How Old????

I have recently got two fillies, they have come of the new forest and have never been handled. So i plan to break them to drive before i ride them. I have brocken my shetland to drive but that was alot easier than i expected. How hard is it to break young horses to drive? But how old do they have to be before i begin their education in driving?

i start long reining them as yearlings you can start a lot earlier to drive then you can ride with them not carrying weight

break them as yearlings. its easier because they are small enough so that they dont overpower you if they throw a fit. and at their age they are like a little sponge and learn so fast.

if you need any pointers with breaking a young one, PM me. i can probably help!

Can i drive them as yearlings or just long rein?

light driving is fine. as long as they arent doing heavy work. my STB yearling is driving about 1-2 miles a day right now that shes broke.

oh right
thanks

My trainer won't even take one in for driving training until it's 2.5 years old, and I agree with her.

Yeah my babies won't go into training until they are at the Earliest 2 years. I prefer to wait til they are 3 years though. I have been doing a little ground driving now though.

we break everything as yearlings, and start light driving. at 2 they start training down and if they are fast and strong enough they start racing. if not, they start racing at 3 or sometimes 4 instead.

i have mixed emotions about racing at 2. but as far as just light work, i see no problem as starting them as yearlings and getting them broke.

also remember these are full sized horses, not minis. so they are a lot larger as yearlings than the minis are. and especially at 2 and 3 they are a lot larger.

I was refering to how we do the drafts as well not just my minis. :) I believe in doing the ground driving but not actually letting them pull anything as yearlings. They are still babies, we wouldn't have actual human babies doing anything at a year old :) That's all I mean. And depending on the breed also.. Some breeds mature faster then others. But if you still a horse to soon (as far as work goes) the sooner they will have issues as an older horse (like arthatis(sp) in some cases not all).