Rising 3 We think! what shall we do now?

[khristyne]

Hiya! We have an unregistered Dales youngster. we bought him in feb 2011 and we were told he was 2. We dont know for certain his age.
He is a substantial chap standing about 13.3. He is a short coupled butty sort and looks a bit older than rising 3 to be honest!

We are not really sure what to do with him. He was bought unhandled off the marshes and we have now got him tamed! He will stand nicely to be trimmed groomed and has worn a bridle and a saddle cloth and sircingle. He walks nicely in hand and will walk ahead of us on 2 lunge lines (attached to a head collar) in straight lines. We havent attached anything to a bit yet even to lead but he is happy to chomp on one!

Last weekend verity sat on him briefly and he happily took a few steps forward before lots of praise and dismount.

So where do we go from here. He needs to be occupied or he gets bored and mischievous! Equally we dont want to do too much. Do you think it might be worth starting him in v light work in the spring? We thought about driving but greater london is really horse friendly!

Any thoughts would be gratefully received.

[khristyne]

ok get the picture! No one has any advice or ideas. used to be such a lovely board! What happened?

[cutemangurdi1]

It still is a lovely board, honestly. Christmas prep and shopping is just getting in the way for most people (and many of us have horses stabled at night so less time for other things) so less time to get on the Board and give advice and comments.

Have you thought about horse agility? Its great for youngsters and gets them used to lots of things as well as useful for ensuring they don't spook at strange things once under saddle.

[Anna]

To be honest, I tried to reply to this a couple of days ago and then ran out of time but basically with any of my 2yo's I don't do any work with them apart from a bit of mouthing, maybe with a very forward colt a bit of long-reining and thats it. I don't tend to start the backing process really these days until the back end of their 3 yo year. Flora has been started from about September time but she is a very forward 3 yo and a Febrary foal to boot, I want about another two things ticked off my "educating flora list" and then she'll be turned away until spring, Katy my other 3 yo hasn't even left the field yet to be honest but it is on my mind to start mouthing and long-reining her soon. You definatly won't do any harm messing on but I personally wouldn't start any work until late summer simply because physcially these dales sorts are very late maturers however big they may appear bodily their joints and brains take that bit longer.

If he's getting a bit bored maybe try some inhand showing with him to occupy his brain another way, is he turned out with anyone? Will they play with him and equally keep him in place for you so he doesn't get too full of him self.

[mickey]

I think a lot of people are struggling for time these days- I certainly am so skim read in the week and post more at weekends.
Ozzie was backed as a 3 year old but in the July of his 3 year old year. We did more inhand showing to keep him occupied, don't think I ever really lunged him. He mainly hacked lightly and then did some ridden showing as well as a 4 year old. I would say he was a maturer 3 year old though.
Rory however wasn't even sat on until he was 4 and is now 5 and has still.done very little. He has matured a lot slower. Instead of riding he's done more inhand showing which has stood us in good stead. Oz is also much better now he's got a playmate- they bounce off each other in the field and are pretty stupid at times.

[dalesponyrider]

I didn't reply as I haven't done anything with my 2 year old! Well, nothing formal anyway. He gets handled most days in the field. Things like picking his feet out, nothing much. He gets pulled out of the field to go for a little walk from one field to another. I've walked him through the trailer. I've spayed water at his legs and over his chest. I've slung coats over his back. I've groomed him. I've taken kids to see him. I've shared picnics with him. I've flapped coats, ropes, plastic or whatever I've got handy round him sometimes. Teresa's kids have played in his field and on his concrete with hoola hoops, skateboards and various other toys. I've slung my leg over his back since he was tiny. I admit he is a bit tall now so have to do whilst standing on a chair next to him now. Basically, I just say hello every day, give him a scratch and occasionally do something daft round him. I don't do the same things, I don't do anything formal. He seems quite chilled, friendly and interested. No intention of doing anything much till towards the end of next summer.

[SuzieP]

No experience so didn't reply.

Dec 8, 2011 19:22:25 GMT -1 khristyne said:

ok get the picture! No one has any advice or ideas. used to be such a lovely board! What happened?

With the greatest of respect, I feel this comment is most un-called for and DFs don't deserve it.

The world we live in is so fast moving that we are beginning to expect instant responses to everything. I get 100+ emails a day and if I don't respond within 24 hours, I often get an irritated person coming back to me demanding to know why I haven't given them the long and detailed reply they need - which maybe involved some research to put together. We can be so focussed on our own issues that we forget to put ourselves in the shoes of others and think the worst of them for not giving our needs the same priority as we do.

Khristyne - had your post been entitled "URGENT - PLEASE HELP" DFs would have been there like a shot and you'd have had masses of support. This is a fantastically friendly, warm and supportive community....but like many people, lots of us are feeling the pressure of the times we live in. Remember that some of our long standing members live in Scotland and the north of England which is being battered by storms and snow - they are probably struggling like crazy just to care for their ponies and deal with storm damage, never mind sit on DFs. I am typing this with my breakfast on my knee, and now I'm late for work and about to lose my slot in the bathroom.

Got to go.........

[valerie n scout]

been on Nights so only had time to do short answers..
we long reined Tomas loads and took him to see as many "sights" as possible, he did wear a saddle but we only rested over him and like the Anna and Emily didn't properly ride till he was 4n half. I know he was a smaller chap only 13hh and eventually reached 14hh ish so I felt it was my excuse to do very little on board, as they do take a lot of maturing, Dales.

[zeldalithgow]

Well I have no idea either lol my youngster is not even 2 yet I am very keen to hear what other people do.

I think Heather who has a lot of knowledge about the muscular and skeletal development rate of horse/ponies doesn't sit on them until they are 4 but she does do lots and lots of groundwork with her ponies, and it shows they are all fab so that is the route I plan to take with Trev

[heathera]

I'm not logging in much right now as I have four horses to care for as well as a full time job . I would normally do a fuller reply but I do lay a heavy value on common courtesy so here's a short version as I would really like to help your youngster.

Zelda is right, I don't sit on mine until they are 4yrs old. We do horse agility work in hand and do hacks in hand round the countryside between about 18 months and 3.5yrs old. We teach them to load and do short journeys calmly, we teach them to be washed, groomed and cope with new and strange things happening around and on them without them becoming anxious. They start to wear a bareback pad and then a fitted saddle for their groundwork and in hand hacks from about 2.5yrs onwards. We spend a LOT of time building a relationship with them so if they do become anxious they rely on and trust us to tell them it's OK so they can calm down.

I would never lunge a horse under the age of 3.5yrs and, even then, would only do five to ten mins mainly in walk with a bit of trot. No gadgets, just a headcollar and lunge line. I hope to be riding mine in their 20s.

If you want to know why there's an excellent article that all young horse owners should read available on the Equine Studies Institute website. Just because your horse looks mature doesn't mean he's mature internally.

A couple of important sections are:

The vertebral column, of course. A normal horse has 32 vertebrae between the back of the skull and the root of the dock, and there are several growth plates on each one, the most important of which is the one capping the centrum. These do not fuse until the horse is at least 5 ½ years old (and this figure applies to a small-sized, scrubby, range-raised mare. The taller your horse and the longer its neck, the later the last fusions will occur. And for a male - is this a surprise? - you add six months. So, for example, a 17-hand Thoroughbred or Saddlebred or Warmblood gelding may not be fully mature until his 8th year.

The lateness of vertebral "closure" is most significant for two reasons. One: in no limb are there 32 growth plates! Two: the growth plates in the limbs are (more or less) oriented perpendicular to the stress of the load passing through them, while those of the vertebral chain are oriented parallel to weight placed upon the horse's back. Bottom line: you can sprain a horse's back (i.e. displace the vertebral physes - see Figs. 5 and 8) a lot more easily than you can displace those located in the limbs.

Here's another little fact: within the chain of vertebrae, the last to fully close" are those at the base of the animal's neck (that's why the long-necked individual may go past 6 years to achieve full maturity - it's the base of his neck that is still growing). So you have to be careful - very careful - not to yank the neck around on your young horse, or get him in any situation where he strains his neck (i.e., better learn how to get a horse broke to tie before you ever tie him up, so that there will be no likelihood of him ever pulling back hard. For more on this, see separate article in this issue).

and

Bottom line: if you are one of those who equates "starting" with "riding", then I guess you better not start your horse until he's four. That would be the old, traditional, worldwide view: introduce the horse to equipment (all kinds of equipment and situations) when he's two, crawl on and off of him at three, saddle him to begin riding him and teaching him to guide at four, start teaching him maneuvers or the basics of whatever job he's going to do - cavalletti or stops or something beyond trailing cattle - at five, and he's on the payroll at six. The old Spanish way of bitting reflected this also, because the horse's teeth aren't mature (the tushes haven't come in, nor all of the permanent cheek teeth either) until he's six.= This is what I'd do if it were my own horse. I'm at liberty to do that because I'm not on anybody else's schedule except my horse's own schedule. I'm not a participant in futurities or planning to be. Are you? If you are, well, that's your business. But most horse owners aren't futurity competitors. Please ask yourself: is there any reason that you have to be riding that particular horse before he's four?

[harleydales]

I turn every horse away every winter. I think it does them good to have a break.

Khristyne I think your comment was bang out of order - we're all busy folk with jobs as well as ponies, plus the weather (I can vouch for 70 mph winds last week). A bit of courtesy goes a long way.

[greydales]

With the greatest respect, no-one should have to justify why they do or don't post! This board is still the same as it's always been but people have many reasons for not replying instantly, it doesn't mean that you're being ignored ..

If the youngster is 2/3 there are all kinds of things you can do inhand, I've always done the minimum with mine but they've turned out kind of ok . Whatever I do with them I finish when they've done something good, even if it was a five minute session. If they are struggling with anything I will go back a step and do stuff they can understand, then finish. I have leaned over/sat on mine early on and I don't think this does any harm unless you are a huge weight.

Good inhand work is the foundation of everything and it really doesn't matter how long you spend on this, the riding is just the icing on the cake

[gingermegs]

Some very interesting rplies out there. True us in the north of England are struggling just to care for our horses with these high winds and extreme cold. I agree, not to do a great deal over the winter. Come the spring I will start lunging my four year old lightly with a head collar and lunge line and then only for ten minutes each way. He is backed so we will be going for short rides. Although as one reader stated dales are very immature. Mine is four but he is so babyish I wonder whether I should have started with him at five. Just get yours used to being groomed and picking his feet up etc. Having people around him so he is sociable. Leading him round with his head collar and leadrope etc. Also there are some good horse toys to buy to keep him occupied such as field footballs etc. An older gelding in the field will show him the ropes or an aged mare. Don't worry if you give him a good grounding everything else follows on. Get yourself a good book on Training the Young Horse. Good luck.

[jay]

My 3 year old CB has done absolutely nothing, except get used to being groomed, tied up for short spells, leading and going out to a small handful of shows as a yearling and early on as a 2 year old. Unfortunately he tore his deep digital flexor out in the field in October last year and was on box rest for 6 months. Since then I've done nothing except give him lots of love and attention.

My original plan would have been to have taken him to more shows in-hand over 2011 and to have started doing a little long-reining, but no lunging. Then next year, when he's 4, I'd have started very short spells of lunging, sat on him before turning him away for the winter and then starting his proper ridden career in his 5th year.

Now, after the injury to his tendon, who knows....but I'll take it one day at a time and see how he gets on. I'll be having my baby in the spring so won't be back in action myself until the summer, so he certainly won't do anything until summer 2012 and even then its only likely to be a little long-reining.

Originally I was worried about doing so little with him and whether he'd be bored, but I needn't have worried as he's an angel to be around and very laid back. He has his occasional cheeky moments, but he's 3 afer all

[cutemangurdi1]

Heather,
I'm glad its not just me that dislikes lunging when they are under 3. I always worry about their legs. Like you, I hope to be riding Wurzel into his late 20's.

We can do straight lines now and some basic turns and go around cones, but that's all. However he is great to handle, not spooky and a pleasure to be with, so the intensive stuff can wait.