Dear all,
I follow this site with the biggest of interrest since I'm now also one of the proud owners of a Lipizzan from Piber.
I have experience from training of young horses of other breed earlier but want to ensure the best possible start for my Lipizzan and do constantly come back to the advice of not starting with the young Lipizzan until they reach the age of four.
Mine is a three year old at present and the work I'm presenting at the moment is purely on the social side. We're taking long walks in the forrest and I'm getting him used to all type of new items in the surrounding and walking by ourselves and not in group with other horses.
What is your views on training of the three year old? Should longeing, introductions of all tack, double longeing etc be introduced and only the actual riding wait until they're four or should this work also wait for another year?
I'm happy for taking it really slow but also get the warnings from the surroundings that as a four year old I might run into troubles since he then has become to strong to control etc. At the moment I just turn the blind eye for these advices but would like to be strengthened in my believe that I'll prove them wrong in the years to come.
Thank you very much for a wonderful blogsite.
Cheers, Maria
I just got a 4-year-old morab who was just gelded a few weeks ago. He hasn't been ridden and has only had a minimum of groundwork. He isn't the least bit too strong to handle--his age has nothing to do with it. He likes to be around people, and tries to understand what I am asking. I can't imagine he would have been much different this year than he was last year.
AntwortenLöschenHere in the US, you can adopt wild mustangs. They have competitions called the Extreme Mustang Makeover, where trainers adopt horses that are 4-6 years old, and in 90 days, they have a show. From what I can tell from reading the blogs, the horses are gentled in kind ways, and though they are older, they learn so much in 90 days. They aren't too strong for training.
I'm far from an expert, but from my experience, training horses has little to do with strength. Don't let those people influence you. Decide what is right for yourself and your horse and stick to it.
And congratulations.
I'm so with you on your advice, sometimes it's just so nice to get it confirmed.
AntwortenLöschenHere in Sweden I believe at present there's a push towards educating horses when they're younger which is also one of the reasons that I decided to go to Austria for mine since I really want to have a long lasting horse.
Congratulations for you and your horse as well.
the epiphyseal plate of most lipizzaner is closing very late. that's why they are called backward. some month ago we bought a mare in piber. she was just under 4, not in a good condition but a nice girl. and she was not so big- (153 cm) - a good one for my little stallion. now- 6 month later- she is 159 cm !!!!
AntwortenLöschenwe never started riding before 4- in some cases much later, because the horses were still developing.
to work with them (working in hand, longeing...) did never do anything bad to one of our horses. we have reasons to compliment them on doing things fine and all of them were faithful when we started riding them.
I had those comments too! I bought mine as a newly gelded four year old, and waited until he was almost five to back him, he was just too small and weak at first. The owner of a large local riding school and competition yard actually said to me "I would back him now, whilst he is too weak to object!" I was gobsmacked....
AntwortenLöschenIf you do the training kindly, consistently and gradually, there is absolutely nothing for them to object to. I do not see that bucking and charging around should be a part of "normal" backing and training of a horse. People accept this as green behaviour, but to me, that is the horse trying to tell his handler that he either doesn't understand something or is physically not ready.
I had no problem at all with mine (other than establishing discipline - he had been rather bullied at the stud, and thought that I was a more soft touch because I don't shout and chase him around, so we had discussions about boundaries and acceptable behaviour!), the actual backing was fine, and now he's a well rounded, well developed six year old with a great attitude to life and to work.
Ignore the people who tell you your horse should be in "work", just smile sweetly and stick to your plan!
It is a common misconception that horses become difficult to control if they are not started early. Ignore them and start lungeing your horse at 3 1/2 or 4. For eons, that was the standard age to begin training. Why people think you have to start training at 2 or 3, I have no idea.
AntwortenLöschenNo breed of horse is ready to be ridden at age 2. The growth plates in their joints aren't closed. Actually, horses bones are not completely done growing until they are 6 or 7 years old! But, the bones affecting height and weight bearing are done growing by age 5 and over 99% complete at 4. The "late" growing bones are in the head and neck.
While Lipizzans are a late maturing breed, they're not much later than other breeds. Statistically, their growth pattern is very similar to the "averages" for all breeds. Some breeds are on the early side of the averages. Lipizzans and some others are on the late side of "average" Tha'ts not an argument to start Lipizzaner earlier! It's an argument to start most breeds LATER! Most are simply not physically ready until they are 3 1/2 years old.
On the other hand, there is absolutely no reason not to do "mental" training at an early age. If the horses have good manners and learn to trust you at a young age, you will have very little trouble training them at 4. There are many types of useful ground work. We lead our youngsters over ground poles, through mazes and streams, walking with us but at the end of the lead, and so on at 2 and 3. Then at about 3 1/2 we start lungeing with tack.
Have fun with your new horse!
Listen to your horse. The dialog of trust you develop between the two of you will be your strongest tool.
AntwortenLöschenAnd make progress on your own time. Training horses is a journey of development -- not a manufacturing production line.
Enjoy your "ride." ;)
Interesting to read of your experiences with your horses and it strengthens me in the believe that I had set out for this horse.
AntwortenLöschenI believe there is difference between the maturity of at least the individual I have now and the horses I have had previously at the age of three where this one feel younger. Though having said this it could well be the fact that he's been allowed to grow up in the nice alpine pastures in the great heard which is a background non of my previous horses have had.
Interesting as well is that only the thorougbread showed the same anxiety and speed to learn whereas the varmbloods where slower. It's really the case of ask for something once and he'll remember it for all times, which makes it really important to make everything correct at start.
I bought C.Santa with four and he was lounged, having a rider on his back on the lounge since some weeks. But I decided to start at zero. In the first months I do the same as you, maria, doing a lot of walks in the area, then continue with lounging, working on the ground with long reins work included, building up the trust between us.
AntwortenLöschenAnd I had a lot of people telling me "he must under the saddle before he becomes to strong, you're waiting too long". Trainer and "Guru's" inclusive...
He his - now in the age of five - under the saddle now for three months and I get the earning now for all this patience. Beside the dressage training I started to ride outside with him together with a older mare and he is doing that really fine.
What I will say that "patience" is the keyword of all. I think you will keep your horse for long years and you two will have all this years time grow along with your tasks.
I strongly agree with emilyrt. Look at your horse what he is telling you and then listen to your gut feeling. If you are unsure, ask for advice to someone who has experiences with lipizzans, they are no quarterhorses, no warmbloods, no andalusians. They are really something special: even Lipizzans!
And you have all my congratulations and I wishing you all luck and many wonderful moments as me and C.Santa!