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Post by knight on Mar 28, 2010 22:27:37 GMT
I am very pleased with the progress of my 3yo and I am wondering whether to turn him away now he is going well on the lunge and in long reins or push on and back him. What are you lot doing with your 3 year olds at the moment?
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Post by nightwish on Mar 29, 2010 8:34:28 GMT
i lunged mine for about a month with roller on, i stopped because of her teeth i think horses should be broken when their teeth have been seen by a vet and arnt causing as much pain mine horse is dreadful at the minute with hers and i dont want to make her head shy or irritiate it some more, so best left while 4 years old. but every horse is different good luck x
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Post by fox111 on Mar 29, 2010 8:37:14 GMT
my spotty 3 yr old is really sensitive so ive started backing her in a headcollar which is fab, she's fine with a sweet iron snaffle but dont see the point in risking hurting her if i dont have too, until she has the hang of turning etc... once established will bit her again and ride away for a while
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kayjayem
Happy to help....a lot
Posts: 10,046
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Post by kayjayem on Mar 29, 2010 9:36:39 GMT
Mine are still playing out and being hill billies and will be for another year. Just started the 4 yr old though.
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Post by vicki1986 on Mar 29, 2010 10:06:52 GMT
Mine is walking out in a bridle, has had a roller and saddle on. Not done any lungeing or long reining as no school. Sending her away in May to be started.
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Post by brt on Mar 29, 2010 10:23:20 GMT
Mine has been long reined and i sat on him bare back last week. Not doing anymore until his teeth are checked as he is pushing a wolf tooth through
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Post by dressagemad on Mar 29, 2010 11:05:50 GMT
Mine rising 3 yr old filly is a late baby. She isn't 3 until the end of July beginning of August so I am not going to do anything with her this year. She is out with her friends as much as she can just concentrating on being a baby. I want her to have a long successful ridden career so don't want to rush things and put any strain on her mentally or physically.
She is a Warmblood and imo take a little longer to mature physically and certainly mentally. All breeds differ and certainly all horses differ. I have been encouraged to lunge her this year but have decided that knowing my horse best she just isn't ready.
She plays in the school with me so she associates this with positive memories for the future and comes for short walks inhand in the local country park which is about 5 mins down our lane but that is it. She needs a bit of life experience but don't want to start her backing process until she is much nearer 4 or even next summer when she is actually 4.
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Post by dancer on Mar 29, 2010 11:46:21 GMT
Mine isn't doing anything this year - he wears a bridle & roller but needs to mature more first before he is expected to do any more.
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Post by nici on Mar 30, 2010 5:04:46 GMT
I have a rising 3yo full up standard Shetland. The girls (both lightweight, age 6 and 9) sat on him the other week - not both at the same time of course! Other than that, we've not done much. He's been bitted and gets handled, led about etc. By the end of the summer I plan to get him used to a saddle and let the girls have a little walk around on him, but we won't do anything serious until next year. I'd prefer to back him properly as a 4yo, he has a serious amount of maturing to do before I'd be happy with him doing any proper work.
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Post by Tandy on Mar 30, 2010 6:49:57 GMT
was sat on bare back in the stable, has had a bridle on and is bitted but thats cause he was also shown, now been turned away till late summer when he will be sent off to a friends for a couple of weeks to get a bit more done with him , then he will be turned away for till next year.
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Post by lexy on Mar 30, 2010 9:30:27 GMT
Don't start 3yr holds until autumn for actual riding. We do in hand work with all the youngsters and make sure they have been on few outings as babies too to shows on hand. If wanted to start earlier with 3yr old would get used to bridle slowly in stable, in hand and then maybe long reining.
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Post by deejay on Mar 30, 2010 11:37:06 GMT
Ours are still in their field, very hairy. They have both been to a few shows as youngsters for education, loading, leading etc but won't be backed until later in the year. We have a four year old out as well. He was backed at the end of last season but due to lack of time, he will have to wait a couple of months before coming in to be finished off.
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Post by Guestless on Mar 30, 2010 13:27:07 GMT
Mine is being sat on (pony walk style - neck strap and no reins) and being taken for short walks. I like to do a bit of playing with them before starting the serious stuff like long reining and lungeing - may get that started next week depending on the weather. I usually leave them a bit later, but this one is really enjoying the little bit of work.
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Post by knight on Mar 30, 2010 15:46:34 GMT
Thank you for all the responses. Like you Guestless my boy is enjoying the work, we go for long walks with ears pricked and a smile! Its lovely. I hopped on him the other day in the stable and he was a darling. I have decided to leave him until late summer as he needs to fill out a bit more and I have just been given another RoR to keep me occupied. Its nice to hear that so many 3 year olds are being left to be babies! I am so used the racing mind set where they stick tack on the one day let them buck it out and then its up the gallops the next day....not always the recipe for a nice riding horse!
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Post by fox111 on Mar 30, 2010 17:16:43 GMT
think its nice to leave the imature babies until four when maturing late, but me three yr old loves to work even if its just playing about bareback or walking in hand she really enjoys it. she will be sent away in may for backing.
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Post by lexy on Mar 31, 2010 16:33:24 GMT
Out of interest, why do people send their ponies away for backing/breaking (if you do) ?
I never quite understand this, especially if you have done the groundwork and know the pony well. It really doesnt need to be a big deal or scarey just a progression on from the ground work.
Lexy
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Post by nightwish on Mar 31, 2010 17:08:02 GMT
i do it myself as i dont trust people as ive been messed around to much, if you have a good bond with your horse there should be no reason why people cant break their own horsed/ponies x
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Post by nici on Apr 1, 2010 14:22:58 GMT
Out of interest, why do people send their ponies away for backing/breaking (if you do) ? I never quite understand this, especially if you have done the groundwork and know the pony well. It really doesnt need to be a big deal or scarey just a progression on from the ground work. Lexy I sent Sammy (standard Shetland) to a friend for backing last year because I am too heavy for him and I wanted him to be started by a lightweight adult rather than by the kids. I will do the same with his baby brother Teddy next year when he's 4, but the kids will have sat on him for walkies before then. My daughter backed one of our little mini Shets, when both of them were 3, however she was always destined to be a LR pony, so the groundwork, which I could do, was more important.
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Post by eskvalleystud on Apr 1, 2010 23:01:18 GMT
my now 4 year old (its his birthday today - the fool) did a little lunge work late autumn last year but that was it, he was/is still filling out into his frame so a little was enough, it all depends on physical and/or mental maturity but i tend to leave the Welsh til 4 and then go slowly
I used to break mine as they trusted me having done the groundwork but now send them away as I do not have the time to do them with a child in tow and I also do not bounce as well now and even the best youngster working well on the ground can still do something for you to hit the decks
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Post by lexy on Apr 3, 2010 8:39:13 GMT
Can understand with the little ones destined to be childs pony. But if something you going to ride yourself as adult then think I would always prefer to do them myself.
Personally I don't believe there is any greater risk of falling off during breaking than any time riding a horse. And find the bond and relationship formed if you have done from day 1 is very special.
Lexy
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Post by eskvalleystud on Apr 3, 2010 9:17:56 GMT
I do understand that there is probably no greater risk breaking them in than riding established horses, I have had far more near misses riding established ones when I worked at a dealers/show jumping yard as you are dealing with horses that may of had not so pleasant experiences and stresses during time being ridden
however I used to only have myself to break them in, most of the time it was no problem but occasionally extra help would of been great espcially when one went really well on one rein but errupted with me when we changed rein and he caught me in his vision, he freaked out and went into rodeo pony style with me hitting the deck head first, I had a great relationship with him and had spent alot of time long reining etc but still they can react in this way, so for this reason and a daughter to think about even though I have a great bond with them I can send them to someone whom I totally trust to do a really good job with them, some can also buck like stink getting used to a rider on board even though all the good ground work and times been put in and they trust you
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Post by lexy on Apr 3, 2010 10:01:30 GMT
Sorry, please don't think I was in any way criticising! Just curious as from since I have been old enough to make my own decisions about such things have done my own. But everyone has their own way of doing things and reasons, and just interested to hear why.
I think combination of both luck and also having good feel about and being very picky on temperament of youngster I buy/break, I have never had any serious problems (touch wood!).
Also I do lots of groundwork with them and build relationship slowly. Of course still risks though, agree!
Lexy
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Post by kerryo on Apr 4, 2010 20:00:41 GMT
I have a just turned 3 year old, he is a TB/Sec D standing at 16hh so we have been doing work with him since he was 2, we started with the long reining, which he loved, especially going out on a walk, we was also free lunging and lunging with a roller then gradually lunged with the saddle. He turns 3 on 15th April and i have now backed him and have just started walking round with him on my own. I think the more things you can do to keep them busy is better for them, keeping there minds going. It also gives you a great relationship /bond with your horse. Some people back them then turn them away for a year or 6 months, i suppose it all depends on what your horse is like and what you would like to do.
Hope everything goes ok with your youngster.
Kerry
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Post by Kaori on Apr 4, 2010 23:27:36 GMT
Mines been sat on, he had tack on and was lunged last year, then I left him out to just grow. Backing him this summer but I'm only keeping him in light hacking/schooling through the winter, oh the joy of having your lift's car get stuck in the drive because of ice >=/ Will be getting him out to shows for educational purposes only. Just sticking to basics and loose jumping this year then will finish him off next year ready to compete.
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sinead
Junior Member
Posts: 109
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Post by sinead on Apr 4, 2010 23:38:25 GMT
mine was kept enire and previous owners bitted and showed him as a 2yro took him to 2 county shows where he won his classes and then was kept in stable as a stallion and neversaw another horse or went out to grass til he was 3 when i bought him. he was turned out for 3 weeks before he became too much to handle and i had to break him. Didnt get long reining only got cross so we mastered lunging and by day 4 he was tacked up and being ridden. He then had 1 month of schooling and being ridden on then had 3 weeks off and has been slowly bought back to being hacked 3x a week for a hour at a time and schooled 3x a week for 30 mins at a time. my boy loves the work and becomes naughty/nasty if i let his work load drop below 5x a week. we are aiming for some unaff dressage and sj at end of this year just to get him out for experience of the scary stuff!
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