CT for a young horse: one discipline at a time?

[lyock]

Let me preface this by saying this may be a stupid question. I also apologize in advance for lacking the talent of getting to the point. :rolleyes:

About two months ago I bought a late-started 5-year-old TB/Han gelding to try and bring him and myself up through the levels (note: we are definitely still in basics-mode). However, I am pretty new to young horses. The horse is currently in jumper training with the trainer I bought him from. I’ve taken him cross country, where he was cool as a cucumber, and I’ve taken a dressage lesson with him. Both instances showed that he has a high affinity for learning.

I will be relocating him from the seller/trainer’s facility in the fall to Ocala, so the search for trainers in the area has begun. However, as I am new to young horses, I am not sure whether to focus on one particular discipline at a time (e.g. jumping for a few months, then dressage for a few months, etc.) or consistently do combined training. My instinct is that the latter option is the right answer but there is some disagreement among my horsey peers, so I wanted to take a straw poll!

TL;DR version: Young horse learning eventing basics. What’s better, focusing on one discipline at a time or giving an all-around education at once?

[goodmorning]

I do what’s convienent & what I think will be the best outing. Generally, that’s not a HT as you don’t really get the practice the multiple dressage tests or o/f classes offered at the discipline specific shows. It is good to put it all together at a HT but if you can get the components worked out first, and then put them together, you are IMO steps ahead. Young horses can really benefit from back to back rounds, or so I’ve found.

[Highflyer]

All around education. You (hopefully) aren’t going to just work on dressage every day or just jump everyday no matter what your focus is. There’s enough time to do both. My horses do a little of everything in the beginning (hunter shows/ trail rides etc) since the goal is just to get them out as much as possible and let them see the world.

[lyock]

Highflyer and goodmorning: I totally agree with both of you. I should probably explain that if I were to do one discipline at a time, it would be in terms of lessons. For example, if I were focusing on dressage with a dressage-only instructor, I would still continue to jump on my own time using what I’ve learned from my jumping training.

The other option – consistently training in every discipline – would mean going with one eventing trainer to teach all 3 disciplines vs. three separate trainers each “specialized” in one particular discipline.

This may seem like an unnecessary question and more of a “do as needed” type situation, but the reason I’m asking is because I would like to board him at a trainer’s facility, so it’s something I need to take into consideration before settling on one.

Hopefully that makes sense!

[JFCeventer]

In your particular scenario, I would find a good eventing trainer if eventing is what you ultimately want to do with this horse. A good event trainer will know what to work on and when, and will also encourage you to go to dressage and jumper shows in addition to horse trials to get your young horse some exposure. I think with a young horse, it is best to work with one trainer so that your horse has some consistency in his program.

[scubed]

I do everything with mine (working with a good event trainer). Sometimes, after the first few horse trials, one will have a month of dressage “boot camp”, but even then we will do hills and hack a fair bit. I think you want to expose them early to what you are hoping they will do. I have over the years had a couple that made it very clear that eventing was not their gig

[kookicat]

Once the basics are established, I tend to do a bit of everything with mine. I’ll do a dressage school, then pop over a few jumps, or school XC and work on dressage out of the school.

[Lady_Eboshi]

Hack to the ring on long reins; do half an hour of flat work. There’s your “dressage.” Leave the ring and hack for a couple of miles over varying terrain, mixing up walk, trot, and a little bit of canter. There’s “Baby XC.” Just showing him the sights . . . pop him over little logs on the trail. Walk him through water and let him splash. Twice a week, at the end of your flat work, jump a couple of stadium fences, or even better, some elementary gymnastic lines (you’ll need a ground-person for this).

Let him experience all 3 phases naturally, as part of one integrated whole that is the sum of the training. Keep it FUN!

[asterix]

I also would vote for a good eventing trainer. In Ocala, however, I would think you could find a situation with access to lots of help. A good eventing trainer will be the best resource for structuring his overall education and more likely to have access to hacking out and schooling xc, which you really want to build in from the start.
For example, my barn is an eventing barn and my main coach is an event coach, but I have great FEI dressage trainers experienced with young horses who either come to my barn every week or to a barn 25 minutes away. Best of both worlds!

[yellowbritches]

You want to event. Go with an event trainer. A good one that is experienced bringing young horses along will be able to guide you through the process of developing them in all three phases and show you how each thing helps the other. They are not mutually exclusive. I also don’t feel that pure dressage or jumper trainers always completely understand the needs of an event horse, especially a young one and tend to focus on different things.

Seeking help from an event trainer doesn’t mean A) you only ever go to horse trials. My young horses have always done a little of everything, because mileage is what’s most important in ANY young sport horse’s education. and B) you can’t take lessons occasionally or go for a little boot camp with a pure dressage or jumper trainer…but having an event trainer you trust will mean they will be able to suggest other trainers who will work well with event horses and their needs.