Hey Luvmydutch, I have a just turned 5yr old Belgian warmblood in addition to my 11yr old TB. While I backed him at 3, this year is the first year I’ve really ridden him somewhat consistently. He had a tremendous growth spurt when he was coming 4 that made it difficult for him to balance himself, let alone with me on his back. Last year was spent simply trying to put FORWARD off my leg on him, this year we are conquering the “I can’t canter with you on me” challenge. 
Lately I have even been jumping him over low jumps. He has quite the sweet and willing personality and is actually bred as a jumper. I don’t know what kind of dressage horse he’ll make but it doesn’t really matter as he will be nice to ride in my “waning” years, when I’m too crippled up to ride rudy anymore.
I’ve had my just turned 4yo for a little over a month now. We had a nice honeymoon period for the first couple weeks where she didn’t put a foot out of place (other than not being willing to put her feet in the creek :lol:).
Her right lead canter has been a hot mess, she wants to blow through her left shoulder and loses all steering for several strides at a time. I was excited on Monday because she cantered so nicely on her right lead. Then I got on last night and she decided to protest when I asked her to trot, she was fine once she got going. This is the first time she’s given me a problem, not sure if something was bothering her, or she was just giving me a bit of attitude. The only thing that had changed was that I was trying a new bit, I’m going to go back to the old one and see if it fixes the problem. Or her back has changed that quickly and the saddle doesn’t fit anymore? Or her chakras aren’t aligned properly or something? Horses…
I have a big 4 year old who wasn’t handled much (as in not even regular farrier care) from 6 months to 3 years, when I got her. We’ve had a lot of back work to do, a year of having basically a 1500 pound weanling was not the greatest, but she’s a sweet girl, smart, and tries hard.
This summer we learned to wear tack, and our bridle, and I’ve now been on her 4 times–she’s behind for her age, but progressing well from where she started in my opinion. Looking forward to being able to get on, walk, whoa, and steer without DH leading! I was able to use the regular mounting block the last time–she’s already 17hh (and growing) and I’m only 5’3", so we had to get creative the first couple times up!
I get a little discouraged at how far behind it seems like we are, but when we got her, she didn’t even lead well (as in, did not stop when you did, and just kept walking around you in circles), and barely picked up her feet!
I am so excited reading this thread! I recently sold my schooled horse, and am having my new 3 year started next week. I also have a two year old that will be started in the spring, so I will be knee deep in babies!
I really enjoy the progress at the beginning as much as when the training gets up the levels. It is very rewarding, that is for sure. Plus, it is character building to redevelop patience, LOL!
Everyone’s stories are so great with the pics. Good luck to you all and keep the baby talk going. can’t wait to join you!
So nice to see everyone’ baby!!
I also ave a big 3yo mare as well. 17h and bum high a the moment :eek:
I have to say though it has been the most fun experience to work with her. She is soooo willing and smart - much more so than me- that might be an issue later on hahahaha.
Anyhow, we have a couple 15 minutes supervised rides a week with my trainer to ensure I ride her up and forward and we hack a lot around the property. I am a firm believer that it is at that age that you make them confident about the outdoor so I make sure we do a lot out there. We walks over cross country jumps, w/t/c in the forest, hack alone and in group like a champion. It really helps that she has a curious personality to start with. We did take her to a w/t bronze show earlier this summer to show her the world. It was a tone of fun and she took everything in like a big girl.
She is my dressage prospect but hoping to start working over poles and small jumps next winter to make her a well rounded partner.
JoannaHCR, I bought my TB as an unbroke coming 6yr old. All he knew how to do was lead short distances and sort of stand tied. To make matters worse, he was raised in a stud horse herd and wasn’t gelded until the fall of his 5th year. On the plus side, he’d never been mistreated and was/is a kind (but cheeky) little horse. I spent 3mos doing ground work before I ever dared climb on him, he’s 11 years old now and going 3rd level. So you are not really behind, by the time she’s 6 she’ll be in the same place everyone else is.
Otoh, my “baby” really is behind in his training but I don’t care. :winkgrin:
Thanks Sue B!
She’s definitely not the first one I’ve started late, but normally they are really late, so I never felt like I had a chance to be “on time”. I told myself I just wanted her to be walking, steering and halting for sure this year, so we can take her on trail rides with a friend just to get some miles over the winter, then she’ll be more confident and ready for “real” training next year!
After a good week with the trainer we had a great ride. A very short longe session to focus on work, then mounted at the mounting block, entered the dressage ring, had our lesson and even walked around the outside of the rings afterward. Totally acted like it was no big deal. The lesson was short - less than 20 minutes of W/T, about half of it focused on straightness and half on transitions. Yesterday trainer took him for a trail ride. He’s come so far in just a month since his first “real” ride.
Just had to come back to brag about my boy. Yesterday was a day off for him, and usually that means turn out, but I decided to take him for a hack. Wandered all over the property, past all manner of cars, dogs, tractors, other horses being ridden or in turn out. The hardest part for him was when we would stop to chat with friends - he doesn’t like standing still, but he is getting better. We have also started using a level 1 Myler barrel snaffle on him. He definitely is quieter in his mouth with this bit - he isn’t trying to chew through it like the Happy Mouth.
Haven’t been on here for a while so I missed this thred at its start but its not been to long so Ill jump in. Sooo glad to hear all the comments about the 5yr olds as I am going through this phase myself. Got my boy at 3 1/2y lightly backed ( walk and trot no canter) and he was sooo sweet and easy last year it was the best. So fast forward to this summer of the 5yr old and sheesh what a difference now he is still sweet as ever especually on the ground but under saddle he is just on the cusp of understanding so many things yet not quite there. Fussy in the contact and in the bit but getting better he’s big especially his shoulders and neck so stronger this year but not able to sustain holding himself up for too long. Falling in with the Left shoulder this is driving me crazy but once he stands up yes its good. He is Hot but in a good way I dont have to drive this horse all the time. We actually had to desensitise him because the reactions to things were too big so you coulden’t initially “push” him like gradually growing bigger in a gait he would just get quick and squirt around. This is getting better I can now tap him with the whip in the trot and ask for him to step bigger with the hind leg without getting quicker - YES…
I showed at four recognised shows this summer and they were good shows but ohh my young man showed a new side to himself. He is so quiet on the ground easy easy but undersaddle at the shows this summer he started showing his concern about the change of environmen,t essentially he suddenly got super STRONG in the bridle like take a hold and be so difficult to even steer. Well I was dealing with it to my best ability but I then decided to have my trainer show him as well as me at our 3rd outing. I wanted to see how she would fix it. Well she is on him for like 20 min comes to the rail and says to me " Is he always like this at a show?" I was like this is how he has been all summer so yes. Well that was a really good move on my part she had no idea he was being like that especially because she had not had him be that way with her before so some BIG training changes happened after that. As a result of the power house ride all summer (last show was much better) I did earn scores to go to championships both at Training and 1st but I kinda had my confidence dwindle as a result. So I decided to skip championships save the $$ and use it for more training. So besides my Boy being in Full training we are going to attend a couple of clinics, one this month and one next month Im very excited about that. Glad to hear that 5yr olds are challenging 
but what a fantastically talented horse so its totally worth it I can tell when it all comes together and he has that light bulb moment OMG its gonna be so awsome!
I can update on my 5 yo who has been in full training. The plan is for her trainer to get her out at 2nd next year before I bring her home. Like ewell’s horse above, she skipped regional championships because it didn’t seem that she would be all that competitive, she’s attended ample shows already this year, and we felt the effort and money would be better spent on clinics.
She’s a big mare and while much stronger than last year, she could improve on consistent balance and impulsion. Scores at first have ranged from 66-74%. So, three clinics are lined up over the next few months to help with the development of 2nd level.
Lol, it just hit home for me that I have 3 green horses right now. Because I am a crazy person.
4 yr old Arab, very fancy , just went on his first off farm outing to friends place to use the sand ring and was pretty good. He was so worried but he tried hard and stayed sweet. Came off the trailer in a sweat after leaving his buddies so I didnt know how much we would get done but went to work any way and gave kisses and took treats from everyone even though he was scared. What a doll.
4 yr old BWP mare , just bought her. Rode her WT kinda C when we tried her, brought her home a week ago and bit lunged her, rode her once on the lunge. Seems quiet, a little cranky about the leg, hasn’t loved the bits I’ve put on her yet, she has a short shallow mouth that looks like a 5.25 and my extensive collection of bits are all 5s. Of course. I think she’s going to be a pretty fancy hunter and she is black
5 yr old BWP started last year BIG jumper , I joke that she is my midlife crisis horse - the Ferrari . She is out with an injury right now, maybe can do a little with her end of the month.
My big baby is dealing with a hoof abscess right now, so I have been eating my breakfast in the barn while she soaks every morning. Last time she had one it too 2 weeks to blow and was really nasty, same front foot this time. We are at 1.5 weeks of soaking.
The good news is, she’s getting used to being a “good patient” and is now a pro at hoof soaking. I hope it blows soon, the weather will turn nasty before long here, and I don’t have an indoor! If I don’t get any progress made over the fall/winter, I’m thinking about sending her to a pro for 30 days in March so we can really get started next year… I travel a bit for work and have a long commute, so I think it might be worth the investment to get her to the w/t/c point… Kind of galls me to think of paying someone to do what I know I can do, but just can’t seem to manage time wise :ambivalence:
Awesome update on my little one
My little 5 year old morgan has had a couple of awesome rides! We are getting ready for our first show … intro A on October 23rd. In preparation we have really been working hard on her tendency to rush at the trot (lots of walk transitions), as well as perfecting our upward transitions from walk to trot.
I’ve been warming her up in vienna reins before every ride and it seems to really be helping her to #1 accept the bit better and #2 really learn to stretch her topline and work over her back. I started using them at the advice of my trainer and i’m very surprised at how well that work is translating to her under saddle work.
I have a lesson set up on Saturday with a local BNT that i am VERY excited about…it’s my very first BNT lesson!! I’ll check back and let you guys know how it went (hopefully with pictures!)
My youngster is making good progress. He has been well-behaved at his last 2 shows. My dressage trainer rode him in event Training A and B (basically 1st level) at a schooling show and both scores were in the 70s. Then he went to a starter horse trial and won his move up to novice.
He is doing another dressage schooling show on Saturday, so hopefully he will continue to be a good boy!
So here’s a question for everyone. One of my clients is having me take her horse to a schooling show in a few weeks. This leaves a spot in my trailer, so I think I might take my 3 year old. I figure I’ll sign up for 2 tests and maybe scratch the second one if he’s super in the first. (We just got back from an awesome clinic in which he was superbly behaved, so I’d like to piggy back off of that and expose him to the sandbox before his winter vacation.)
Should I just stick with Intro (probably B and C) to keep it easy peasy for him? Or maybe Intro C and Training 1?
Partially this is just me trying to talk myself through this, but any input would be great!
Dutchmare–are you able to ride a Training level test easily on your 3 yr old at home? If so—you could probably do Intro C and Training 1. Has your 3 yr old been off the farm before and ridden? It really depends on the horse. My mare was 3 last year, and I ended up taking her to a show because I had paid for a stall, classes, etc. and my other horse got injured a couple days ahead. I was just going to bring her to “sightsee” and see how she behaved. She was so good–I ended up entering her in a Materiale class. But that being said—she is not at all herd-bound, doesn’t get distracted easily, and she has a very laid back temperament. I have had other horses that would’ve been a handful at age 3 in a show environment. You know your horse–but I always tend to go for easier than what we are doing at home—because you might only get about 50% of that at a show.
Joining into this thread! My mare is now 4 and I am really beginning to have fun with her because now I am starting to ride her like a horse and not a baby! But—she makes me laugh because she starts out so lovely—forward, good impulsion, supple in her neck and back, etc. So the first 15-20 minutes of our trot/canter work is terrific.
Then she gets tired.
And she feels like a different horse. She starts to get a quicker tempo, can fall in on her one shoulder, and struggles to maintain the canter. She is so willing, and has a great work ethic–but you can just tell that she is not strong yet—and totally poops out at a certain point. So then we usually go out and hack up and down the road at the barn. But those first 15-20 minutes are fabulous! :yes:
Yes am able to ride TL at home…our centerlines might be a little wiggly and we’re not going to have perfect geometry, but it’s a schooling show and it’s just for experience. I’m just waffling back and forth. On the one hand, his canter is very strong, on the other hand I want to make it as easy as possible for him.
I’ll shoot an e-mail to the clinician we just saw.
And yes he’s been off the farm, ridden in a big group and out alone, so not worried about warmup or being alone in the ring. Actually I’m much more confident in his behavior than the other horse I’ll be riding.
[QUOTE=slp2;8880951]
Dutchmare–are you able to ride a Training level test easily on your 3 yr old at home? If so—you could probably do Intro C and Training 1. Has your 3 yr old been off the farm before and ridden? It really depends on the horse. My mare was 3 last year, and I ended up taking her to a show because I had paid for a stall, classes, etc. and my other horse got injured a couple days ahead. I was just going to bring her to “sightsee” and see how she behaved. She was so good–I ended up entering her in a Materiale class. But that being said—she is not at all herd-bound, doesn’t get distracted easily, and she has a very laid back temperament. I have had other horses that would’ve been a handful at age 3 in a show environment. You know your horse–but I always tend to go for easier than what we are doing at home—because you might only get about 50% of that at a show.[/QUOTE]
Well, life with my filly has improved rapidly over the past 10 days of having a very nice, quiet western trainer get my filly over her bucking issue. He was pretty impressed with her ability to really bronc, but after getting it out of her on the ground, she’s made amazing progress in just four rides. Yesterday she cantered US in the round pen, and then he rode her across the yard to the arena and walked and trotted circles just as nice as you please, and cooled out walking on a loose rein. I paid him for 30 days, and expect I’ll be up on her at the end of the month to learn her buttons, then she’ll go to a dressage trainer that specializes in young horses for two months while I’m working out of town in December and January. So pleased that I found this trainer, and that her innate ability plus the groundwork foundation I gave her are allowing her to progress past that ugly stage so quickly.
[QUOTE=outerbanks77;8845571]
Here is a thread I can hop in on. I have a 3 year old GOV filly that is sort of stuck in the backing process right now. She launched me about three weeks ago. She was cool with walking under saddle, but had a panic attack the first time we tried to trot. Luckily I escaped with just a sprained ankle and some bruises, but it’s been back to desensitizing by lunging with a western saddle, and then weights/floppy things on her back. I don’t like to lunge her more than 2x a week, so the timeline is a little attenuated, but she was a good girl when I added a 10# sack of potatoes to the mix last night. Once she is as calm lunging with the stuff on her back as she is without, and I can bribe a competent ground person, we will try again with the trotting under saddle. She did learn quickly that it’s better to stop than to take off bucking if she doesn’t like what’s up on her back, so I think she’s safer already. In the meantime, we have been doing a lot of ground driving and lateral work in hand, and I’ll probably start getting on and riding at the walk. Was going to send her to a trainer for the winter, but not sure if that is going to work out with the trainer I want. I think once we get over this hurdle, she is going to be a blast to work with, as she has a great mind and is very willing and talented, without being a crazy-extravagant mover in a big package (currently just a shade under 16H). Usually her idea of protesting is snaking her neck, and her idea of shying is just spooking in place, so I’m hoping that will continue under saddle.
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p153/AQHAHunter/backing2_zpsvqvh2ttx.jpg
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p153/AQHAHunter/P1050536_zpsjpt58epx.jpg[/QUOTE]
