Article in BHS magazine - what do you think?

[Anne_Oxfordshire]

In the latest issue of the BHS magazine there is an article about horse development that has concerned me. It says that whilst a horse's legs are developped by the time it's 4ish, the bones in its spine only finish developping when it's between about 5 and 8 years old. I've never heard this before, and it's made me question how much I'm doing with Lady, who is four and a half. What do other people think? Has anyone else read this article or heard similar? Should we not be leaving our horses much later to break in and ride?

[SarahW]

Certainly this is something that Dr. Deb Bennett has been saying for a long long time and it does make you wonder how much harm we can do by doing too much too soon. I won't start a horse now until it is at least four and I always do fittening work in the form of walking out in hand, long reining and polework first. It worries me that horses do too many circles too early on and that some warmbloods and many racehorses are backed and ridden (albeit by light people) in their second year. It also seems to be prevalent with Quarter horses and I don't know whether that is because they really mature early or because they look mature. Round here it seems to be the norm to start "breaking in" a youngster as soon as they seem to be getting too big for their boots.

[Catrin]

I put this up a while back, here it is again www.amandabarton.co.uk/pages/bennetnotes.htm

[zack]

Yeah, I read the Dr Deb article, and it has certainly made me think hard about what I will do and when with my youngster. A couple of days after reading the piece I went to a dressage demo and saw three year olds doing exhibitions, and it did make me think about the appropriateness of it. I might back my horse at 4, but won't do much with him work wise till he's 5 +. I will try and be patient!

[Catrin]

Perhaps the right link might be better: sorry! Festivity overload! www.equinestudies.org/knowledge_base/ranger.html

[pip]

Yes, everyone worries about the horse's legs, but it is the back that they should be worried about.

Remember that Dr. Deb is in the USA, where is it common for horses to be backed, ridden and shown in the ring at 2/3. Here in the UK the traditional back gently at 3.5 years and re back at 4 and carry on gently is generally OK. Still, I know lots of horses that have been backed and ridden at 3 and lived long and sound lives. Maybe it is the weight they are expected to carry for their frame that is important.

[Bay Mare]

Is that the Dana Green article? Dana is a well respected McTimoney Chiropracter from the UK and if it's the same article that I'm thinking of is excellent

I, personally, do think that horses are started and ridden away too young especially competitive horses. When I got my (uber green) 5 year old I was told by an eventer that she should have been doing flying changes by the age of three!!! I wouldn't want to have been sat on her by the age of three never mind doing flying changes.

I'd prefer to start a horse later and not gamble on their soundness than start them at 2/3 and end up with a horse who was broken down as a teenager. The thing is that any weight on an immature skeleton is too much weight and has the potential for injury. Sometimes we get away with it, sometimes we don't.

Unfortunately when money and competitiveness comes into the equation sense can go out of the window

[wally]

I was taught that the growth plates fuse from the feet up and the neck and back were the last to fuse and "mature"

This is why I never start any of my riding horses until 4-5 years old.

[specialsparkle3]

I absolutely agree, I have always said that to my mind, all backed 4 year old's should be turned away (rested) for the Winter until around the end of Feb or March of their 5 year old year, when they should then resume work.