Age to start XC(eventing)

[Harleyhorse]

I was at an event last week when I saw a girl on a TB in training level, I asked her how old the mare was and she told me she just turned 3 in Aug. I wa shouk at this as the mare was 2 years younger then the next youngest horse at the event! What do you guys think?
HH

[DavidH]

You were right to be shocked! 3 is far too young to be eventing.
In the Uk horse are not allowed to start eventing until their 5th year. There is a class called young event horse which they can enter at 4 but it only has the dressage and low showjumping elements NO xc.

[Harleyhorse]

We havee that to! Thats was the 5 year old was in. But this girl seem like she knew nothing... After her XC round she went in to the warm up area and start jump the mare over the jumps! she didn't even cool the horse down. But she fell in the SJ at the 2ed jump!
HH

[EventingRed]

Thats awful! i wouldnt start thinking about jumping till they were at least three. lets hope they slow down.

red

[Harleyhorse]

Forgot to say that this was a "open" event, this means that any horse and rider can go in ant level.

Found out that the mare got hurt, pulled a mussel when the kid was schooling xc, I was there as she is stabled at Boy friends barn, the vet said she may never be jump sound!

[Princess_paris]

Yes, thats wrong. I dont even get on mine until they are 3, let them be horses and fully develop before putting that strain on thier growing joints. Jumping should be LIGHT @ 4....not competition...thats too sad.

[galadriel]

US Eventing Association rules don't permit 3 year olds to compete in Training Level. 4 is the youngest any horse may compete in Novice or Training, and a horse must be 5 to compete above that.

You're not in the US, but the standard is significant. I don't know where to find rule books for associations where you are, but I'd suspect they have similar standards.

All of which is to say: Yes, I would find it rather surprising to find a 3 year old competing in eventing of any level.

[yertle]

In Australia you can't event your horse at Pony Club events or EFA events unless it is over 5 years old.

If they say open it just means that the competition is open to all competitors not the age of the horse.

I hope they haven't done too much damage to that filly by competing her at such a young age, my girl has only just turned 4 and I am just introducing trotting poles.

[shamooni]

:eek: Sadie turned three this summer and Im still just sitting on her and walking around!
3 is a really young age to be starting to jump spesh doing xc! poor horse

[Kiaarn]

Yes that i way too young, i own a 2yr filly and i am not jummping her on low jumps until shes nearly 4 and her bones have developed and she has filled out i am justw orking on my stock slowly and walking sporting at ponyclub etc and having a nice slowtime teachign her everything (without hurting those young legs)

[colouredcrazy]

your probably gonna hate me, but me horse was broken at 2, cos he was owned by a racing yard. but he was close to breaking down, thats why I've got him now. His early training seems to have done him some good tho, when we rebacked him he was a lot more sensible than the other horse we were breaking.
Gotta question - what breed was this mare? Cos TB's mature quicker than some other breeds, and traing usually starts at 2/3. It's still to early to jump, but if she'd got the horse from a racing yard already broken in she coulda thought she was ready to go on to jumping. Shame though, waste of a good horse if what you say is true.

[Harleyhorse]

The mare is a Ducth Warmblood, Appendix cross (Dam was 1/2 TB, 1/2 QH).

I have some good news! The girl is selling the mare, the filly's is Sadie. I'm buying her! I had a vet check done on her and Ty(the vet) thinks she should be jump safe if I take my time with her! She came home November 25th. And November 29th I rode her! I'm not going to start jumping her till she is more "grown up". But I doing lower level Dressage with her. In late 2005(July-September) I hope to do some very low eventing with her. The girl asked if I would sell or lease my old eventer to her. he is 13 and does up to training level. I said I will NOT sell him or lease hime out, but she can use him. So she is showing him for me. I guess this is a happy ending after all!

[Harleyhorse]

Well guys, I sold her :( we just where NOT get along as good as I thought we should! She was sold to a woman who has LOADS of years of training horses AND riders! She is keeping her so she can show her in eventing when she trund 6! I sad BUT glad that I pick the right person to sell her too! I will miss Sadie alot, it been a 6 months scien she left! :( But her new owner knows I worry about her so she sends me updates on her :) And that I'm welcome to come see her anytime I want! She lives 6 hours away, so I'm going up later this year!
HH

[Harleyhorse]

WOW its been a year since I sold Sadie!!! I went to see Sad in June and she is doing great!!!:D :D The lady that now owns her is not eventing her, this year she is showing her in the Dressage ring and she wants to show a few hunter shows with her later in the spring! I must say she will likely make a great hunter! As she has a GREAT form over fences!!! I very happy she is doing well and getting the care she deserves!:)
HH

[jump*for*joy]

i completely think that 3 is WAY to young to start. Young horses still have growing joints, to put stress on them in that way is awful. at my barn, we wait until the horses are 3.5-4 years old to jump them. and we wait 5 to start doing big jumps. i do not support horse racing because in that sport, it is legal to do this to 2-3 year old horses. most of the race horses either become studs, or brood mares, but the majority of them are sent to slaughter. think about it, a horse that have everything to you and maybe won some races and have someone kill him for doing that. :(