summer off and she's now back into light work and loves it. I would never force her to jump, that's cruel. But she will be out jumping next year but not every single weekend of course. The day she starts to refuse will be the day she will never be asked to jump again.

I believe everyone has their own ways of doing things and start educaction at different ages, each to their own. She's happy in her work so I'm happy to continue

[EJM]

my 3 year old did about four weeks of longreining every other day ending with me sitting on her and a walk round happy little girl so thats her turned away she lives out anyway with my older ones so will start her again next summer

[piaffe]

My boy will be 4 in April. At the moment he is just playing out. I try to walk him out on the road once a week . He has done one club show in hand. Other than that he is out in the field all day and in at night. Plenty of grooming and playing but that's it. Next year We will back him and see how he goes with the aim to do some club dressage in 2014.
I have recently fallen out with a friend for backing her 23 month old horse, why buy a baby if you are so desperate to ride