| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| TAE |
Posted - 05 Aug 2010 : 9:57:14 PM
Please can I pick your collective and very knowledgable brains.
I have a 3 year old colt that I have recently backed. He is an absolute dream totally chilled about everything to the point that although willing he starts to get bored fairly quickly. Nothing naughty he just starts to daydream and when we stand still he'll almost fall asleep.
I don't want to do too much physically as although mentally more than ready he is slow developing and I don't want to put any stress on his joints untill I'm 100% sure he's finished growing.
So to see/do more I wanted to start walking him out on the road with someone on the ground. As He's the first colt I've owned Here is where I need your advice.
I know to go out in public he needs to wear a bit, but being a colt are there any other rules or regulations I should be aware of when riding him on the road.
Thanks in anticipation
Tara |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Qui Gon Jinn |
Posted - 17 Aug 2010 : 10:45:23 AM
In your pictures he looks quite immature, but in your video much more grown up! He is lovely by the way. 
I started to long reing and lunge Merlyn at 3, but he was way to babyish and immature to do much. Everything was all a game and he had the concentration span of a gnat!!! I left him until he was just over 4 years and then started again. He was better but still a bit silly and very much a baby, so I backed him, established walk, steering and a little bit of trot and then turned him away again. It was a bit annoying as he looked so grown up bodily, but just didn't have it mentally. This year at 5 he is a different boy. Very grown up mentally and is going great guns. He is riding out now, his flat work is coming on well and last night he had his first set of front shoes on, without any bother. He is a great little horse and I love him dearly.
They are all different and you just need to read how they are going and what they are capable of. Even now I get 25 minutes in the School from Merlyn before his brain shuts down! |
| alison |
Posted - 17 Aug 2010 : 10:41:14 AM
He looks stunning what a lovely horse. He looks absolutely fine in the ridden video and has obviously matured well keep up the good work,and bring him on slowly and he will keep gaining in confidence.
Alison  |
| TAE |
Posted - 16 Aug 2010 : 10:29:40 PM
I've now taken my boy for a couple of short walks along the road. As soon as we went out of the gate his head came up that little bit more his ears *****ed up and you could see him thinking, this is different. As soon as I SAID walk on he strode off along the road with a swing in his stride that was almost a swagger. As you can see in the video he's changed quite a bit in the 16 months since the photos were taken. I'm not expecting miracles and only intend to do a few short walks for now, it's mental stimulation he needs not physical exercise.
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| natntaz |
Posted - 16 Aug 2010 : 10:23:30 PM
Looking at the pictures i to would say he could do
with a little more time to mature. I took a boy on
who had done to much to soon and he is only just
starting to come into his own now and he is 7.
Why not turn him away for another winter and let
him grow and fill out more and again see how he
comes back into work in the spring.
I did ride my old gelding at 3. He was very very
well matured and very calm and sensible but full
of energy. But over the following two winters i
never rode him. just left him to mature.
They are all differenct in types and some to mature
quicker.
Good luck he looks to be a lovely boy |
| Fee |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 10:28:42 PM
Don't know if this'll help Tara but I had the same thing with my horse last year, although she was 5, but I did loads and loads of groundwork and prep work around the saddle and rider etc. Then when I got on her she just zoned out and fall asleep. I just let her do this and the most I got was a few steps but I listened to her and left it at that as I didn't want to push her mentally and I'm so glad I didn't.
I've brought her back into ridden this summer and she's just a joy! She's mentally ready for more and I although I don't know for sure I was just thinking today that maybe letting her stand and zone out with me on board gave her a good solid foundation as she's so steady, calm and her first reaction to something scary is to slow or stop (thank goodness!)
Like I say I don't know for sure if that's the case but I'm going to do the same thing with her daughter and let her feel so relaxed she wants to sleep with me on board then when she's ready mentally, push on from that basic and solid foundation.
Phew, sorry that was a bit of a ramble, so IMO it sounds great what you've done so far, keep up the groundwork to keep him ticking over mentally but leave the ridden further education until next year. Hope that helps.
Fee |
| Callisto |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 10:26:54 PM
He's a good looking boy, looking forward to more recent pics |
| Rui |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 10:24:23 PM
I have fixed the pictures.
TAE, pictures are posted with the [img][/img] tags, not with [flash][/flash]. Using flash tags just makes the page get stuck. You can edit your post and see how I did it. |
| LYNDILOU |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 9:38:32 PM
thanks for the pictures , I would say he is still too immature to ride yet , let him grow on a bit more he has a lot of maturing to do , but I am sure he will make a good riding horse soon  |
| TAE |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 8:17:45 PM
Sorry I'm having trouble posting pictures so heres my 2nd attempt.
I'm trying to get some photos from this year from my stepfather an I'll post them when I get them. In the mean time here are some from last year, sorry about the one on It's side, I haven't found out how to turn them around yet
 |
| TAE |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 7:54:08 PM
I don't have any decent pictures from this year, I'm trying to get some off step father at the mo and will post some when I get them. So for now here are some I took last year.
Sorry about the one on it's side I haven't found out how to turn photos around yet. Anyway a little gentle stretching shouldn't hurt too much. |
| LYNDILOU |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 11:25:06 AM
have you got a picture of him ? would love to see him |
| Mrs Vlacq |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 11:11:00 AM
Plenty of high viz clothing for the pair of you when leading him out.
Instead of doing more ridden work, perhaps try boxing him out to lead out / long rein in a new place? the beach? forestry? Or work in company, (from the ground or ridden) for short spells. |
| precious |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 10:21:59 AM
my mare was a very slow to mature, i waited till she was 6 to back and break. And im glad i waited :) |
| BabsR |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 10:18:02 AM
Agree with all the aforesaid...IMO three years old is far too young to be starting under saddle. Your boy has all his life ahead of him....let him grow up and mature in mind and body, particularly skeletally hes just a youngster still
You are clearly very fond of your boy....but feel it would be better to continue with the long in hand walks and re-start him under saddle as a four year old
We never start our Anglos under saddle, until 5yr olds
Babs
www.SunrayAngloArabianStud.co.uk
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| Zan |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 09:22:36 AM
You should listen to your horse and if he is falling asleep when you stand still it is very unlikely that he is bored. It suggests to me that you are doing too much, too soon. Three is very young and there is no way I would be riding a horse that age. Now you have sat on him, great, leave it at that and further his education in other, less stressful ways, so that you can pick up the riding again when he has grown up. |
| TAE |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 09:15:09 AM
Thanks Templars this is exactly the sort of advice I need. Putting ribons in his tail won't be a problem, he loves it when my kids groom and pretty him up. |
| TAE |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 09:10:00 AM
Thanks callisto, for me the insurance is something I wouldn't even keep a horse in the field without, you always have to be prepared for a houdini.
We have done lots of gymkhana type play in the field, which he enjoys, I think this is why several times he's decided to trot off through the bending with me of his own accord, this seems to be one of his favourite things.
Unfortunatelly his field companion turned out to have been beaten up and abused before we got him. he has several specific fears including motorbikes and although he is gaining in confidence my colt would be better leading him at the moment.
It's more the rules and regulations that I'm concerned about as Li is the first colt that I've had. I've backed/ brought on 4 other youngsters before 3 of which stayed with us untill the end of their long happy lives. We're only going to go for very short walks slowly increasing by maybe 5 or 10m at a time. |
| templars |
Posted - 06 Aug 2010 : 09:06:03 AM
A red white and blue ribbon in the tail denotes stallion and it's good manners to have one but not legal unless you are competing at BD, BE or BSJA.
The easiest way to put a ribbon on is to buy three strands of ribbon (one of each colour). Then bunch a group of hairs together and put a plaiting band on and wind it round (4 or 5 times) and loop the ribbon through - it saves making a massive unsightly bunch in the tail and it's also less distracting for a colt knowing there is something weird with his back end.
Have fun with him but like the others say, give him plenty of time to grow up - we don't start backing ours till they are 5 or 6. |
| Callisto |
Posted - 05 Aug 2010 : 11:27:21 PM
Well obviously he should be insured for at least third party, but I'm sure you know that. With our youngster we took him out by leading him from another more experienced horse - that way he was out and about as a 2, 3 and 4 year old, but with no weight on his back until we broke him as a four year old. It's a great way for them to gain experience but with the safety net of an equine nanny - is it possible for you to do something similar? But do bear in mind that youngsters become very tired very suddenly - I have had to lead my boy home on foot on more than one occasion, and he was 5.
We also played alot of gymkhana games with him in the field (on foot), he became very good at it indeed. |
| TAE |
Posted - 05 Aug 2010 : 10:57:59 PM
We've done loads from ground, and he's already seen loads There's a building site on the farm where we are so we've spent lots of time walking round the tracks and watching the JCB's working, even at 10m away digging a hole he's more interested in the grass at his feet. He has also met busses, tractors, cesspit lorries, a cement mixer and a large yacht on a trailer! all of them he's been interested in but not really bothered he's just increadibly chilled out and the sleepiest horse I've known. As a yearling there was a large organised fireworks display just two fields away I went to stay with him incase he got frightened, he watched it for about 5 minutes and then fell asleep and started snoring.
I'f I do ask him to do anything slightly faster he wakes up and loves it but I don't want to do much of this yet.
He's learnt voice commands from a baby and although I'm on him he is working mainly from voice and weight, and by that I mean just a slight twist of head and sholders.
I want to keep introducing him to new things as the more he has to think about the less time he spends winding up his best mate in their field. |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 05 Aug 2010 : 10:28:17 PM
Tara,
Are you sure he's daydreaming and/or bored rather than mentally tired? I ask because when Roger was a youngster, he'd get more mentally than physically tired in new situations! At three years old, your boy is still very young to be doing ridden work, IMO. And (slightly tongue in cheek here), he may well not finish growing until he's 6 or 7 years of age!
If I were in your position I'd want him to see/do more from the ground i.e. leading out confidently/long-reining at his age rather than riding.
Just my opinion!
Caryn |
