Training schedule for young horse

[Julia]

I have a young filly who will be 4 next month. She was backed in January and I am riding her 4 days per week for about 30 mins (including some long lining). At the moment we are working in walk and trot, have just introduced some trotting poles (only one session so far) and are going for short hacks either with a person on foot or a couple of other horses.
I would like to schedule a training programme for her with specific goals / items to work on but am not sure how much I should be expecting from her or how quickly we should be progressing.
Any suggestions / sample training schedules would be appreciated.

[antares]

Are you working with an instructor? It really depends on the horse, rider and the circumstances as to what you could be doing. They are all so different that what might be right for one will not be right for another.

I would say to keep work interesting, you are doing the right thing by hacking I think as it gives them such a good opportunity to learn about things they wouldnt usually come across.

I'll give you an example of what I did with my horse last year when he was 4, I backed him in march last yr, we worked 4 times a week, mostly riding but with sessions of long lining, in hand work, loose schooling and groundwork. Riding work was mostly hacking with the odd session in the school where we did fun things like bending poles, some trec type obstacles, spook busting using tarpaulines and flags etc. A little pole work, introduced basic turn on the forehand and haunches of which we learnt in hand first. We started cantering on hacks in early summer and in the school by late summer.

In September I roughed him off and he had a break right through until Christmas when we started groundwork again and then started riding at the end of Jan.

A lot of people think I took it too slow! Particularly my neighbours who have a horse the same age who was cantering and jumping by early summer but I don't really mind what they think, my horse is nice and calm and going out to lessons and theirs is on a calmer just to work in the school at home so I would certainly prefer the slow and steady approach

[Julia]

Thank you antares. I'm in no hurry to progress her - I would rather take it slowly than be too quick. I am just wary of her getting bored in the school so it is interesting that you suggest a lot of hacking. I'm not working with an instructor at the moment but am planning to have some lessons in the summer.

[antares]

So long as you keep the work interesting and varied then that is the key I think.

If someone only wants to work in the school then that is fine too but I would still want to be doing different things within my sessions.

[portiabuzz]

glad to hear your not hurrying, alot of people seem to, good advice from antares