Yes unfortunately I am limited with turn out and he needs to get some leg stretching daily. I will try and do more daily but short period of time, like 30mins a day on hacks, and some days loose in the arena to have a free run.
I would keep the sessions short at this age…their attention span is not very long and you want to keep everything fun and positive. 20 mins 3-4 days a week is great, maybe 5 days a week with the limited turnout. I’m also happy to have my youngsters work really well for even shorter periods of time…if they do everything perfectly in 10 mins, sometimes that’s all they have to do.
Not trying to hijack, but wanted to relate a situation that I witnessed about a year ago. I was at a two day clinic in the middle of summer with temps in the 90s. There was a young girl, about 13-14 who had her 3 year old Tenn. walker with her. This girl rode this poor horse in the very hot weather from morning until night. She’d start out before the clinic with lunging. Then rode in the clinic, after which there was a trail ride for a few hours. then back to the arena after the clinic where she was trotting and cantering the entire time. Effectively riding the horse into the ground. I wondered if that horse held up or collapsed or broke down from exhaustion.
Personally, I don’t start any serious work with my youngsters until they are well into their 3 year old year. Mostly easy trail rides and short sessions in the arena.
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What about ground work? My trainer works with horses on the ground regularly. They’re on a lunge, but not circling really as he’s more working them on the rail like a long line. Hard to explain, but common in dressage. Softening and learning about pressure and contact doesn’t just have to be from his back, or in little circles!
I am far too ADD to ground work, so I’d have to pay someone else or it just wouldn’t get done, but it’s a thought!
I have a 3.5YO OLD gelding. I backed him this summer and got him going. I ride him 3 days/wk, Sat, Sun, and Wed. That seems to really work for him. We do a little lunge to start, mostly walk/trot under saddle; we just started cantering a few weeks ago. Just a few transitions, and maybe once around my ring at the canter, then we go for a little walk around the property. He’s a bit like an octopus on roller skates at the canter! I also do lots of pole work with him at the WT during the course of the ride. He’s going to jump someday, and I want it to be NBD! He’s also pretty big, so I’m really wanting to keep things simple but interesting for him.
If I pull him out, and he’s just not “feeling” it that day, I’ve just taken him for a tack walk to my neighbors barn- work his brain and not his body. They’re ropers, have cattle, and lots to look at at their place!
@DoubleDown he is 3.5 now and will start to ride him 3 times a week for 20mins per session, a mix of hacks and some arena w/t.
I do also long rein and we sometimes do that when the arena is not fully populated.
