Turning away? Or rather just a break!

[mickey]

Oz has now been under saddle for 15 months, doing a variety of schooling, hacking, showing and dressage. He had a good 6 weeks of back in May when he injured himself but other than that hasn't had a break (though he usually only does 2 or 3 ridden sessions a week).
He is turned out on his own- I do feel a bit mean but he was just getting injury after injury- probably playing and being silly but he was by far the smallest in a mixed herd. He does have a job though- babysitting Zan, a stallion who lives alongside him. They're both friends, chat over the fence and bite each other. Trouble is, Zan comes in at lunch- so Ozzie demands to too.
I'm thinking of giving him a ridden break for 4-6 weeks but he'd still have his usual routine of out a few hours next to Zan and come in if he wants to at lunch. If he wants to come inhe will, if it means he needs to remove a fence he will...
Does this sound like a good idea?

[Anna]

Sounds a good idea to me, I would let him have a break from work, I often think youngsters need a break for the brain to consolidate everything they've learnt and always seem to come back better for the break ime.

[nyjinski]

I think that having a break is really good for youngsters and they seem to come back to work so much more chilled out. As soon as my boy Rocket understood how to trot properly he was turned away (back in September) and he wont be brought back into work now until February. It just gives him a break to digest all he has learnt and to just let him mature a bit. He still does some education work like going for walks and some parelli work but nothing ridden. He seems nice and chilled out for it anyway!

[harleydales]

Definitely. Harley still gets a good break throuugh the winter, and Elle has been turned away too though she'll still do poles and bits and pieces of groundwork until the spring.

I think it gives them time to digest what they've learnt and to grow mentally as well as physically.

I know some young horses who haven't been given time off to reflect and a fair few of them have turned out to be unpredictable and a bit irritable or downright stroppy - and I think it's because they need a break. I know every horse is different, but we like a holiday so why not do it for our horses too?