I have an arabian filly that will be two in the spring and is growing like a weed. And I am away from home (and from both her AND my gelding) so I am getting to thinking about what I want to do with her. I have options. Important to note is that I will be starting a three year program that will leave me with very little free time from next summer through to the summer of 2020. So any substantial riding by me just isn't gonna happen before she's five. Period. She's my endurance prospect at the moment, so that's even much better as they have minimum age limits anyway and if it all works out, I want her sound for the next 25 years.
She already leads, ties, loads, likes people, stands (though somewhat impatiently) for the farrier, can be dewormed and given shots, handled/groomed all over, etc.
I am trying to decide if I should spend a bit of time training her this summer or not. Would it be better to get some knowledge in there and turn her out again each summer, wait on everything until the end when I will actually be able to start conditioning her, or move her to the same facility as my gelding (stall board) where I can work with her regularly?
I'm not too keen on stalling her- I'd rather not even stall my gelding TBH, though he doesn't seem to care one way or another when he's in steady work. It seems like an unnatural situation for a youngster, and the drawbacks (reduced exercise, reduced herd time, increased exposure to ammonia and dust) outweigh the couple of sessions of training a week I *might* be able to fit in once summer hits.
If I am not going to be riding her, and she's not a problem now for basic care, should I make a point of training her before she's five? Is there any advantage to training a bit at a time with breaks in between as opposed to starting from zero with a four or five year old?
Luckily I have my gelding, who I can ride every day or hop on after six weeks off and he's the same eager boy. It's amazing to me that he can do that.
She already leads, ties, loads, likes people, stands (though somewhat impatiently) for the farrier, can be dewormed and given shots, handled/groomed all over, etc.
I am trying to decide if I should spend a bit of time training her this summer or not. Would it be better to get some knowledge in there and turn her out again each summer, wait on everything until the end when I will actually be able to start conditioning her, or move her to the same facility as my gelding (stall board) where I can work with her regularly?
I'm not too keen on stalling her- I'd rather not even stall my gelding TBH, though he doesn't seem to care one way or another when he's in steady work. It seems like an unnatural situation for a youngster, and the drawbacks (reduced exercise, reduced herd time, increased exposure to ammonia and dust) outweigh the couple of sessions of training a week I *might* be able to fit in once summer hits.
If I am not going to be riding her, and she's not a problem now for basic care, should I make a point of training her before she's five? Is there any advantage to training a bit at a time with breaks in between as opposed to starting from zero with a four or five year old?
Luckily I have my gelding, who I can ride every day or hop on after six weeks off and he's the same eager boy. It's amazing to me that he can do that.