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Saddle Breaking horses REALLY young........

23K views 217 replies 60 participants last post by  madeline97 
#1 ·
Another thread brought this to mind, but instead of getting off-topic on someone elses thread I thought I would start my own.

There was an article in Western Horseman a little while back, which I don't have in front of me, but I think it might have been December 2011. Anyway, they were interviewing trainers on their thoughts on riding long yearlings. I mean actual yearlings that wouldn't turn two until the next spring. No one was flatly opposed to it. They all sort of said "if the horse is mature and you take it easy, yadda yadda, yadda."

It kind of makes me wonder, are they wrong in their thinking or is everyone on the internet wayyy too sensitive to the subject?

Now I certainly think riding long yearlings is risky and they are too young to really carry a rider. But how can that be so common in the stock horse industry if the horses are going crippled right and left? Same with race horses. I KNOW it is not in the horse's best interest to start them before they are two, and yet it happens pretty regularly. Are we all just too sensitive? Or are people really sacrificing soundness for show and racing careers? Is it really that bad?

I'm not trying to knock anybody. Heck, I've sat on my (almost) two year old a couple of times. Just sat there bareback for a few seconds while he was standing next to the fence.

I'm talking about folks saddle breaking horses in the fall of their yearling year. I had no idea that even happened. And if it did, I though it was a taboo subject, not something Western Horseman would have an article on in a positive light.

So that leaves me to ponder.......does it really do that much harm? Are these horrible people putting money before the horses? Or are we all overly sensitized here in Internet land?

On this forum the moment someone mentions they've ridden a 2 yr old the collective "we" jumps all over them. But here professionals are doing it as the norm, sometimes before they are even two years old. Thoughts? Did anyone else read the article?
 
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#2 ·
Well at the end of the day it is up to the rider.
Unfortunately the horse world becomes a very hostile place when opinions differ, sort of a 'My way or you're stupid' thing, which is a shame.
Personally I don't agree with backing horses before the age of 3, and jumping before the age of 5.
Theres so much you can do in hand, I just don't see the rush to ride them. Theres also a lot of information about how and when horses mature out there, so I see no good reason to go against facts.
But, like said, it is ultimately up to the rider. As long as you're willing to take the consequences. Ie, care for the horse when it can't be ridden anymore.
But yeah, to each his own :)
 
#4 ·
Not only the physical aspect, but the mental.

Sure I threw a saddle on my mare and sat on her as a two year old, but only just in the past year or so (she is 8) has she come into her own and been mentally ready for real training and not just playing around from day to day. I did not have her with me while I was away at college but did get to see her often enough to see the mental change.

Was she physically ready? Yes. Mentally? I don't think so. She was just a late bloomer.

My personal opinion with my horses being a hobby, they should be allowed to be horses in a herd for the first few years. I want my horse to be with me, sound, for 20 plus years, and there is no reason to push for that year sooner to ride. IMHO.
 
#6 ·
Such a touchy subject ..

Many many many many ranches that raise ranch horses back their long yearlings, geld them, put them back in the pasture until they are 2 - 2 1/2 and then start riding them.

These horse go on to be USING horses, riding, penning, sorting, etc for many many many years of their lives .. and then teach young cowboys and cowgirls in their late teens and 20's..

These horses are not pampered... and WORK ... for years. Who am I to say that this is "wrong" ??

Having said that, I have an Arabian, and have been around Arabians and wouldn't consider backing at arab until 3 .. and then if they are mature enough.

I guess it depends on the breed, build, use, etc.
 
#7 ·
Lets start by saying a horse turns 2 on january 1st. And the fulurity is December the next year. So if they can break them at 18 months of age to light riding so they can start working the horses towards the futuritys sooner they have a better chance. But you hear these horses are old when they hit 10. But futuritys is where the money is.

Personally I wait to start mine till they are close to 24 months old.
 
#8 ·
Personally if I am still counting a horses age in months I will not be doing any real riding on them. I don't care how big they are at twelve months old it's still a baby to me. Just because a lot of people do it doesn't make it right.

Sitting on them and maybe walking around a few minutes before two is ok. Some very light riding like walking and limited trotting is ok after two. Three is the youngest I would feel comfortable starting "real" riding like trotting for more than a few minutes and cantering. I'm not out to make money or win awards though. Personally I get just as much pleasure out of my horses doing ground work as saddle time so riding them is not a must for me.
 
#11 ·
I have no desire these days to push futurity horses. I started out that way and have the arthritic mare in my pasture to show for it, winning isn't that important to me anymore. I like to start mine as long 2's, slow & easy walk/a bit of trot through fall/winter and then start into more work as 3's in the spring. By the time spring rolls around they've got a great neck rein, understand leg pressure and have control over every part independently. Makes for an easy finish as 3 yo's.
 
#13 ·
ive personally known several 6-8 year olds that were put down because of degenerative joint issues that vets believed were most likely from heavy use/training as young hroses. These horses competed in futurities at 2 years old and were ridden pretty hard as yearlings. I'd never do it to mine personally.

I breed mares at 3 and break at 4. My stud colts dont start under saddle until a minimum of three years old.
 
#19 ·
I hate saying this, but I do personally know a person that started their baby undersaddle, at a w/t at about 14 months. Riding at a w/t, not just leading around.

They started cantering the baby 3 months before it turned 2. Trail riding, arena work, you name it, pony has done it. And he's just turned 2 in May.

I don't think it's right. In fact, I think it's horrible. I don't even jump my 4 year old but twice a week, 3 or 4 times a day. He's mentally ready, but physically? I'm not taking the chance.
 
#20 ·
that is your oppinion. but professionals have more experiance than us. If a horse is matured,which they can be with a very sertain amount of protein and excercize,then they can be rode lightly.if there knees are closed on the inside they are fne some horses mature at 4 some at 1. they know wat they are doing,especially if alot of them r doing it.
 
#29 ·
that is your oppinion. but professionals have more experiance than us. If a horse is matured,which they can be with a very sertain amount of protein and excercize,then they can be rode lightly.if there knees are closed on the inside they are fne some horses mature at 4 some at 1. they know wat they are doing,especially if alot of them r doing it.
Yes, a lot of professionals do it because of the money involved. To show in futurities, the horse almost has to be started as a yearling.

And no, protein and overfeeding does NOTHING to mature a horse. If anything, this can create more problems with their joint development than help.

Personally, I think futurity competitions are the worst thing that has happened in the horse world. Sadly, even dressage is starting to push young horse competitions.

Too much of a rush to produce "marketable" horses, in my opinion.
 
#22 ·
I'll admit that I've never worked with a young horse and so have never experienced the "when to ride" dilemma in real life.

However, I have been around horses that were constantly "broken" and ridden hard by the age of 2 (the horses from the summer camp I worked at for 4 years) and I can tell you that nothing about their attitudes or how sore their bodies constantly were by the time I was working with them (10-15yr olds) makes me want to condone riding a horse that young.
Those poor horses, the "oldest" one I have got to be around was 20 - lame as all get out and HATED humans. She looked about 30 and there was nothing about using her in our riding program that I really liked. She was super broke and a really easy ride, but at what price? Just carrying small (under 100lb) kids all day obviously made her tired and sore.
The 15yr olds were, as a group, unreliably sound and were constantly playing up because they stepped wrong/twisted something/etc and most of those horses had to be given a week off every couple of weeks if I wanted the kids riding them to survive. Swollen joints were par for the course and it was very unusual to have a horse that wasn't obviously in some sort of pain - joint pain or otherwise.
I just couldn't handle it anymore so that's why I'm not working there this summer, before anyone asks. :)

Anyway, I think that if a person is able to accurately pick out the broke early horse from a group of 15 year old horses after seeing those horse interact with people and move around - you have a problem.
The difference may not be in the lameness or not of the horse but there's just something about a horse that wasn't allowed to have a "childhood".
I liken it to teenage girls having babies or not. Sure, a 14 year old can get pregnant, keep her baby, and care for it as best she can, but, we all know the answer to this, how well is that young mom and her baby really going to fare in this world? That girl "lost" her teenage years when she was going to be truly developing who she is and what she stands for. Now, she's a mom and she stands for raising her child. She's going to have a hard time going to college and she might even have difficulty finishing high school. It's possible for her to do those things (just like it's possible for a horse that was broke early to end up fine) but it's going to be about a bazillion times harder for her.
A 2 year old (or younger) CAN be ridden but is it reeeaaalllllyyy the 100% best option for that baby?


For me, I like my horses old and sound. Take Lacey, for instance. She's 27 and still going strong. No lamenesses, never been injured - no swollen anything ever even though I ride her hard for her age, does get sore sometimes but reasonably so, still loves to run - runs around the pasture often, etc. Right now, the only thing changing Lacey's way of living is her failing eyesight. If she could see 100%, there'd be no telling her apart from a 10 year old. Depending on the 10 year old, you might even be tricked into thinking she's younger than the 10 year old!
She was started late, retired at 12ish for "behavioral issues", and only brought back at 23 when I got her. Now, I'm not saying that all horses should be retired at 12 to have active senior years (though I'm sure it helped us) but I think that breaking a horse at 4 or 5 is the key to creating a horse that'll do well as a senior horse.

That's just me though, I figure wait now to get ahead later.
It probably depends on the person. I personally don't see the logic to it, but people sometimes seem to think 20-somethings are plugs and therefore don't want to ride them. In that case, I can see twisted logic in risking "using up" your horse young because if 15-19 is "the end" of when you want to be riding horse, why does it need to be riding sound after that?
I really don't like that logic because I adore old horses, but I can see that being reasonable in someone's mind.

Just my thoughts. :)
 
#23 ·
I'm just a hobby rider, but personally, I believe in starting horses at 2 years if they are mature enough mentally and physically and getting a good walk, trot, and canter on them, then let them be a horse until their third year. That's basically when I did with my gelding and he's turned into a great horse.

Some horses, though, need a while longer. My stallion was nowhere near mentally or phyciall ready to ride when I got him at two and a half, but he was at three so I started him, and he's four now and still greenbroke, but well trained enough that I can let my youger family members on him and they walk, trot, and canter him.
 
#26 ·
The Link I posted talks about the rate a young horses joints fuse. Everone is really focused on the knees, but a horses back fuses last(5+ years) and being horizontal takes alot of stress(noticed how many equine acupuncturists, massage therapists and chiro's are popping up for back problems??)

Also, ever wondered why hocks of performance horses need so many injections, etc to stay sound? the hock growth plates dont fuse untill 3-3.5.

The whole world is in a rush, we all just need to slow down.
 
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