Trials and Tribulations of training the 4 year old!!!

[QUOTE=IPEsq;8776220]

I just put a stick on my just turned 6 year old. His sales ad from when he was 4 said he was 16.2. This morning, he measured 17.1. :eek:[/QUOTE]

I hope this is true of my filly! She has been hovering around 16hh for the summer. I would REALLY like her to grow an inch, two would be fantastic. I’m 5’8" with longish legs so would really look much better on a taller horse! Otherwise she’s doing great! I rode her for the first time this June and she’s been (knock on wood) super easy. Yay for babies!

Can I join this conversation? Don’t post much on h/j because it has been years since I’ve been in the jumper ring, but in trying to decide what my 4yo will like, it looks like some jumping will be in our future!

I started her back in October (at 3.5), put a few rides on her and then gave her a couple months off. Started her up again early this year (turned 4 in June) and have been having a blast.

Mostly we have done just basic flat work and light trail riding. Just last week, though, I decided to see how she felt about jumping. She seems to love it and took to it quite naturally. No wiggling, spooking, stalling out, being a looky-loo, or going any which way other than happily forward right down the center to the jump. Granted, we just did one cross rail! :lol: Made a bigger cross rail on Saturday and jumped that most awesomely and had a nice forward canter away. Now to see about putting two jumps together at an unrelated distance (I jump her out in my trails because for now forward is so much easier outside than in the arena) where I can trot the jump, canter away, come back to a trot and find another jump.

So far I’ve done it on my own, but I’m excited to find a trainer to work with for some jumping lessons for us. :yes:

We went on a field trip to a local show. This was his 2nd horse show ever. It’s been over a year since the last one because of injury layup. I just wanted him to hang out and maybe hack around. There was a lot of squealing (not very loud, he just gives a short warning YEEE before he tosses his head and then tries to levitate). There was some flinging of the front legs into the air and some temper tantrums. He lost his marbles for a second when a horse was jumping at us in the warmup (not really “at” us, but towards where we were going with plenty of room to pass) and that horse had a hard rub on the jump. Then, he became beating quiet just trying to get him to trot. Didn’t want to canter, but that’s an issue we are having at home too right now, so I didn’t push it. He hand walked everywhere like a champ, but I get on to walk back to the far away arenas (where he had just hand walked with his head down, relaxed), and HE WAS ALL ALONE and couldn’t deal.

On the up side, the bikes, water truck, tractors, golf carts, loud speakers, dogs, etc. were much less exciting than they used to be. I’m exhausted!

Bumping this back up to say that Pony and I had our first jumping lesson today and I had all the fun in the world that ever and even exists! Trainer is someone who helped me last summer/fall before I had to take may steps back because of an injury. Now that I’m feeling better, and boosted by my fun over the past couple weeks of trying out a couple cross rails at home on my own, I thought it was time for an actual lesson again. It has been YEARS since I’ve had a jumping lesson.

OMG, I had so much fun! Pony was perfect! The lesson was perfectly progressive for a first lesson - starting over trot poles, then “jumping” a pile of poles at the trot, then cantering a pile of poles, then putting together a little course of a pile of poles, then one cross rail, then another one, then the little course of cross rails. I didn’t realize how much I missed jumping! And Perfect Princess Fancy Pants Pony was so good, I really think that she loves jumping!

Looking forward to regular lessons and some schooling shows next year! :D:D:D

I had a few shows lined up to do with my 4yo this month and then her butt shot up again… She always gets a little sulky when she’s butt high but man I was watching her on a lunge line and her hind end is freaking bulldozing her front end lol she’s sound but she looks so awkward… Just gonna take it easy for a month and bag the showing. Sad I won’t be showing because she’s actually gotten really nice to flat and she’s always been easy about the jumps but I don’t want to push her too hard. Teaching her to ride with a neck rope lol so I may just walk her every day for a month and play around with that. Luckily she’s very quiet and never spooks :stuck_out_tongue:

This was 2 weeks ago and she’s even more butt high now :eek: lol she got a little fat too
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJS4gyWDLPt/?taken-by=ponyzardx

Well I just got a new 3yo, and right now I am in heaven with her. Learning everything insanely quickly, and just so willing. I am even doing my trot work without stirrups on her (says how quiet she is). Hoping this continues through next year, but know it likely won’t. She is going to the trainer this winter.

Question for you all. Have you done the string test, and if so, how accurate is it? I did it on her going from the ergots to elbow, then swinging it up following the curve of her body. It says she will grow another 1 1/2 to 2" ?!? That will put this appendix qh at 16.3hh or a bit over. Never thought she had that much growing left, but all the foals out of her dam have been 16.3’’ to 17.1hh, so not out of the realm of possibilities. Different sire though.

Boy, my girl does not like to back. She gets fussy and I just wait her out. Each time the fussy part gets shorter. We have a lot of muscle to build as it takes very little work to get her winded. So right now, just back to w-t transitions. I think some trotting poles may be in her future. Went from a running martingale to a long standing and she is much happier. She is starting to drop and flex her head when she turns. Turning so much better after two months off and dental work. I think she may have finally evened out on her height.

This is neither a trial or a tribulation, but good news is good to hear too:

I’m pretty much over the moon with my 3 year old right now (and generally). He says yes to everything, as soon as he understands, which is usually pretty darn fast. Nothing phases him. We were out hacking today alone and came upon a great blue heron, who took off. He didn’t bat an eye. I hope he stays he sweet, wonderful, willing, self forever! Or at least if he doesn’t, I hope he just has a case of the 5 year old attitude and then goes back to being his lovely self. Fingers crossed!

Yay! I have something to brag about. We had the first damp, chilly day yesterday, and the horses did not get turned out so they wouldn’t tear up the already stressed pastures. Ok, fine.

My horse is out of work this week under vet’s orders because we just injected some facet joints in his neck. So, I take him to the indoor for a hand walk. A couple others were in there trying to do the same but snorting and spooking and dancing around :rolleyes:

Baby boy kept himself together and was calm and obedient. A couple tosses of the head but no airs above the ground, no scooting, no spooking. He wasn’t walking ahead or dragging behind. Considering how he was not too long ago dealing with a layup, this was a very grown up moment for him. I was so proud! :smiley:

You deserve to be proud, IPEsq! :slight_smile: Awesome.

(My four-year-old TB was bucking instead of cantering with me my last ride. Boo. Naughty boy.)

Question for you all. Have you done the string test, and if so, how accurate is it? I did it on her going from the ergots to elbow, then swinging it up following the curve of her body. It says she will grow another 1 1/2 to 2" ?!? That will put this appendix qh at 16.3hh or a bit over. Never thought she had that much growing left, but all the foals out of her dam have been 16.3’’ to 17.1hh, so not out of the realm of possibilities. Different sire though.

I haven’t done the string test, but I did get my appendix at 3 years old. He was 16.1 when I got him and grew till he was about 7. He’s a hair under 17h now. His sire seems to throw big babies. I’ve seen some 17.2 and there’s an 18h one standing at stud. So you may end up with a 16.3 appendix :slight_smile:

I’ll rejoin the party. My 3 yr old has had over 2 months off due to me breaking my leg. I had him w/, and a little canter, going like a champ! Starting him back slowly, doing groundwork and lunging. Introduced loopy side reins. Did great! Thought I would get to ride the other day when it was cool and cloudy. My saint of a 3 yr old was either loping on the lunge line, or bolting and levitating. It was bizarre! Hoping it was a freak thing lol

[QUOTE=King Creole;8847185]
I haven’t done the string test, but I did get my appendix at 3 years old. He was 16.1 when I got him and grew till he was about 7. He’s a hair under 17h now. His sire seems to throw big babies. I’ve seen some 17.2 and there’s an 18h one standing at stud. So you may end up with a 16.3 appendix :)[/QUOTE]

Oh man, this makes me so happy! 7! I got my boy as a long yearling, and he was just under 14.1. He’s pushing 15.3 now, at 4 1/2, but almost his ENTIRE family is way over 16 hands. He strings to 16.2, but… we aren’t there yet. Maybe when he’s 7!

To answer sandsarita’s question, I think the string test is fairly accurate, specifically the one that measures from the knee to the coronet band. I measured like half the horses in my barn to test it, and they all came out within an inch of the “projected” height!

I’ve been having some issues with leading. Mostly, just coming in early from turn-out to ride. Leading to and from the arena, back to turnout, etc. are all fine. He tries a lot of tricks. I’m actually looking into a NH-type person to help me with this. In the meantime, today, he decided to passage and capriole his way to the barn when I kept insisting that he must go. Which, I was happy to let him do so long as his body was moving toward the barn and not backwards. No way was I going to pull him up. That was sure a lot more effort than walking, though.

We just went through another treatment for his neck arthritis, and he is still a little muscle sore feeling from the injections but is already starting to feel better. Which means the half halt has gone out the window, and transitions up or down take quite a bit of discussion. Of course, you must first be able to halt and go in order to half halt. Sigh. So, back we go to remedial flatwork 101 for the third time now… :sigh:

I just entered my 4 y/o in her “first” show this weekend! Luckily it’s a dressage show that is held at the public equestrian park that she is boarded at (and I ride in the dressage courts often). Just doing Intro B (walk/trot) and Intro C (walk/trot/half circle canter). I also am taking a lesson with the judge on Saturday before the show (it will be only the second lesson I’ve had on her). :smiley:

Mine is leaving for a few months of training. I just don’t have the time to make him any better than he is right now, I ride (often/well) enough to keep a horse trained but I’m finding I don’t have the time to push something forward. (And since I’m pretty much a beginner over fences, I definitely don’t have the ability there either!)

He’s going to practice fox hunting (and not bucking) and jumping scary things (and not having to stop and snort and sniff them before jumping).

Starting to worry he might not stay a pony… he’s exactly 14.2 right now (and 5, not 4) but he seems to be filling out like crazy. I know some horses get an inch or two at 5-6 and that would SUCK. He’d be much easier if I have to sell him as a pony than a hony! If it ever comes to it. He’s not for sale now, unless I get an awesome offer.

Where’s that video of the naughty European horse leaping in the air rather than trotting forward? We were a weeeee bit wild today, and that was us until I finally got going forward enough that he settled down. I think I earned a new belt buckle!

[QUOTE=IPEsq;8870032]
Where’s that video of the naughty European horse leaping in the air rather than trotting forward? We were a weeeee bit wild today, and that was us until I finally got going forward enough that he settled down. I think I earned a new belt buckle![/QUOTE]

That’s a great video. I’m right there with ya, though! Here is a clip from my lesson this week on my four year old (start watching at 1:30): https://www.dropbox.com/s/zxwoavxgj675u5n/2016-09-26%2014.24.42.mov?dl=0

The camera was attached to the gate, so you can tell where he was naughty each time…at the gate! Silly boy. I keep telling myself he’s only four, he’s only four, he’s only four.

[QUOTE=ParadoxFarm;8870059]
That’s a great video. I’m right there with ya, though! Here is a clip from my lesson this week on my four year old (start watching at 1:30): https://www.dropbox.com/s/zxwoavxgj675u5n/2016-09-26%2014.24.42.mov?dl=0

The camera was attached to the gate, so you can tell where he was naughty each time…at the gate! Silly boy. I keep telling myself he’s only four, he’s only four, he’s only four.[/QUOTE]

Oh yeah, mine was using it as a gate sour excuse too. I’d learned how to kick and spank through it in the past, but he tried some new moves today which was fling front legs all around while pirouetting and leaping with a hump in his back, so that a couple of times I was worried he might stick a leg through the reins. I wasn’t coordinated enough to keep some kind of control of the reins, stay on, and spank at the same time so I had to try kicking and growling at him instead. I kind of wish someone had gotten it on video. I’m sure it’s entertaining in hindsight. :o

[QUOTE=IPEsq;8870099]
Oh yeah, mine was using it as a gate sour excuse too. I’d learned how to kick and spank through it in the past, but he tried some new moves today which was fling front legs all around while pirouetting and leaping with a hump in his back, so that a couple of times I was worried he might stick a leg through the reins. I wasn’t coordinated enough to keep some kind of control of the reins, stay on, and spank at the same time so I had to try kicking and growling at him instead. I kind of wish someone had gotten it on video. I’m sure it’s entertaining in hindsight. :o[/QUOTE]

That’s funny. I just on occasion for a lesson through my Cube camera on the gate and let it fly. :slight_smile: Well, I’m proud of you for sticking with it! I’m not all that coordinated or brave either. I wacked him once, but after that I was too worried about having both hands on the reins. :slight_smile: