To just place a saddle on? Or to actually start working with the saddle? I've put saddles on yearlings as a part of their desensitization and ground work. An english saddle, not girthed up and them just standing there.

To actually start work with the saddle, about 3, but it all depends how they progress through lunging and ground driving first.

 

Yearling and up for basic desensitization.

I use a 5lb kids saddle if I saddle them, so no harm done.

 

Agreed, I would put a light saddle on in their first year just to get them used to it.

As for riding, you're right, the opinions vary greatly. I'm a firm believer that it depends on the breed and the individual horse. Not all horses mature at the same rate, and while some may be physically ready to ride early on, they might not be mentally ready for another year, and vice versa.

I backed my filly when she was 2.5 years old, and looking back, I wish I had waited longer. I think the typical age for starting should be at the least 3 years old.

 

I agree. Just to place a light saddle for desensitizing is not harmful, but to actually back the horse, not much before three years. You can do quite a lot of groundwork before backing though.

Are you a kiwi (with that name)? Have you got a kaimanawa horse/pony? Is it from the recent roundup or been handled before?

 

I am a kiwi but as for having a Kaimanawa I wish but I will be getting one I hope from the next round up that has never been handled before

 

My sweeties a QH and he'll be 1 May 11. I plan on getting used to a kids saddle and work up to a big saddle this summer and working on the ground with that, then when he's two - 2.5 he'll be sent to a reining/cutting trainer who will put rides on him... etc.

 

I don't see the point putting a saddle on a yearling, I don't back them out until they are 3 or 4, so no need to put a saddle on until 2 or 3, lots of other things that you could be doing with them.

 

We don't do anything but teach them manners, ground work etc. until they're two. I don't believe doing anything else till then, they're babies. Horses skeletal structure doesn't fuse till much later, they've actually shouldn't be worked much till 4. At three they're still quite young. I believe the quarter horse association in Europe just passed a ruling about not showing under saddle till 4.

 

For riding I would start somewhere around the fourth year and start real work closer to five. I son't see anything wrong with putting a super light weight something or even a bareback pad on much younger just to let them get the feel of something on their back.

 

Trouble is 2.5 now, and his schedule was loosely followed as is:
By a year he was READY to be fully tacked up mentally, he could handle the saddle and the pad. Altogether 25 or so pounds, it still wouldn't do any harm sitting on his back for 20 minutes 3 times a week.
By two he was working at all gaits comfortably in the round pen with the saddle, pad and breast plate on.
At two he was expected to stand to be mounted and he's carted the kids around and down the road at a walk in hand.
At two he was also sat on by me for the first time and introduced to forward motion (sitting on him while he wandered the round pen)
Now he's been ridden four times to introduce the idea of steering, but I mostly ground drive him.

There was times I had to stop and back up because he was not MENTALLY ready to do what I asked. Physically he CAN carry a 20 pound saddle without any ill effects but if he has a melt down while I try it's just not the time. I find that if I'm having problems I only need to wait a month or two and the problem usually resolves itself.

 

I see nothing wrong with getting a youngster accustomed to a light saddle earlier, but I don't think it's necessary. It's hard to wait for your colt to get older, you can saddle and lunge him. Don't do this a lot though, people work their colts too much in the round pen. You don't want him bored or strung out of place by galloping him in circles. They need to learn how to use their bodies more effectively, I've seen just too much of that. Try and be patient. You'll gain more by handling him daily, insisting on good manners and teaching him other things. Saddle training does not take that much time when you are ready to begin it. Patience with youngsters is real important.

 

When I was training QHs, they were being saddled and ponied on the trail as yearlings for a few hours as desensitizing work at least once a week, if not more. They also did ground work, round-penning, and carried Mr. Sand (a pair of old jeans filled with sand and sewn shut at cuffs and waist with a 'seatbelt' to hold him in the saddle) just to get used to a little additional weight.

We usually backed them sometime between 2 and 3, depending on whether x-rays showed their knees were closed. And yes - I always had their knees x-rays before their first backing.

 

Contrary to popular belief, different breeds do not mature at different rates. Some may LOOK more mature, more muscular, whatever, but SKELETALLY they all mature at the same rate, give or take maybe 6 months. Stallions mature a bit later than mares. All the bones do not finish growing at the same time either. There is a progression that happens until, finally, at around age 6 the horse is skeletally mature. People use the knees as a guide, while ignoring the rest of the skeleton. I don't understand why that is. The knees, oriented vertically are much better suited to bear weight, than the back. So why not wait longer for the back to mature?

That's not to say you can't teach them a whole lot of stuff in the meantime, including saddling. I use a saddle pad and a wide elastic blanket surcingle as a first "saddle". I hope that by the time mine are old enough to ride they've been there done that and all that's left to do is get on.

 

^Do you have any scholarly articles to support this claim?

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'd just like to read the literature on the subject, if there is any <3

 

The basic fact is that the vertebrae are the last processes to close, and this takes place around five years of age -- longer for stallions, longer for large horses. Because of this, many people interested in the long-term usefulness of their horses are waiting longer to put their horses into hard work.

The person who started my horse told me she likes to back a horse as a long four and not earlier.

There are a lot of scholarly articles on the web, but most are pretty hard to read for laypeople (i.e.me).
Here is a link to an essay with most of the pertinent details:
http://www.theequineindependent.com/2013/06/09/a-safe-start-the-reality-of-training-early/.

 

Regarding the skeletal system, there's no way I'd wait until 6 to start under saddle. I watched a good video on the skeletal system and breaking colts under age and the effects on said system, and some of the comments were totally insane!! One was "I feel bad for horses who are started at three, I don't even put a saddle on until 6 or 8, idiots who start horses at three should be jailed for abuse!" <<<< like are you serious??????

 

But don't let idiots keep you from understanding the science. Facts don't change when idiots get hold of them.

 

I tend to not gentle my horses as much as some people. I handle them and blanket them in their first winter, but turn them out most of the time until they are two year olds. Usually when I get them back in they don't have an issue being saddled, but I don't normally saddle until I am ready to ride them. Saddle on the first day when they are two, ride them the next day w/t, w/t/c day three

 

Thanks @Anva . I had always thought different breeds would mature at different rates due to size, and was surprised to hear otherwise.

 

My filly will be 3 in August. I've had a light western saddle on her a couple times since I got her after she turned 2. I've been focusing a lot more on ground work and teaching her manners...I am not in a hurry to back her. And just recently starting lunging her, but our sessions are very short. But I do hope to get on her late this summer/early fall a few times, then just turn her out for the winter. She still needs to grow physically and mentally.

 

No Zexious, they mature at roughly the same time. I never bothered with any real saddle training till they were two and then not much riding. The best is wait a little till 3 to do much of anything. Honestly the German AQHA will not be allowing showing under saddle till 4. European horsemanship is more advanced in ways and it makes sense. I personally think a bit of saddling at two is no big deal and careful competing at 3, I do know their skeletal system doesn't fuse till later so you take it easy.