backing - the right time?

[eventerbabe]

When is the right time to back a horse? At 3 and a half, are they just a little too young? Kestral will be 3 in march, and come july we were planning to start backing him (he'd be a month shy of 3 and a half by then). His ground work is well established, he long reins beautifully, walks out in-hand and is coming on a treat - i think he'll be ready to start learning a bit more come this summer. I've just this niggling voice in my head saying he's too young to back this summer. I've spoken to a welsh breeder who always backs her cobs at 3, am i just being super-cautious/paranoid?

[Mehitabel]

depends entirely on the horse. we've had natives who were ready to sit on in their third spring, pootle about over summer and then have the winter off before schooling aged 4, and others who weren't ready until they were rising 5.
we *tend* to back when they are rising 4, play over summer and autumn and then turn away to start serious work aged 5, but have done it a year earlier and a year later as well.

see what he looks like when you get to the time - if he looks solid enough to sit on and you think he will be happy with the mental challenge, then do it. if not, then don't.

[eventerbabe]

yeah, i'm kinda playing it by ear. I've a feeling he's going through another growth spurt right now. i think i'm so anxious to get things right i'm over-analyzing and panicking about things!

He thrives off work. I really do have to have 3 or 4 'work' sessions (long rein, walk inhand, stretching) with him a week or else he gets bored. He loves going out and doing things.

[mayoguinness]

Well horses arn't fully grown till 5 so I'd never back a horse before then ;)

[Denbenj]

they may seem mature and well established to us, but I think personally its all down to whats going on underneath the bits we cant see...that ( growing bones!) I would back and maybe potter at rising 4 over 4, but I would not do any serious work till around 5 I'm sure i'm right in saying the last bone to mature and grow properley is the horse back bones.



I think thats why alot of horses have back problems in later life.

I'm all for ground work early on, I bitted my mare at 2 and brought her on slowly from there just adjusting her to being led/traffic proofed etc etc,

[Mehitabel]

he is likely to be growing up and then outward until he is 7 or 8, so if you wait for him to entirely finish growing you'll never get on. it is not detrimental to them to do *some* work while still growing - but it has to be careful. petal went up 2 inches and out about a foot either side between the ages of 5 and 8. she looked plausibly mature at 5, you'd have thought she was an adult - but looking at pics from then and then from age 8, there is a massive difference. since 8, the pics all look much the same in terms of her build.

be aware of growth spurts - working during a severe one can result in splints as the bone is growing anyway so easily stimulated to more growth, so do take them seriously. also he'll be unbalanced when his bum is 3 inches higher than his withers, and will be more likely to knock himself.

[eventerbabe]

he certainly wouldn't be doing any sort of hard work until at least 5 or 6 years old. the plan is to just let him potter about on hacks with toby, a bit of basic schooling and maybe a few trips to shows, accompanying toby. no jumping or fast work.

I believe his previous owner bitted him, but we took him right back to basics, starting bitting all over again, long reining, etc.

interesting points mehitabel. I got toby as a rising 4 year old and he'd been backed then. He didn't actually stop growing upwards until he was 8. i had to buy him all new kit as he went from a cob to a full size. whereas bonnie, whom we got as a 3 year old, never grew or changed at all. it's taking each case individually and seeing how the horse is feeling. we certainly aren't in any rush.

[teabiscuit]

EB i'm soo jealous :p you're going to have a fab time backing your lad!!!


3 and a half to four is about the time i start getting htem to carry my weight, but i do lots of ground work and tack getting used to etc before that

you lucky thing :D

[Peanut]

It certainly depends on the horse's mental and physical maturity and no one knows Kez as well as you, but July sounds about right. As you think he has a growth spurt coming on, it will enable him to enjoy the new grass for a couple of months before starting him.