Trying to decide if I should sell my 2 yr old horse or not

[hoopoe]

I feel very young horses who are in the process of dropping their caps need a good exam every 6 month. It can go sideways pretty quick when there is pain associated with working or eating

[Callie1993]

Thanks everyone, I decided to send him back to the trainer for a little while and take some lessons on him with the trainer for a few weeks and then I’ll decide after that if I will sell him or not

[pegasusmom]

Read through this last night, and can’t help myself. This horse is TWO. TWO years old. Give him some basics and throw him back out in the field.

[Callie1993]

If I decide to keep him I will be turning him out for the winter after i get him back from the trainer in a couple weeks

[findeight]

Why pay for a few more weeks at the trainer then throw him out in the field for a few months? That does not make sense. Just put him out now, save your board and training money while he grows up more and you can put him into a consistent, continuing program of pro rides and lessons later in the spring.

Traditionally, Western breeds are saddle broke in the fall of their 2 year old year. Just basics. Then turned out for several months to mature more. Seems to suit them just fine.

IMO, you do have a ground manner problem that needs to be dealt with now. Otherwise trainer will teach manners and you will unteach manners and teach pushy behavior by simply allowing it. This is as important as anything taught under saddle, maybe more important to a growing colt mind.

Try to find somebody to come to your home barn to teach him and you. He can easily learn manners are expected anywhere with consistent p, correct handling.

And, please, don’t feel bad that you don’t have the skill set for this colt. Horses are journey, always something new around the next corner and learning never stops. Use this as a learning opportunity, not a confidence buster.

Also, if you decide to sell, his prospects for a good future are vastly improved if he knows more then he does now. Pushy, big colts needing experienced handling dont exactly fly off the market or end up in the best situations. Do him a favor and get him farther along before selling him on.

So, the answer to should I keep or sell? Both, keep for now, get ground help, add more training next spring then decide with trainer input.

[RhythmNCruise]

Due to his size and projected finishing height, I wouldn’t have even thought about climbing on this guy until spring of his 3yo year at the earliest. He’s got a log way to go before he’s finished growing and maturing, and expecting him to carry people and tack and “work” under saddle at this stage of his life isn’t wise.

But what’s done is done. I did the same to my now 13-year old gelding. I climbed aboard at 2yo oblivious to the fact that he was a loooong way from finished growing and maturing. I thought he was going to be a small to average 15-15.1hh size. He finished a hair over 16hh and stout as they come. To give you some idea, the vet was out today to do his teeth and her helper thought for sure my horse had to be part draft.

Anyway, at 13, he’s got hock arthritis bad enough that he’s likely going to be on Equioxx for the remainder of his life. I honestly attribute this to my starting him way too early when he was still very much a baby horse.

I say stop with any under saddle training. Period. Lunge him in tack a little if you want (but not much…lots of circles aren’t what he needs). Ground drive him. Do a lot of in-hand work. Teach him showmanship (minus too many pivots). Lots of grooming, bathing, clipping, mane pulling, loading, trailering, tacking, untacking, desensitizing, etc. Haul him to shows just to hang out. Do literally everything you can think of to do with a horse that doesn’t involve putting extra weight on his growing, maturing frame, spine, joints, etc. Then, when he’s more mature and physically stronger, all you’ll have to do is climb aboard and I bet his under saddle training will be effortless, PLUS you’ll have a sound horse that wasn’t rushed as a baby. And you’ll have either a great partner or a nice horse with clean x-rays and a good, solid start that will be easy to sell.

Good luck!

[SuzieQNutter]

I agree that 2 is too young to be in work.

If you think that the horse comes back from the trainer and you never need to do anything else then this is not the horse for you.

Either that or this is the horse that you learn how to train a horse.

[endlessclimb]

Question:

If one is not ready to have a young horse, with all the young horse antics and the baloney they pull just from being ignorant… why buy one?

[Pokerface]

@endlessclimb

Question:

If one is not ready to have a young horse, with all the young horse antics and the baloney they pull just from being ignorant… why buy one?

Sounds like the 2 QH she had before were super easy, which i can believe. Most horses are not super easy to start, but it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.

My own horse is lovely and willing and has completely tested my understanding of young horses. It has been a wonderful experience, but not an easy one. People sometimes comment that they don’t want to get a baby but “If I could get one like yours…” I just smile and say thank you while inside laughing my head off. I guess I make it look easy… IT. IS. NOT. haha. I fully expect there will come a time when I am accused of having bought a fancy made horse .

[CindyCRNA]

Haven’t read all the reply’s but a warmblood should not be ridden at 2 years old. I believe the general consensus is 4. He’a way too young.

[endlessclimb]

Literally the first sentence in the OP…

“I have a gorgeous 2 yr old paint gelding”

There’s no huge issue with backing a two year old, get them beyond the “what is that on my back” stage (10-15 rides, easy peasy), and then turning them back out. The OP seems to want to ride ride though, which this horse is too young for.