Re: what do you do with your youngsters?

 Rhodri is the same age as yours, he comes in and has rugs changed, happy to be groomed, happy ot be toched all over, not so good with back feet but getting there.  I ocasionally take him for a walk round the lanes but not often he leads really well.  I plan on starting to do a bit more when he's about 2.5 but don't plan backing until he's 4 not sure if I want to be bitless with him so he won't be seeing a bit or bridle until I make my mind up.  I'm in no hurry to do anything much with him, he's handled daily, when the time comes I think I will know when he's ready

Re: what do you do with your youngsters?

lisamylo said:

i have a 20 week old cob foal and he lives in hes fantastic i pick up all hes feet hes had them trimmed he lets me groom him all over, he lets me put rugs on him (even my 15.2hh cobs rugs that 6,3 i throw on him) and hes not phased by anything i take him for little walks with my other horse n hes not bothered by any traffic or nothing. hes a fantastic little foal.

Re: what do you do with your youngsters?

i got Spag at 6months old, he was treated as though he would be a breeding stallion if anyone thinks i did things very early (unfortunately situations changed and hes now a happy gelding)

so, he was bitted at 9months old as colts had to be bitted at the shows i went to with him, he was in a very gentle mullen bradoon bit n was good off voice command n trotted as soon as i started jogging so no pressure needed thank god =)

he had a roller on as a yearling to prepare him for a stallion harness n took to it like a duck to water =) I also did a LOT of groundwork with him, bout 15 - 30 mins a day basically just playing with him in the arena either loose or in his rope halter. got him used to having a mounting block next to him n me standing and jumping on it as we had a horse in that was terrified of mounting blocks so decided he was to get used to it. he saw a lot of farm machinery almost everyday.

i started longreining him at about 18months old n put a harness on him at 2, then a cart, he loved it n we took him out in it about once a week or so, really got him responsive to voice aids.

I then backed him under saddle as a 3yr old in July, we took things at his pace (which was pretty darn quik as hes a real smart cookie) had a beach ride a month after he first had a saddle on (I'd previously sat on him bareback) 4 months after this we went to Somerford Park n had his first jump, again, he was a natural.

And in November we did an Intro hunt as his finale, he was then roughed off and has been in a field with my Aunty's yearling for a month, and will stay there until the spring when he's brought back into work slowly, longreining in March, maybe a few ridden shows n more fun trips to the beach n fun places to hack that we lack in our area =D

enjoy your time wth your youngsterss people, they grow up real fast, lol, n what you teach them deffo stays with them, my auntys yearling has had a pretty bad start n is a real menace in the field threatening you, so im trying to remember what i did with Spag to get this lil guy to be the same stamp of pony that one day a little girl will love to pieces like i love Spag

piccies are as a weanling his first day with me

his first time in a harness at 2yrs

and his first time with a saddle and rider on at 3yrs =D