When to start a horse under saddle. What age.

Starting a horse. In this video I talk about the mental and physical consideration for deciding at what age to start a horse under saddle
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[@sassy6292]

That makes sense. I hadn’t ever heard this starting 2 year olds argument explained the way you explain it. Makes total sense to me now.

[@vaporosoez]

Very nice job of explaining the timing of when and why

[@pjk1714]

Glad you shared this with your viewer's. I've always "started" any breed while still nursing, interaction, manners and boundaries while they learn how to be a horse by being with mother and others. Keeping that mind busy, halter and leading. Round pen and obstacles. When the muscle structure and back is developed enough to carry a saddle, you start. When it's solid enough for short rides to build more muscle, you start. The weight of the rider and tack vs the weight and size of the horse matters too. The breed is the difference and nutrition and care. People can ruin a horse by not training just as easily as a child. They can also shorten productivity and life by not having the knowledge to make the right choices. Any horse owner should invest in a trainer periodically and have a flexible plan in place.

[@caobita]

Well said. I 100% agree

[@70sGirl67]

As bones develop and grow in a horse, the vertebrae bones from the thoracic to lumbar do not finish growing until around 5 years old. AT 2 1/2 the carpus knee bones are finished in the growth so that is why most western trainers start at that age as soon as they can. I agree that a young horse definitely needs their brains challenged starting by 18 months at least with 2-3 days a week and 20-30 minutes sessions in different types of handling, light easy ground work and brain challenges. I think the only real reason a horse may be an issue to start at 4 or 5 is when they haven't been handled everyday and given in-hand ground work at least 2-3 times a week. All work, pressure and release and brain challenges can be done on the ground while their bones are growing. So that is why you have folks on both sides of the camp.

[@horsecrazy7655]

I AGREE with everything you said! Nice way to explain it all thank you for your channel ❤

[@colleensmith6636]

So very True! So correct. I love my Quarterhorses & Thoroughbreds. They both wanta learn. Interesting fact abt Thotoughbreds is that there is research fm the top veterinary professionals who are reporting that they benefit structurally from training & homing on as 2 Yrs old. Bottom line, they are individuals, just like people. The reason we need people like you to help them.

[@DARKhorses73]

Great video!

[@fallbrkgrl]

Well, you just educated me. The brain analogy, and "what" the animal was bred for, made me think about different breeds of dogs (even mixed breeds, like my first dog). Working dogs need a job, and if you don't give them a job, they will find their own job, and you're not going to like it. And yes, I have heard the opinion of not riding a horse until the 4 year old mark. But again, this option does not take into account the type of horse (or like you mentioned, the body structure). Responsible horse folks, like yourself, are not going to ruin a horse physically. Unfortunately, there are many others that do, and once the damage is done, the horse lives the rest of their life in pain. I have gained a lot of respect you, and what you teach. I don't know a lot of horse people (ones that actually own, and ride), but I still share videos, even if it reaches just a few people. Yours are the ones I share. Just a little reminder...i believe that I have mentioned that I don't own a horse, and haven't ridden in years. This is why I can't contribute to your "what is your experience with....?" questions. Non the less, I'm still obsessed with them, and learning as much as I can, you know, just in case I'm ever given the opportunity to be around them again. Since I'm 60, and retired, my riding days are over, but I hope to find a "good" rescue to volunteer for, and may need this knowledge some day. Thanks Tim! ❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎

[@timandersonhorsetraining]

Thank you. I want to educate everyone about horses, not just current horse owners. There is a lot of incorrect information out there about the horse industry that influences non horse owners that can become detrimental to the industry. The last thing the horse industry needs is misinformation people making laws using incorrect information and killing the industry.

[@fallbrkgrl]

@@timandersonhorsetraining Yes, I can see how "misinformation" can, and is causing problems. Irresponsible owners, and groups don't help the situation either, and it just causes a ripple effect, that ends up punishing everyone.

[@foractivedogs9168]

There is a good parallel in children’s sports. No one thinks it’s a good idea for kids to never do sports until they are adults. Instead, children’s sports, properly done, help development, build stronger bones (Wolff’s Law) that last a lifetime, and help develop the brain, teaching kids how to think and solve problems and how to get along with others.

[@fleetskipper1810]

You’re so right, a person has to judge each horse’s development individually when deciding if that horse is ready to ride. Aside from the other differences from quarter horses, modern-day thoroughbreds, even the fastest ones, carry a maximum total of 126 pounds when they race. Many carry less. That includes the jockey, the tack, everything. That’s far less than most quarter horses are expected to carry, but that’s because the two are different breeds with different expectations. The two-year-old you’re riding in this video is carrying far more weight than a racehorse ever does, but he’s also doing a lot less work. With racehorses, empirical studies have shown that those raced for the first time as two-year-olds break down exponentially less than those that go to the track and race for the first time as three-year-olds. So gradually increasing the demands put upon a young horse improves the development of bone density. If horses were never ridden, most of them would go out of existence after one generation because they’re very expensive to keep as pasture pets. People need to keep that in mind when they promote the idea of the horses should not be ridden.

[@erinrae5119]

We are training our first horse, so obviously a novice. But I have never understood those who say that they just turn their 2, 3, or 4 year old out to "just be a horse". To me, it's a lot of that horse's formative years spent developing bad habits. What you are saying about age to start and what you are doing with them makes so much sense. What are your thoughts on when to start a mustang?

[@timandersonhorsetraining]

I've worked quite few mustangs. My experience is that it is even more important that they are started at 2. More domesticated breeds have been bred for mind and performance so more trainable traits are prominent. For mustangs breeding has been solely survival of the fittest so its even more important to start young for the best results. Doesn't mean that older ones can't be trained but if I'm going to invest 6 months into a horse I want to set me and the horse up for the best possible outcome.

[@caobita]

Well explained, Tim. The only breed that I have ever heard of to be recommended to start late, at the age of 4 or 5, are Icelandic ponies. I assume that they may develop in a different pace than other horses? In Germany most people start riding their horses around the time they turn 3, after already having done a good amount of groundwork sessions with the equipment on. At 2 1/2 years old, the big part of growth is already done, so when it's started at that age, there should be no harm, unless you overwork it. Here in the Domknican Republic, unfortunately there are many people who start their horses at one year old and I better not talk about the training methods many Dominicans use or how they treat their horses in general 😢 Anyways, thanks for the great video and btw, Indy is a beautiful horse

[@porkyfedwell]

What about Rocky Mountain horses?

[@timandersonhorsetraining]

I have not worked enough young ones to know how they develop, the older ones I have ridden I liked very much.

[@derrickreed]

Being a 300 lb man is a Clydesdale my only option?

[@Isaiah-zr4xh]

Pls don’t ride any horse if your 300 lbs

[@derrickreed]

@@Isaiah-zr4xh not even a Clydesdale?

[@ATBarrelRacing]

@@derrickreedyou can ride a shire, possibly a large clydesdale. Even then, I’d consider losing weight. You can seriously have an impact on the horses spine.

[@debraclogston9379]

Starting with easy routines is nowhere near the training level of tbred racing? Handling stars earlier.

[@DoubleDogDare54]

....well..............then there are mosquitoes. 😉