Idea age to break in a horse?

[Dee]

Hi there, i'm new to this forum, and this is one of the main reasons i joined.

I bought a horse before christmas, he is 14.2hh, stock cross quarter horse, palomino, 2 1/2 years old. He is very tame, floats well, ties well, has no problems having his feet done etc. He is very affectionate and friendly, comes to you when you call him etc.

What i'm looking for advice on is what i should be doing with him at this age to help him when it comes to breaking him in. I haven't lunged him or mouthed him or anything. I've had horses since I was young, but never a green horse. I want to do everything right from this point in, so are there certain things i should be doing with him now?

Also, what is the best age to get a horse broken in? Some people said when he is 3, others said when they are younger before they learn bad habbits, others said now then turn him out for 6 months. In that case, i'm assuming he'd need more training after being turned out for 6 months?

What do i look for in a breaker? Does anyone know any reccommended trainer/breakers in south west victoria??

Thanks

Dee

[HorseHandler]

Hi Dee It is best to wait until they are at least 3yo, in my opinion, before working them hard under saddle, it gives their bones a chance to set and in particular their knees. Too many horses are started too young, and are burnt out wrecks before their time.

Your 2.5yo can be started lightly and get accustomed to the saddle, girth and mouthed and all the ground work done right now, no probs. Also it would not hurt him to be ridden under saddle at the walk, only very lightly, to get him used to the leg aids, stopping and turning etc., BUT, I would wait until he is 3yo before trotting or cantering him.

[Lewie]

The sooner you break a horse in the easier it will be. They only get older and stronger! Sounds like he is big enough to have someone on his back now. We normally break our horses in and give them a few weeks work then a break. They always come back in better after a break. They have had time to think about things!

[Joker90]

Between 2yo and 4yo is the best age..though as stated before the older they are the more difficult they can be.. I break mine usually at 2 then turn them out for a month or 2 then bring them back in for abit more work. They start hard work in there late 2yo early 3 year old year. But i also HAVE to break mine in so early as they need the most time possible for their aged events which are in their mid-late 3yo year. He sound old enough and big enough to be broken, though without seeing him its hard to decide.. but i would start with mouthing, saddling and light rides.

What to look for in a breaker- Go and watch them work with a young one of possible before sending your horses over... otherwise, listen to other people that have used that particular breaker and see what the opinions are like.. also it's good to see the facilities and the breakers horses condition. If none of thats possible, just have a good chat with him/her and keep in contact in the 4 or so weeks your horse will be there for.

Hope that helps..

[RollingThunder]

we break in at 2 1/2 (actually exactly) then they have a break after which they go back into work. A friend of mine who has had quite some awesome horses broke them in at four as she says they have a brain by then. Although so long as you are not jumping them their knees are normally fine.

I like our horses to do six months of pleasure riding after breaking. Just big long trails. However some dont have that time frame and need to get out to shows. But our horses are then well over three and then would be lightly shown. Its not till their fouth year that we start to get too serious.

Except for the OTTB's who are well handled and trained at a young age before they even get to us.

I think breed would play a part in making your final decision. How mature they are physically as well.

[Lewie]

Originally Posted by RollingThunder

A friend of mine who has had quite some awesome horses broke them in at four as she says they have a brain by then.

When i read this i just remembered a fellow, who i would consider a good horseman and has a good idea what he is talking about. This fellow told me that it is best to break in a horse before they reach 3 years of age because after that their brain developes and they get the ability to reason. Now I know what your all thinking, horses have the ability to reason from the get go as baby foals! But the more i think about what this bloke said the more it makes sense. Mind you the best horse i have at the moment i got as an unbroken 4 year old.........anyway something else to think about :-)

[eli2835]

Im new at this so bare with me.

Iv always had horses that are pure arab or at least have a dash of the mad breed in them, my current horse is an anglo that at 2yo stood at 15.3hh, so had to be broke early before he got to big & harder to handle that & a reasonable breaker moved in next door. I think it all depends on the horse & the work that you intend to do with them.
As for breakers, do as suggested & go & see them in action & listen to other people who have had good experiences with their breaker. I have a good friend who always gets her horses broken by the same guy & in my opinion I wouldnt let him near any of my hoses as they always come back thin sore & battered, but each to their own.

[HorseHandler]

..........whenever this subject comes up in discussions among horse people anywhere, I believe it needs to be defined, as to what is actually meant by breaking in........

.......I assume we are all on the same page when we define it as starting a horse under saddle with a rider and bit and bridle for the first time, is that correct?

......this is after all the ground work has been done, such as halter training, leading, standing, backing up, moving off the hand, lunging at liberty in the round yard, tieing up calmly etc.,............yes?

......that being the case, with a light rider, the initial starting under saddle should not be done until they are at least 2.5yo to 3 yo, and only light riding at that time.

......full on heavy work should not be attempted until well over 3yo.......

......that is my personal belief, and others will have theirs.....

Problem is, humans being so selfish as we are, do not want to wait until it is right for the horse, it has to be done when it is right for us.....

.....because we have to compete with them and win at all costs...........as soon as possible