# 2 year old? backing?



## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi, My horse will be two in may and I was wondering if it is ok for me to just sit on his back without really riding(well maybe a little walking) him for a few minutes, every few days in June or july? He's really stockily built and I'm 160lb. I know some people ride their horses at two already and they're sound.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

I would say so.
We will have a yearling in March, do next spring we'll start riding. My trainer says he puts a few good, easy rides on his two year olds in the spring and summer, gives them the winter off to grow some more, then puts them in harder training their three year old year. He's raised some nice ones 
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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

this is my plan:
-Let him grow until late june - july.
-in june or july, Just get on him for a few minutes a few times a week, until late august or early september.
-Start teaching him leg cues and trotting for a few minutes in september to october.
-Let him rest and finish growing during the winter-just sitting on his back sometimes so he dosnt forget:wink:.
-in spring, when he's three, do lots of trotting and canters. go trail riding and that sort of stuff. 

How does that sound? Is that easy enough?

PS it satisfies me very much to just SIT on my very own horse!:lol:
My trainer also starts riding horses when they are around 2 - 2 1/2. ALL of those horses are sound.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm no expert, that's why I've enlisted the help of my trainer with this colt, but that sounds good to me.
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## Breezy2011 (Nov 23, 2012)

I am planning on backing my 2 year old filly this summer. I would say it is okay IF your horses knees are closed, if not, you should not put to much weight on it.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

If you feel that it's safe, that he's comfortable with it and so are you, I don't see why not. Be careful, though, test things out and make sure not to rush it. Go through the proper steps. And... share pictures with us:lol:


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## ponypile (Nov 7, 2007)

Something a lot of people don't know is that it isn't just the knee joint you need to worry about. The joints involving weight baring in the front legs are not finished maturing until 3-3.5, 3.5-4 for the shoulder, and the hock is not fused until 4 (which is why you shouldn't even start thinking about jumping until after 4). The last thing to finish maturing is the horses spine, which doesn't finish until 5.5, and is later in larger horses with longer necks. It also takes roughly 6 months longer for male horses' to mature.

Keeping this in mind, I personally won't get on a horse under 3 at the earliest. When I start a young horse, their 3 year old season consists of light, short rides and lunging sessions in a soft footed arena, or short slow trail rides. I don't find any sense in risking a young horse's health and soundness just so I can ride it sooner. 

When after all, there is a LOT of things you can do with a 2 year old to prepare it for being ridden, and doing whatever disciplined you intent it for. Tying (even ground typing), standing to be groomed, feet cleaned and trimmed, clipping (even if you don't actually cut any hair you can get them used to clippers), bathing, trailering, in hand manners and showmanship (backing, trotting, stopping, walking turning, etc.), if you have a quiet broke horse you can pony him on trail rides, saddling, bridling, lunging, ground driving, teaching them to yield to the bit and the correct way to respond to pressure on their sides, in hand trail, in hand shows... the list goes on and on. If you do all this with a 2 year old, by the time the horse is 3 it is basically broke and just has to translate to actual rider cues. Which, if the ground work has been done properly, is almost instant.

Does this mean riding a two year old will make it predisposed to lameness in the future? Not necessarily. But that's not a situation I knowingly would put my horse in. I hope this doesn't come across as condescending, I was surprised when I first learned this. Just something to think about.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

What will this horse be used for? If it isn't futurities, let him grow till he's 3, then back him and start breaking him. Sitting on him a couple times between 2-3 won't hurt, but what's the point?


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## smguidotti (Jul 31, 2012)

People always say they're "just sitting on him/her" or "I"m just asking him to walk" . . . but one thing inevitably leads to another . . . just stay off his back, and as someone already mentioned, there are plenty of things to do on the ground at two


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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

JustDressageIt said:


> What will this horse be used for? If it isn't futurities, let him grow till he's 3, then back him and start breaking him. Sitting on him a couple times between 2-3 won't hurt, *but what's the point?*


Because I'm dying to do it:lol:.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

horsecrazygirl13 said:


> Because I'm dying to do it:lol:.


That's a very selfish reason, though. I understand it - been there myself - but isn't the long term health and joint soundness worth more than saying "yeah! I rode my two year old!!1!!1!"?
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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

JustDressageIt said:


> That's a very selfish reason, though. I understand it - been there myself - but isn't the long term health and joint soundness worth more than saying "yeah! I rode my two year old!!1!!1!"?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 yeah you've got a point. I guess i'll wait until he's close to three to start riding him. but i would like to just sit on his back occasionally. I love him lots and i promise, i'll go sloooww. I have to become a better rider anyway before i can ride a young horse so thats something i can work on this summer.


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## TheAQHAGirl (Aug 10, 2012)

horsecrazygirl13 said:


> Because I'm dying to do it:lol:.


I'm going to agree with JustDressageIt. Many of the futurity horses are pushed at a VERY young age. They usually start backing them at 1.5 years old and by 2-2 1/2 they are pretty much doing everything. However it does depend on the individual horse. I know a futurity reiner who was backed at 1.5 and by 2 she was doing spins, rollbacks, and sliding stops and doing shows professionally. She will be 19 this year, still sound, still does shows and reining. 

I've also known some OTTBs who were racing at 2, one I know is in his late 20's and still going strong...However I will *never* recommend riding anything under 2. Even if its just sitting there. To me I would not do any work until at least 2. Then go from there.

That being said, I started my horse at 2.5. Just riding around for about 10 minutes every so often. If you take your time and don't rush anything I think you can start at 2. When is your horse officially 2? Have you thought of taken x-rays on your horse's knees and back to see where they are?


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## tbcrazy (Sep 27, 2012)

horsecrazygirl13 said:


> yeah you've got a point. I guess i'll wait until he's close to three to start riding him. but i would like to just sit on his back occasionally. I love him lots and i promise, i'll go sloooww. I have to become a better rider anyway before i can ride a young horse so thats something i can work on this summer.


You should also be a really good rider to even SIT on a young horse...  they're unpredictable, no matter how much we want to think they won't act up. If he starts to panic and rush around (definitely not an impossibility for a first ride) you could end up doing more mental damage than good if you fall off, confuse him, etc. Babies need to be set up for success by someone familiar with starting colts, but starting to polish your riding skills now is a great idea! As a wise horse person once said "green + green = black and blue"


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## demonwolfmoon (Oct 31, 2011)

Hey, my filly will be 2 in May as well...I was thinking of sending her to training for a month, then letting her sit and then sending her back... I"m not sure yet though. I'm also dying to sit on her, but considering I'm a chunk right now and she's a baby, it would be a bad thing.

For me at least, it's one of those green + green issues. I do know my horse though, and in the arena at least, she would behave. She's really a slug at heart lol...But she's my baby girl and if I felt that I'd hurt HER, I'd actually rather buy another horse and let her grow.


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## tbcrazy (Sep 27, 2012)

I guess I just don't understand why waiting is so hard, when in the long run it's usually healthiest. I've started my fair share of horses... And though 2 seems to be the magic moment for most people, I don't back them till 4 years old. I get the horses PERFECT with verbal cues, clipping, bathing, lungeing, sacking out, trailering, ponying, bridling, ground driving, etc. By the time I get on their backs, it is pretty uneventful... I also would rather ride a slightly more mature horse, mentally, than a 2 year old. I turn them out with a herd to they can learn how to be a horse, and save the strenuous stuff for later... It's worked pretty well so far, but I know everyone has their own way of doing things! There are plenty of things to teach a horse before you ever get on their back though


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

I did all the ground work with my filly last year. she lunges, loads, is easy to bride and saddle, moves away from preasure, stands next to the mounting block, stands with a person jumping next to her, gives to bit preasure and has perfect ground manners. Late last fall(2.5 years old) I hopped on her bareback for 2 minutes and ended a tacked up round pen session by mounting and emediately dismounting.

at 3 + years old this summer I will refresh her ground work and put 30 days of light arena work and trails. At 4 she will be slowly brought into shape in the spring, then do some more serious work in the fall.

Dont rush it, and do your groundwork first. I have seen several people not do the ground work properly, then get on and get tossed, badly scaring their horse in the process.


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## Wanstrom Horses (Dec 23, 2012)

Hell, some of my colts don't get touched until they are 3 year olds. Then we run them in and buck them out. They spend the first three years of their life running in tough range ground, learning where to put their feet, learning how to carry themselves, and just learning how to be horses. That's a huge training step for babies, IMO, is for them to just learn to be horses first. And no, I would'nt back a two year old. I don't care how much you want to, if your only going to do it for a few minutes, etc. They are just babies. I would rather have a horse with a late start than an early one..


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

You will have your horse for a long time. Why hurry the training and perhaps cause some damage to his long term health.
I never ride a horse before 3.
We haler break the foals and handle them then basically leave them alone until 3. We do teach them to stand for a faririer and load in a trailer. Otherwise we let them grow. Most of the arabs here arent started until 4. Shalom


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I definitely would not do it at all. I waited till my mare was 3 years old before I even thought of starting her under saddle, and then I kept the work sessions very short and light. At 2 yrs., you could do some light ground driving with your horse. I did ground driving with my mare, by the time she was ready for the saddle she already knew quite a lot.


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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

There's more to it than just jumping on their back and going, lol! :lol:

I was told not to back my mare until the age of 3-3 & 1/2. It will be closer to 3 & 1/2. I plan on starting slow. Getting her used to each piece of equipment separately, then slowly adding an additional piece throughout a few weeks. I'm going to walk her everywhere in them: in her stall (not turning her loose, mind you), in the pasture, around the house, etc. Just so she gets used to the feel of the equipment on her back, and how it moves with her/against her/etc. 
Then I plan on working on mounting, and dismounting. I recently saw a Julie Goodnight video on teaching a horse to stand for mounting, and I like the method. She had the owner perform each action in small steps, and do it repeatedly, for hours. If the horse shied away at some point, or moved, they performed that action again and again until its behavior became relaxed and accepting. (I'll also have someone there to hold her, so we don't get into a train wreck.)
Once we get past that stage, I'll sit on her, but we'll still be practicing mounting and dismounting. I'll just sit on her longer and longer over the course of several weeks. Why several weeks and not several days? Because I'm in no hurry.  It might be overkill, but at least she'll be comfortable with it. Once I can comfortably mount her without her squirming or getting uneasy, I'll take away the person holding her. Once she gets comfortable mounting by herself, from different areas, I'll have a person lead me around at a walk. Eventually we'll get comfortable with leg and reining cues, and I'll walk her on my own. But personally, I don't think I'll do more than walk and trot before the age of 4. Call me paranoid, but I don't want to screw up her joints. 

I'd work slowly though. Have the horse knowlegable about how to react to cues before you get to the trot. Because if your horse doesn't know the cue at the walk, he won't know what it means at the trot either!

Oh and by the way, I know exactly how you feel- I'm excited about backing my mare too!!! I can't wait for the day when we can ride around town, or even in a parade if we want to! But you have to lay the foundations first. Otherwise that trip through town, or in a parade, will be riddled with nightmares!!!


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I'm a huge fan of a lot of groundwork, and ground driving, before you ever get onto a horse's back. But also keep in mind you don't want to over-do the groundwork either. That will keep you plenty busy until it's time to safely get in the saddle after they've turned three or three-and-a-half.


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have never in my lifetime of seeing and helping start horses between the age of 2 and 3 seen a horse go lame because of being started lightly. That number is upwards of around 30 for myself, and many more for my grandmother. Many are still competing and trail riding fairly heavily into their 20's. Also, by "starting", I mean putting maybe 30-90 rides on them between spring and fall of their two year old year. They get ridden in the ring a few times and then trail ridden maybe 1-3 times a week all summer, depending on work schedules and how they are coming along. If it is found that the horse is not ready, we will back off and let them grow up more. The vast majority have been just fine. I also have seen people wait to start a horse, and end up pushing them harder and faster because the are "more able to handle it". This, IMO, causes more problems than a slow, easy and good foundation.

Play it by ear, and go slow.


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