|
|
 Regular
Posts: 63
Location: At A Barrel Race! | I recently went out and bought myself a 16 month old colt. He has some amazing bloodlines and deffinatly has the looks and a nice big butt and shoulder! I haven't ever trained a colt before all on my own, but want to try and train him by myself. He is so mellow, I think I have a shot. My question is, when is the BEST age to start breaking a colt? I hear some people say 2, others say 3, others say since I am not plannig to do futurities, just to wait even longer.
My plan was to get him saddle broke and use to the bit in his mouth this coming summer while he is 2, and wait to actually get on him until the summer when he is 3. I guess I am just looking to try and plan some things out.
I'm so proud of him already! We've gotten so far since I've gotten him. I gave him his first bath, taught him to pick up his feet, got him use to a fly mask, and even had to get him use to a winter blanket. (Which I am not happy about having to blanket him this early) I just want to do things right with him! Any tips will be very helpful.  |
|
| |
|
  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
  
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Well this is my schedule give or take a few months.
They are born in May and we wean in Oct.
They are halter broke right away and I spend time with them all winter.
When the first sign of green grass comes, we castrate any colts, deworm again and boot them out to pasture to be horses.
That fall they are brought in again and dewormed, feet trimmed if needed etc.
They are dewormed spring and fall every year until they are 3 in the spring (or sometimes much later  ) and we have 30 days or so put on them. If they are started in the spring we try and calve on them. If it is later they come home and spend some time moving and trailing cows. Since they are already 3, we can really get a lot done with them. They are gentle because we don't keep the crazies. So having so much pasture time really doesn't affect them.
Now if it were all up to me, I'd for sure have them done as 3 in the spring and have a good 60 days put on them just because it makes them so much nicer for me to trust. I don't worry about blankets and baths until I start to haul them myself. If you have the time, you can do so much of the ground work-saddling and driving and round pen stuff while he is still young. Then when he is the age you want to get on, just get on and go.
My only advice, don't make too much a pet of him. He needs your respect at all times. I have been bucked off the most gentle horses because they seem to be offended when I get on and actually start to expect something of them.
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2041
Location: home for the winter...what a dumb idea | Best advice I can give you is to do it under the watch full eye of a horsemen. If you have a mentore or a trainer friend have them help you. It only takes one wrong time climbing on a colt to mess them up for good....unfortunately I have done it a wreaked a nice colt....and that was under supervition of an experienced horse men it wasn't the first colt I started but it still hurts some...:/....I perfer to start them early before they are so tall I can't reach the stirrup and they know there own strength .....that is what has worked best for me. I am not saying to ride there legs off but 10-15 rides at 18 mo -2 year's then turn them out for the fall depending on the horse how they react how they work etc. Everything depends on the horse there mental and physical ability. Quite slow work not much circle loping or hard ground trotting just working on soft slow work.Older Colts 5-7 years tend to be harder to work take longer to pick up on things and don't always get a good work ethic. These are just generalizations there are always exeptions to them. You can reck a colt by asking to much to early as easily as letting them get old and set in there ways or by making them a pet. A horse isn't a pet. They can be a partner for life but not a push on you pet. |
|
| |
|
 Goat Giver
Posts: 23166
| We start them at 18 months when possible. |
|
| |
|
 Veteran
Posts: 253
Location: SoCal | I agree on the whole "pet" thing, start with a work ethic. My mare knows there is a time for petting, and a time for working. I find that the only horses I get along with are those with work ethics.
Otherwise, not much help from me! haha |
|
| |
|
Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Dont know what area you are from, you should break him at two, maybe april, may haul him with you get a realyy good handle and like july, august, start hi on barrels get him loping not running and by the time he is three start exhibitioning him. The last horse i raised is now 18 he has navicular a light case and still running. at 2 just ride easy you dont have to,camp on one i just carried this colt everywhere and just rode him around sat at the gate, did allkinds of things. This horse is still going and 18. But you can teach one to lope around the barrels real easy at fall of the two,year old year and about may of,the three year old start adding speed you will have what you need and if you need to,slow dow or go,back to,the basics you got it and at two you dont ride long twenty minutes.
Edited by daisycake123 2014-09-15 7:50 PM
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069
Location: Oklahoma | We always liked to start getting on them at 2. I've gotten on a few in Nov/Dec of their yearling year, but didn't do much and only a few times. I always felt like they were easier to start at 2 than 3. Maybe just my own opinion but the older they got the tougher they could be. We don't start many now that we have 2 kids but occasionally.
The more you can do on the ground before you actually get on the better IMO. You could do ground driving and teach him to give right now. Just take it easy. And it's limitless what you could get him used to at this age. I have a 3 year old that we've not done a ton with, and I regret not hauling him everywhere with me when he was little. So my other advice is to haul him a lot and tie him up or pony him. He will get desensitized early.
And I agree too doing it with someone's help/advice (in person). Good luck. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I don't start anything until they are at least 3 preferably 4. I've ended up with too many lamenesses from starting them younger. Bonus of waiting is by the time you get around to serious ground work and starting them under saddle they are mature enough to just kind of go on with if you need to.
I start hauling them with me different places and exposing them to lots of stuff much younger though. If I have a yearling they go with to as many places as possible. |
|
| |
|
 Proud to be Deplorable
Posts: 1929
| I have always started them around 18 months. Nothing serious 10-15 short rides. Get them to move away from pressure and give to the bit. Than turn them out until summer of their 2yr. old year. Depending on how much they have grown and where their knees are at determines on how fast I push them. |
|
| |
|
 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | In my opinion-how long do you want this colt to last.... does trying to win futurities mean more than the longivity of the animal?
I did all the ground work starting as a long yearling....I never over do it, especially if it effect the joints. Plenty of turn out time and being a colt. I would have them saddle broke and ground driving at 2 1/2 years and by the time 3 years I would be on their backs.
Everyone does it different depending on what they want to accomplish with their horse. |
|
| |
|
 Wishing on a star
Posts: 7935
Location: Where if you don't like the weather...wait 5 mins! | I don't start them until their skeleton and muscles mesh up with how long I want to keep them sound. Google it. |
|
| |
|
 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | i put a month on mine as 2 yr olds, nothing hard just the basics...then turn them out til spring and bring them back in and slowly start asking for more.....all depends on the horse.......some at our place dont get started til 3
m |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| The last colt (all cow bred) I worked with we got at 16 months and he was barely halter broke, so we worked all winter long on EVERYTHING. By spring, he could do anything on the ground and was gelded. He's a May 2012 baby, and now he's one of our best, most reliable trail horses. He doesn't bat an eye at anything, he's drove steers, rounded up horses, chased off coyotes, been rode through town, etc. So depending on your horses maturity level, as early as they are mentally ready to do it. A horse will tell you if they just aren't ready. Scooby (our colt) obviously was, and he had a work ethic to die for. He loved to work, and he loves to be rode. We are hoping to start him on barrels next spring.
He is currently being rode a lot by an 8 year old, and trucks her all over the country side. Some horses are ready way before others, and some just like to take it slow and are late maturing. Don't push your horse past what it is comfortable with, or you will regret it. |
|
| |
When Do You Break A Colt?