[Abbie22057]

My filly Abbie will be 2 in May, and I'm wondering when it is safe to start backing her. I have heard many different opinions, right now I am leaning towards June or July. I have had the saddle on her many times, and I sat on her once bareback for a few seconds. I've heard that if you ride lightly when their bones are not quite developed, it makes them stronger. I've also heard that you shouldn't ride 'til they're three. running_ What's your opinion?

[Lou3]

It depends on the breed to a certain extent, it sounds like you have been going quite fast with your filly, i would never put weight on a yearlings back.
I normally back my horses and ride them away at three yrs in the late summer/early autumn and then turn them away for the winter bringing them into full work in the early spring when they turn four.
Backing at two isnt a good idea, i would wait another winter and back her in the summer when she is three. There is some research going on which suggests it may be good for them to be ridden early, especially TB types but most research backs the theory that its not a good idea to ride before the growth plates in their long bones fuse.
Lou

[Miss Thunder]

I really don't care what other people think, when I think it's time for a certain horse to be started, I will start to back them.

My young guy right now will be backed during March break, and he'll be about 2 1/2. He's a Paint/ Arab but is on the stocky Paint side. My vet has come down and taken a look at both his knees and back and says that by March he'll beable to handle small walking sessions, but nothing streneous.

Another Paint filly I broke, I did so last month when she turned 2. She was definetly ready. Again the vet came down and checked her. She's only doing walk/jog right now and is handling it well.

However, another gelding I broke wasn't ready until he was 3. Same with my horse, Shadow. I was told he wasn't ready until the summer he turned 3 and was slowly started then.

If the horse in mentally and physcially ready, and the vet says it's ok, you can start them whenever you'd like. But start slow. Start with sitting and a little bit of walking for the first month and work up from there. Don't rush anything and you'll be fine.

Long term joint problems is what the big fuss about starting a horse young is about. Well, if the vet feels their knees and backs are doing well and can handle the weight, going very slow will dramatically lower these chances of having joint problems from starting a young horse. The horses that usually have these problems were started right at two and started quick and are cantering by their second month of training.

Start slow, and if your horse is well built, I say go for it!

[Miss Thunder]

Forgot to add - you shouldn't have sat on her while she's a yearling, that might put off starting for a little while. I also saddle my yearlings (with my very light wintec and english saddle, mind you) and don't start really tightening the girth until about a week before I get on.

The thing about starting sooner will strengthen the leg bones aren't true. Just what some people use as an excuse to start their horses sooner.

[Abbie22057]

Abbie is an Appaloosa. I have had both my English saddle on her and my fairly light Western saddle. I don't weigh much either. A friend of mine is training a filly a year older than mine. She is the one who told me about their bones being stronger if you ride earlier. I will have the vet out for routine checkups this spring, and I'll have him look at her then. I know that small circles can hurt their legs. I haven't started longeing her yet because of the snow. Why do race trainers start backing their horses at 15-18 months if it will hurt them so badly? Why aren't more two year old Thoroughbreds lame at 3 then? There is no reason to hurry with my filly, and I'm planning to go slow as this is my first horse to fully train. I just want to do everything right.

[hollymarie]

The riding early being good for them theory is VERY new and still under investigation, it will take a lot more research before they can say for definate one way or the other.
Its a concern for LONG TERM health not just for short term soundness. a lot of ex-racers have back and joint problems when they get a bit older. Stress fractures is also an extremely common problem in young racehorses, more common than you would think, its a problem with the industry that should really be more closely regulated, thousands of horses are slaughtered because they break down every year. Racehorse owners want to make money as quickly as possible and its much more economical for them if their horses race earlier. It results in a high number of breakdowns and very few horses actually maintaining their career on the track.
Hol

<small>[ February 05, 2004, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: hollymarie ]</small>

[Miss Thunder]

Race Thoroughbreds are started EARLY because there are 2 year old races that trainers want to enter. The winnings are high, and they want the best turned out horse available to them.

You'll see the same in western events, reining and pleasure come immdietly to mind.

You DO see lame 3 year olds. But usually the problems don't turn up until they are in their teens.

Yes, tight circles can hurt a horse's joints when they are young. I do lunge my 2 year old, only at a walk mind you. We'll work up from there in about a year or two.

[lilofbuckskin6]

Here at my school we re-train retired standardbreds, and we see a lot of leg problems. Out of the 30 or so that we have there are only about 4 or 5 that have good movement in their legs and their gaits arent very pretty, and te sad thing is that most of them arent older than about 7.

[TS]

I would ALWAYS back at 4, this way, the horse's brain is mature enough to handle situations with care. The bones and tendons will be mature as well as their focus. I am currently working with a 5yo who was backed 6mo ago and is now jumping 2'6 courses no sweat, try doing that with a 3yo!!

[Abbie22057]

I'm not planning on jumping Abbie any time soon, I can tell you that much!! I think 2 1/2 is old enough to learn walk/trot and basic stuff. The breeder I bought Abbie from starts all her horses at two, she offered to put 30 days on Abbie, but I'd rather do it myself. She rides them 5 days a week, I don't know for how long.