Fugly stage at 2 3/4 years old? Tell me that this too shall pass!

adelmo95 · August 26, 2020, 4:15pm

I don’t have any good “ugly stage” pics of my guy as I tried to avoid having records of those phases but I can tell you he grew and changed a lot during his 3 year old year.

Here is a video taken in April: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh9b8nB72eY

Here is a video taken in July: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152578373699406&set=vb.501539405&type=3&theater

red_mares · August 26, 2020, 4:15pm

I need to see if I can find my mare’s ‘baby’ pictures. Woof. She could trot, but she was a giraffe until about age 4:little head, long straight neck, short back, long legs. Her breeder no-saled her at $800 when she was 2. She looked kind of OK moving, but standing still was not a good picture. A couple trainers saw her & weren’t impressed to put it mildly. One suggested HUS Not the best trainer.:lol:

This is the big girl at 8:http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p585/redmares/red10_zpsykpfhppx.jpg http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p585/redmares/red7_zpswxissdt9.jpg

She still looks better moving. She’s bred now. I am not expecting a futurity winner.

ayrabz · August 26, 2020, 4:15pm

This thread has me hopeful as well !!! BTDT, my filly is going to be 2 in July, and I am horrified her neck has disappeared. HUGE head…very downhill and butt high. Your progressive videos made me really cheer up!!

Beentheredonethat · August 26, 2020, 4:16pm

I know! Do a still of mine at the 1 year 7 months. It IS horrifying. That head doesn’t even look like it is the same horse, and NO neck. She is stunning today. I would never be able to look at a horse at that age and decide to buy.

sid · August 26, 2020, 4:17pm

My 5 month old, GOV registered, Argosy colt placed 2nd at the prestigious Warrenton Horse Show in the non-TB class against some of the most reknowned hunter breeders out of a class of about 20 foals. Ooh la la.

By the time he was two, I wanted to hide him behind the trees so no one could see him. :lol: He was a gangly, goofy looking thing until he was about 3 1/2.

In the end, he turned out to just a superlative creature (gelded of course) and incredible athlete to boot.

Hang in. Yes, “this too shall pass.”

Dr_Doolittle · August 26, 2020, 4:17pm

As soon as my daughter comes home from college in May (she has been the official photographer, and has MOST of the Ella pics on her PC–from birth to last fall–she has taken hundreds! ), I’ll get her to come out to the barn with me and take an updated “almost 3 years old” pic.

At that point, I can take some representative shots of her through the years (as well as the most recent pic), download these pics to a Photobucket account–and share the link when I update this thread

Maybe it won’t be as bad as I think! :eek:

Kimchi · August 26, 2020, 4:23pm

My mare was a fairly late bloomer and as my friend kindly said was the ugly duckling. she was gawky and awkward looking through her 3 year old year and then I sent her off to be backed when she was 4 and she came back a beautiful swan. So don’t worry yet some of them just take a little longer.

Elles · August 26, 2020, 4:26pm

I have one who just turned three looking like a fugly two year old.
Wondering if it is okay to start such a horse under sadle already with so much growth / development still to wait for?

JB · August 26, 2020, 4:26pm

Elles, it really depends on how balanced they are in their own body. They can still look young, but they can also be balanced. Or not.

It also depends on what you mean by “start”. Rider on and walking around? Not a problem, assuming they are relatively balanced. It’s not uncommon for someone to start a balanced 3yo who still looks young, then to give them a few months off because they get into a growth spurt that makes it hard for them to walk a straight line on their own, much less with a rider on.

If he looks proportionate, but walks around like he’s still figuring out where his legs go, then no work.

Elles · August 26, 2020, 4:27pm

JB · August 26, 2020, 4:27pm

the links aren’t working for me That said, some other links didn’t work for me either (different thread) until they were quoted by someone, so wth?

Elles · August 26, 2020, 4:27pm

I am sorry but I do not know what to do to make them visible. All pictures in that photo album should be public.

JB · August 26, 2020, 4:27pm

JB · August 26, 2020, 4:27pm

And now they work! Go figure.

He looks good! I’d just play it by ear. He may well have a lot of growing left to do, but he looks fairly balanced now. If he looks like he’s in full control of his body out playing in the field I see no reason he can’t start light work, ground driving, learning how to lunge, etc. He could be backed later in the Summer to put 30 days of light riding on (like maybe a ground driving day, 3 ridden days for 20 minutes or so), then get the Fall and Winter off again.

If he starts feeling like he’s going to trip over his own feet, given him a month off and let him catch up.

Crazyponyy · August 26, 2020, 4:28pm

I have been blessed with a mare that has not had a fugly stage… yet! I have had her since her 1st birthday. I have always given her the best food hay and the perfect amount of stimulation and work that i hope i kept the ugly duckling at bay! she will be three in two weeks… yay for a birthday! She is a friesian Arabian cross. She has been backed and currently working on not over thinking and taking a step back to evaluate what is happening, but she is quick learner! I just cant wait for her to fill out and not look so much like her mamma, as she was the petite Arabian

Elles · August 26, 2020, 4:28pm

Thank you JB for your opinion. He is in control of his body but stil has quite a bit of growing to do, I am certain of that. So we definitely have to play it by ear. He is not the only one in the barn looking immature still at three years of age. And there are a lot of young horses there. Yesterday I took the time to compare my guy with the other young horses his age and a lot of them still have a (very) short back.

Dr_Doolittle · August 26, 2020, 4:28pm

Elles–can you please send some of that “short back syndrome” MY way? :winkgrin: My girl is a train. Lucky for her that she’s so pretty and has such a nice neck and head! I dread having to put her together (eventually) U/S, though she is pretty naturally balanced (from my observations) and has a good engine that can lift her “bow” out of the water when she puts on a little burst of impulsion. Recent “disappearance” of neck and engine notwithstanding… Needless to say, there will be NO large and heavy riders getting on my girl (I’m small, luckily), and I will try to be careful about saddle fit and workload. I’m already working with her on little core strengthening exercises (backing up small hills, pole work, proprioception work, bending, TTEAM exercises, ALL at walk), and doing belly lifts.

Your boy is very substantial! If he’s getting out of his own way when you watch him in the field–as JB said–no reason you can’t start “starting” him. My filly has so far only been longed at the walk (walk and halt), though I did get her to trot in the round pen. I have ground-driven her but not in awhile–I need to go back to that and do a bit more of it, since I plan to gently start her U/S later in the year, probably late summer/early autumn. I feel like she and I are way behind many other coming 3 year olds in that she’s not traveled off property yet, not been longed at w/t/c, not been ponied, etc. She has had a saddle on (and a surcingle), and couldn’t care less, but I have just recently begun to seriously work on getting her to stand in cross ties, and have mostly been working on leading manners and very basic fundamental stuff–with which she is now reliably very, very good. Our partnership (and her trust in me, and in my leadership) has greatly benefited from all of this work on basics, but it often feels like we’re moving at a glacial pace compared to many others :sigh: However, I’m doing what I can, being somewhat hamstrung by an 80 mile round-trip to the barn, family and work responsibilities, and a bad back that I am continually working on maintaining; its own P/T job!

It really is nice to know that I’m not alone ;), and thank you to everyone for your input and reassurance! Keep it coming.

Elles · August 26, 2020, 4:30pm

Dr. Doolittle, would you exchange the “short back syndrome” for a little bit of “train syndrome” :lol:?

Dr_Doolittle · August 26, 2020, 4:31pm

[QUOTE=Elles;8094322]
Dr. Doolittle, would you exchange the “short back syndrome” for a little bit of “train syndrome” :lol:?[/QUOTE]

Ha! Well, there are advantages and disadvantages to both of those conformation extremes…Both the “trains” and the compact, short-coupled horses I’ve ridden have been capable of doing their jobs–back length notwithstanding.

Two of the best jumpers I ever sat on were on the opposite bell curve extreme of back length: one was a Saddlebred/TB I had as a teenager (Pony Clubbed him, evented him to Prelim and did jumpers with him, he “stepped” over everything, but was a flat jumper; you didn’t even feel much of a jumping effort over 5 feet!), and the other was a little 15.1 Appy who was like a rubber ball–VERY compact fellow, but with springs for legs and a very elastic body, he effortlessly boinged over big oxers and you could package his stride by just thinking about it No one would have guessed how athletic he was by looking at him.

As long as there is a neck in front of you and a shoulder under it (which your boy has), be happy At least you will have an easier time teaching straightness!

Zu_Zu · August 26, 2020, 4:31pm

An easy peasy fix here Dr. D ~~~~ read on ```

Dr.D ~ an easy peasy ‘fix’ here !

Just send dear [B]ELLA to me !!!

[/B]

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