# im thinking of breeding my 3yr old is she too young



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

we bought the pony to break for my 2 girks but shes very skittish and we think she needs longhre as my 2 girls are total novices so thought of having a foal from her while we are waiting is 3too young to put her in foal


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Oh yes far too young she's only a baby still herself!

If your girls are novices id be very careful and makesure shes well schooled and ridden on before you put your girls on her.


----------



## shortbackandsides (Aug 28, 2008)

if your girls are young and novices,a older been there done that pony would be your far better option,after all a horse that knows nothing cant really teach novice children anythingalso as far as breeding goes it can be very costly and dangerous,only the other day a momber here lost both mare and foal during labour


----------



## mandy1 (Feb 28, 2009)

Hi there I dont know how old your girls are or who you have around that can help you in terms of dealing with a young horse and what is involved in backing and breaking. It is a long and timely process and often depends upon what history the horse has. With the horses I have they were bought very young (between 9 and 12 months) and were well handled from a very early age. This reaps benefits when they come to the stage when you start to back them as they have no bad experiences that can come with youngsters who have been passed around. Any vices they have I only have myself to blame:thumbup: 

If you are thinking of breeding from her you must bear in mind her temperament and what impact this might have in terms handling her and what her offspring may be like. It is a very costly exercise and would mean that the normal work that should be happening with her now would have to put on hold for some considerable time. It is a huge responsibility as many experienced breeders will tell you and they are experienced.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Vixxen (Jan 13, 2009)

i agree with what others have said....

. 3 years is too young to foal

. backing and schooling a youngster takes a great deal of knowledge, time and patience and wouldnt be suitable for a novice (ive been riding for 16 years and even i still get thrown off freshly backed youngsters)

. if you were buying for 2 young novice riders you should really have been looking at a horse 10 years and over, professional backed and schooled and with a proven bombproof record, its not just about how the horse rides but how they are to handle from the ground too.

. if you keep the horse then consider getting her professionaly broken and schooled?


----------



## toddy (Jan 24, 2009)

Not really the most sensible thing I have ever heard.
As others have said buying an unbroken pony for 2 novice children is crazy.
This sadly is the reason there are so many bad horses out there,nearly all man made.
Please consider sending your horse to a professional yard to be broken andin th emean time send the kids to a riding school to learn on safe ponies.They will then need continuous lessons with the pony so that she does not learn bad habits.


----------



## mandy1 (Feb 28, 2009)

toddy said:


> Not really the most sensible thing I have ever heard.
> As others have said buying an unbroken pony for 2 novice children is crazy.
> 
> That is definitely not what I have said. I think it is great that someone is coming on here and genuinely asking for advice. I know from years on livery yards that there are hundreds of people willing to express their opinion but not so many willing to give help and advice. We do not know the full details to this story but often there is someone who does really know about horses that sellls such a horse and they are the ones that make my blood boil.
> ...


----------



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

as to all these comments saying its the craziest thing youve heard buying a pony unbroken for 2 novices this is rediculous i have been riding myself for over 20years and was asking advice on breeding nothing else as this is something i have never done but regards to the breaking my 2 girls are now riding this pony with no problems i was simply questioning some info which i had been told saying horses are like dogs they calm down after having a foal!!!!!!! this i was unsure about!
i personally believe a horse is what you make it same as a dog if taught right from wrong youll have no problems i am far from a begginner and we also have a friend who rides the pony out on regular occasions and she is proving willing and sensible although still marish in the field and stable but working with this
if i was inexperienced i would not of bought a youngster for my girls but every pony has to start somewhere and how many adults do you know who is small enough for a section a 12h pony???? most ponies are ridden by children and as long as willing to learn i see no problems with this but this is because its not the 1st time i have broken a pony and i see the benefits daily what can be more rewarding!
at the time of me posting this thread i had only had her for 1week and was being told different things by different people i went with my gut instinct and put in the time and she has come on so much we was not wanting something ready here and now we wanted something to grow up with the girls and become friends she will be with us for life and will develop with the girls to me there is nothing more heartbreaking than these adverts saying for sale as wanting a pony with more life for jumping etc..... my2 will have this and never need more 
thanks for all the comments and most comments were not even answering the question asked just critisising youngsters


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

If you are so experienced why are you asking if you can breed from a 3 year old??  It doesnt always calm them down im afraid and is certainly not a good reason to breed from her.

Having a youngster for children that can ride is fine but not for novices, youngsters need confident experienced riders to break them in and be ridden on before you put a novice on them.


----------



## Vixxen (Jan 13, 2009)

tia11 said:


> if i was inexperienced i would not of bought a youngster for my girls but every pony has to start somewhere and how many adults do you know who is small enough for a section a 12h pony???? most ponies are ridden by children and as long as willing to learn i see no problems with this but this is because its not the 1st time i have broken a pony and i see the benefits daily what can be more rewarding!


actually i ride 12hh ponies and my own is 13.1hh and im most certainly an adult...and i know plenty of adults who break in small ponies and do a good job of it, but they never put children on them.

same as if you sent a pony to be professional broke and schooled its hardly going to be a child sat on it.


----------



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

well out of all my rider friends i only have 1 who weighs 8 half stone which i think is more than enough weight for a pony of this size+ tack and if all you know so much do you not know the weight rule 1/5 of a horses weight is enough for him/her to carry and an average 12h pony weighs 28st so do the maths and then see how many of these adults should actually be riding these little ponies
this is suppose to be an advice forum not critisism forum i said i have 20yrs experience riding etc but never bred this is why and only why i asked the question "IM THINKING OF BREEDING MY 3YR OLD FILLY IS SHE TOO YOUNG" nothing more nothing less :mad2:


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Experienced or not common sense should tell you not to breed a mare that young. You dont have to have an adult it can be an experienced young rider  at the end of the day this forum is here for advice as you say but everyone is intitled to give an opinion when it comes to an animals well being.


----------



## Vixxen (Jan 13, 2009)

tia11 said:


> well out of all my rider friends i only have 1 who weighs 8 half stone which i think is more than enough weight for a pony of this size+ tack and if all you know so much do you not know the weight rule 1/5 of a horses weight is enough for him/her to carry and an average 12h pony weighs 28st so do the maths and then see how many of these adults should actually be riding these little ponies


but weight depends on breed....a welsh type can carry more weight than a finer breed, i have a native breed that can easily carry 16 stone and possibly more

yay for weight carriers.


----------



## mandy1 (Feb 28, 2009)

Fillies become sexually mature at around 18 months old, and can foal as two-year olds. However, they are still growing at this age, and pregnancy may hinder their growth. Ideally, mares should not begin breeding until four years of age (to foal at five years), although some are put in foal when they are three.

It can very much be dependant about the maturity and breed of the horse. It is certainly possible to breed a regular horse at the age of 2 for a foal at 3. That is if the filly is mature and on a good plan of nutrition. She needs to not be too fat or too thin and should have a good source of free choice minerals, high quality hay and grain as needed. You have to remember that being in foal and growing at the same time put additional stresses on the filly.


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

I dont believe any horse/pony is mature enough at 3 years old to breed from, i think its cruel personally and why rush them  I know some people do though, its never in the fillys best interest.


----------



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

well the poor pony carrying 16st i sayhmy: maybe it can but must be a struggle and far from fun both the rider and horse are suppose to enjoy the ride not just1 if the pony is 12.2 this is cruel and CROFTY SAYING YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINIONS IF THE ANIMALS WELFARE IS AT RISK OMG WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT A SMALL PONY CARRYING 16ST!!!!! and looking at some horses theyve foaled by3 so how can this be wrong if they was in the wild how many foals would they have by the age of3?? i am NOT breeding from our filly as she is now being ridden 
i care very much for my horses and there wellbeing is paramount


----------



## Vixxen (Jan 13, 2009)

tia11 said:


> well the poor pony carrying 16st i sayhmy: maybe it can but must be a struggle and far from fun both the rider and horse are suppose to enjoy the ride


take it you've never seen the weight carrying qualities of the fjord and highland then....

any pony that pulls logs all day in its native country doesnt struggle with a person on board.....and the fjord carried vikings....im guessing they weighed a bit lol

and connemaras carry flly grown men around all day in ireland


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

tia11 said:


> well the poor pony carrying 16st i sayhmy: maybe it can but must be a struggle and far from fun both the rider and horse are suppose to enjoy the ride not just1 if the pony is 12.2 this is cruel and CROFTY SAYING YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINIONS IF THE ANIMALS WELFARE IS AT RISK OMG WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT A SMALL PONY CARRYING 16ST!!!!! and looking at some horses theyve foaled by3 so how can this be wrong if they was in the wild how many foals would they have by the age of3?? i am NOT breeding from our filly as she is now being ridden
> i care very much for my horses and there wellbeing is paramount


First of all please do not get so aggressive with your posts, I havent said anything offensive about you, no need for capitals 

No i do not agree with ponies carrying 16st at all. Yes in the 'wild' ponies do foal early but they often dont do well and we're not in the wild!! Just because some cruel irresponsible owners foal their ponies at 3 years old does not mean its right. Im glad you've decided not to breed from her.


----------



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

sorry if came across aggressive not my intention  i think every horse/pony is different and my filly is personally not ready for being a mum she a baby herself and acts it i weigh 16st and feel bad enough expectin my 17h tb to carry me around i went viewing horses with my sister and a lady told us this horse was 3.5yr 15h been broken for yr when we got there i thought he looked rather small but thought it was cos im used2 a 17h so didnt question it my sister got on then she said would i as we same height for a guide as2 what she looked like so ye i jumped on i said i thought he was a little small for her and asked if he had actually been measured she did it while we was there 13.2 i felt so guilty that id sat on his back could of cried obviously we told her he was too small for what we wanted but later that night the lady txd and said she had checked his passport and he was not 3 until sept so he will still grow if we was interested  to me this is cruel he was 13.2 rising 3 and been broken for a yr :crazy: she'd of done anything for a sale even if it was not in the horses best interests


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

tia11 said:


> sorry if came across aggressive not my intention  i think every horse/pony is different and my filly is personally not ready for being a mum she a baby herself and acts it i weigh 16st and feel bad enough expectin my 17h tb to carry me around i went viewing horses with my sister and a lady told us this horse was 3.5yr 15h been broken for yr when we got there i thought he looked rather small but thought it was cos im used2 a 17h so didnt question it my sister got on then she said would i as we same height for a guide as2 what she looked like so ye i jumped on i said i thought he was a little small for her and asked if he had actually been measured she did it while we was there 13.2 i felt so guilty that id sat on his back could of cried obviously we told her he was too small for what we wanted but later that night the lady txd and said she had checked his passport and he was not 3 until sept so he will still grow if we was interested  to me this is cruel he was 13.2 rising 3 and been broken for a yr :crazy: she'd of done anything for a sale even if it was not in the horses best interests


Thats ok, its easy to become defensive when you feel everyone is having ago at you 

I still stand by what i said no matter how mature a filly looks at 3 years olf it is too young and i see no point risking it, it certainly isnt ideal. We have a 13'2 welsh cob that i ride used to ride im 5'8 so loved abit silly! But I weigh 9 stone so he carried me no problem. It does depend on the breed, your filly is a pony not a cob so she would not carry as much weight comfortably. Prince our welsh stallion is 14'2 and carries my 5'8 12st dad no problem at all, infact i have a video of him on here riding him. It depends on the pony and like you say a youngster who is not schooled and perhaps no as balanced needs a lighter rider, she just wouldnt have the muscle either.


----------



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

yes i totally agree and 9st is light my sister is 9 half st and our filly carries her no problem but we only took her half mile max and she had had enough by the end of it but once fully mature and muscled up im sure 9 to 10st she would carry but at her age i think you have to be careful with weight as she still developing i wish i weighed 9 stone  i think ponies are great fun when i was 16 i had a 17h id and a 13 2 cob prefered him hands down such good fun n soooo cheeky


----------



## tia11 (Mar 29, 2009)

just to add not that it makes much difference but she is section a x new forest


----------



## crofty (May 2, 2008)

tia11 said:


> just to add not that it makes much difference but she is section a x new forest


ah i did think she looked it, nice cross


----------



## ddog777 (Dec 4, 2009)

Personally you should have an experienced rider or trainer help your daughters.You should wait till the mare is at least 4-5 to breed her and it is not a good reason to breed her to calm her down.There are thousands of homeless horses being SLAUGHTERED because no one wants them.You would be adding to those horses.


----------



## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

ddog777 said:


> Personally you should have an experienced rider or trainer help your daughters.You should wait till the mare is at least 4-5 to breed her and it is not a good reason to breed her to calm her down.There are thousands of homeless horses being SLAUGHTERED because no one wants them.You would be adding to those horses.


Breeding can sometimes make them moody and skittish.. and does cost lots of money


----------



## Tanya1989 (Dec 4, 2009)

3 yr old is not too young to breed, most show breeders choose to breed a foal before they back due to it helping the mare to mature


----------



## RachyBobs (Oct 18, 2009)

As a breeder of British Riding Ponies & Welsh Ponies I would never put a mare in foal at 3, purley because I dont believe they are mature enough at 3. Most breeders do but I wont. I wait until 4-5 years when they have had time to settle down from the youngster naughty period of there lives! Working her will stop the skittiness, I have a 2 year old BRP who is jumpy, skitty and very bouncy. Working her helps her to relise she isnt the dominant one and will help her relise that you are the boss.  xx


----------



## merlyn26 (Feb 4, 2010)

hi - 3 years old isnt too young to breed providing the filly is well grown - i myself put my 3yo mare in foal last year so she will be foaling this year aged 4 (dont forget in the wild most get pregnant at 2 years old and surely having a foal at a young age is far more natural than us breaking them in aged 2 or 3 as most people do! - now theres food for thought eh?!) however - you say she is skittish - in which case i would say a big NO to breeding from her - breeding is not something that should be embarked on lightly or because foals are cute or you have some spare time on your hands etc - it is costly - sometimes devistatingly so - something im sure you wouldnt like your children to go through. personally if the mare isnt ready from breaking i would use the next 12 months to really work on getting her handleable - lots of grooming and leading out in hand and generally exposing her to all the things she will later experience with your kids on - she needs to learn to trust you and accept all the spooky scary things around before she is broken. then i would suggest sending her away to a professional to start off and on her return work carefully with a good local instructor and your kids - it is all to easy for things to go wrong and both your kids and the pony be put off for good. hope some of this is of some use


----------



## MissyThePony (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi there,

It is quite possible to breed a 3 year old for them to foal when they are 4 - infact it is a pretty common practice for broodmares as it means they are no longer maiden mares 

However, I do not know why you are thinking of breeding from your mare. You say you got her as a pony for your two novice daughters - why did you buy an unhandled youngster? I'm not trying to be rude but it's just common sense. Your daughters could get injured if they run up to the pony or the pony could get spooked or playfully bite them? 
Also, you say you want to put her infoal as she's too skittish now and you want her to mature? For one thing, as soon as she's infoal she will be even more difficult to handle and if she's skittish now what are you going to do when foal arrives and she won't let you near it? What if she gets taken ill or the foal is taken ill and you can't get near either of them? Infoal mares can have extreme mood swings due to their hormones so what would you do if one of your daughters went up to her and got bit or kicked? It's all likely to happen with an infoal mare especially one that is so young!

Why don't you spend more time with her? Get her well handled, start lunging first without and then with tack and slowly break her in? Breeding from her is definitely not a good idea. Do you have the funds to do it? And which stallion would you choose? Would you have her give birth at a stud or at home? 

There's so many questions to ask yourself and so much to think about. I suggest spending more time trying to get her handled. If you feel she is too skittish to be brought on by yourself (I do not know your experience) then I suggest finding her a home that is experienced with youngsters? That would give her the best chance of maturing properly and you could find a new pony that would suit your daughters?


----------

