# How much is too much?



## JJAK (May 28, 2010)

Heya, 
i recently brought a yearling, hes fantastic in everyway except...he gets bored easily!! So i made the choice to start messing about with him...only sort of 5/10 minutes a day morning and evening...weve done a small amount of long reigning, lunging, hes been on walks, to a local show, practiced picking his feet up, been out in traffic had a bridle on, worn a cub saddle etc etc....

But how much is too much? 

On one hand iv got people telling me its good to be doing it a little now as itll make things easier when hes bigger and stronger 

and on the other hand im being told i should be leaving him alone in a field to be a baby...but when i do that he wrecks the fencing, becomes bargy, is mannerless etc.


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## toffee44 (Oct 21, 2011)

Lunging: no way

Long reining: nothing wrong throwing ropes about his legs (with common sense dont wrap them round him) etc but wouldnt be doing circles or really working him at all in them, just sensation.

Tack is too much on a yearling but wont cause great harm

What is important now is ground work. Get him backing up to light commands and moving sideways, leading well, standing still to be groomed, hosed, rugged. But don't go walking out in hand all over the place. He is potentionally is going to serve you or other human for the next 25+ years let him be a baby. As with the fencing make sure the electric is working on it. If hes doing it now he is sure to be when hes older in work or not.

What made you buy a yearling out of interest as no offence if your lunging as a yearling you obviously don't have a lot of experience with young horses.

Go and buy this book, it is my bible for breaking and handling.

From Birth to Backing: The Complete Handling of the Young Horse (Book) by Richard Maxwell, et al. (2001): Waterstones.com


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

Agree with toffee44 - NO LUNGING, lunging should not be done really until their joints have fused at 5 or 6yrs old at the earliest as you are putting huge un-natural strains on still growing joints. Long lining is fine for a few minutes to let them get used to ropes etc, but again babies have the attention span of a fish - so no-more than 5 mins at a time or you'll end up fighting them - they don't forget bad experiences so you're potentially storing up huge issues for later on. 
I generally leave yearlings to do their thing in a herd with other youngsters to burn off all that extra energy, and older horses of course to teach them manners, I only ask them to be able to tie up nicely, load, lead, have their feet picked up and handled everywhere so they can be wormed etc and no more than that - what is the rush?! If they are barging fencing then get better fencing or turn up the juice on electric, if he is mannerless then he is bored and doesn't respect your space, if you over-do things you'll only end up fighting him and he will soon learn he can win or it is fun to have a battle! I handle very little over summer and just interact in the field with them, once a week they get brought in for 5 mins tops with the other horses and they watch, then it's their turn and they know what is expected of them, other than that they spend their time eating, growing and socialising and being babies until they are 4 and ready to start carrying weight!


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## JJAK (May 28, 2010)

when i say lunging i literally mean like 2/3 circles...im not bombing him round. 

I brought a yearling because i wanted something to grow with. Iv always had horses, worked for showjumpers/eventers (however the youngest they had was 3 yr olds) and got fed up of making/working horses for other people. I recently broke my leg so at the time of buying him i was in no postition to be riding...i hadnt had my own horse for 2 years and just couldnt take being without any longer. He was the only thing i saw (after look at hundreds of adverts of yearlings right up to golden oldies) that i thought "yes, hes right for me" 

not meaning to be funny....but theres people out there with a heck of alot less experience than me that buy yearlings as a first horse! Yes i may not know everything, but the whole reason for this forum is to ask for advice, not have fingers pointed about "clearly not having enough experience"


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

> i should be leaving him alone in a field


Is he alone in the field?


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## equi (Dec 19, 2011)

Personally with a yearling i would be hoof picking, head collar training, loading, standing practicing touching his teeth/mouth for worming and grooming.

Nothing ANYWHERE NEAR lunging or long reining. FAR too young for that.


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## toffee44 (Oct 21, 2011)

JJAK said:


> not meaning to be funny....but theres people out there with a heck of alot less experience than me that buy yearlings as a first horse!"


We have so many problem horses in the UK now because of this. So many people think they can solve it, train it and then run into problems and end up with a quirky horse. I am riding a 4yo gelding for a friend that was broken by the owners he cant bend laterally ie bend into a circle/ corner, he is tense in his neck and doesn't stand to be tacked up, the basics. Have now said to send him to a professional as he has a lot of ironing out to do which could have been solved if done properly.

I got my mare from gypsies thought she would be good to solve/ project well two years down the line, a Richard Maxwell Clinic and many bruises later she is turning into a normal horse to handle/ ride.

I have broken youngsters, Ponys only wouldnt take on a horse, but as with projects I don't think I will again, bit off way more than I could chew with Samba even if she is only 14hh  .


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## ponderousa (Aug 15, 2012)

You should do ALL that stuff, when my yearling was a few weeks old I taught her to lounge (small amount, mainly walking with slight troting), lead, load in trailer, back, pick up feet, yeild to presser, go over rails, tarps, bridges, water and baths and now she has wonderful manners, she is very obedient and very sweet.

With a yearling you can work with them 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a day, and you can lounge then more (but not to much as they are still growing ) I LOVE working with weanlings and yearlings!


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

^^ Are you serious Ponderousa??!!! If you are lunging yearlings and weanlings you really should not own any horse!!! A horses lower leg joints do not fuse until they are 4yrs old - and keep going until they are 7 so any extra stress and strain on the joints can damage them for life and predispose them to arthritis very young - anyone who is doing so much with baby horses is only after one thing - a fast buck!!! 
I've seen yearlings that have been lunged etc and because they 'look' mature on the outside have even been backed at 2 and 3 - they are in the meat wagon at 10 or a pasture pet - their joints totally knackered! Really what is the rush?? - horses live 20 or 30 yrs so why risk ruining them for the sake of waiting a couple of years! :mad2:


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## Leam1307 (Feb 12, 2010)

Are you lot serious?? From what the OP has said she is not really lunging her yearling per say, more letting him walk or trot in a few circles a few times.. They do more strenuous excercise and tighter circles running about in the field! Its not like she is suggesting putting a pessoa or side reins on it and working it for an hour each night. Its good to teach them the very basics, halt walk trot etc incase you need the yearling checked by a vet for some reason.

Personally as long as you are not overdoing things e.g a few times a week for short periods then you should do nearly everything! lots of work leading past plastic bags scary things etc making sure they stop when you ask them to, back up etc. you can even lead them over a few poles sitting on the ground just so they can get a look at th scary coloured things. The most impostant thing though.. is make it fun and interesting for the horse

Id be wary of putting an actual bridle on though with a bit as my vet told me this can damage their baby teeth if done too early.


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## ponderousa (Aug 15, 2012)

I think you misunderstood I don't do anything that could damage her growing bones, I am very careful when working with her. I agree about the bridle you shouldn't put it in until they are at least 4 years old, I will start riding her when she's two but I won't do very much and I am 13 so not very heavy.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

Ponderosa you should not ride a horse until it is at least 3 and a half preferably 4 yrs old - 2 is WAAAAY too young, it doesn't matter how small a person you are the amount of stress and strain on your baby horses legs is too much and you are causing damage that can never be fixed!!! Whoever taught you it was OK to ride a foal that young is VERY wrong and should not own animals!!

Leam1307 - I was refering to Ponderosa not the OP!


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## Leam1307 (Feb 12, 2010)

AlexArt said:


> Leam1307 - I was refering to Ponderosa not the OP!


Sorry about that Alex, just re-read Ponderosa's post and i agree now, doing that with a yearling (1-2years old) is fine in my book, doing all that with a FOAL a few weeks old, god no! 

i wouldnt do more than run my hands over it at that age, at very most put a headcollar on and teach it to stand still next to mum and walk forward when asked.


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## ponderousa (Aug 15, 2012)

you guys arn't understanding I don't do any thing that could cause problems with her fitness.


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

If you're doing everything that you say you're doing, and you plan to start her under saddle at 2 years old you will damage her. Why do you think you rarely see an old ex racing horse? Because all their joints are knackered from doing too much, too young.


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## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

youve got so much time enjoy your youngster, spreading out the learning keeps it intresting for both of u. I got my boy at 2 so he was a bit older than yours. He hadnt had anything done with him, but had been transproted from ireland, lived at a number of farms, and had never been stabled. 

First 6 months were spent getting to know him, grooming, playing in the field, leading, moving him around using body gestures. I did lots with him every day but not exercising as such 

at 2 1/2 years I stared leaning over him, freelunging (letting him have a blast in the paddock) continued with the above, and started introducing him to scary objects etc, took him out for lots of walks in hand but kept them short, at nearly 3 i sat on him a handful of times before turning him away to grow up a bit. I still did groundwork during this time. Introduced bridle during this time but didnt work in it. we also practiced loading

at 3 1/2 we did all of the above plus, started longreining in bridlle, started to refine the freelunging to get him to circle around me without a rope using large circles, and to stay large and change the rein using singles from my body language, which was great fun. started sitting on him bareback and walking him for about 5 mins while out in hand. 

at 4 i got his saddle, continued with what i had been doing, and started hacking him out being led, then on own. 3 months later we started schooling (we only do 30 mins at time), went to a mini trec comp( and did part in hand), about 4 1/2 went to the beach, went to yorkshire for days out. We stick to mainly walk while hacking and mainly trot while schooling. But ive torn my cartiledge now so cant ride, so he's now had to accept another rider 8 months into his ridden life, which is an unexpected challege. 

cant wait to get back on him, hope that gives u some idea how u can spread it out, some people may think ive done too much but it worked for us 



at 3 1/2


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