RE: [RC] age for starting youngsters - Ginger Bill
I am 60 years old and raised on a cattle ranch. We bred and broke our own horses. The Quarter Horses were brought in as yearlings and gentled. As two year olds they were broke and as three year olds they were then trained. It was different for the Arabs. Brought in as yearlings, all ground work accomplished and then turned out until five or six years of age. They were then brought back in for breaking and training. I have found that it is much easier to work with an Arab that is about that age because once they learn, it is not forgotten. We found the combination between good Quarter Horse stock and Arab stock is wonderful for working cattle, especially when you have to push cattle for three or more days down out of the hills. There's no quit there. Just a matter of what works for who. Ginger
> From: dotwgns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To: rides2far@xxxxxxxx; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] age for starting youngsters > Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:44:51 -0700 > > About age of starting horses----it's been my experience that younger horses > learn faster. Older ones are more set in their ways and harder to work > with, sometimes less willing to work. > I agree that many horses have been started young and do just fine IF THEY > ARE NOT USED TOO MUCH TOO SOON. Work is one thing, getting too tired can be > discouraging. > > So, Angie, what was the correct legend about colors? > > Happy reading!! > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <rides2far@xxxxxxxx> > To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 10:37 AM > Subject: [RC] City Slickers & age > > > > I got a book for Christmas called "Horses of the Sahara". When you guys were > talking about the Arab legend of the horse colors...it's got all that. It > was written in the 1850's and documents as much as possible of the Bedouin's > training, breeding, etc. etc. One thing that really surprised me was that > they considered an Arabian horse USELESS unless he'd been ridden quite a bit > BEFORE turning four! > > They said at 18 months they would put a small child on the horse with a rope > halter and a switch, mostly walking. As it gets a little older they would > push him a little more. They rode them quite a bit till age three...then > didn't touch him between three and four, then at age four decided whether he > was worth keeping. The French Cavalry officer who is writing book says he > too had thought you should wait later but after seeing hundreds of horses > brought along this way he had come to agree completely...if someone had a > horse for sale he always asked them how earlier they had broke it to ride > and if they said "He is like my own son, I fed him well and no one got on > his back until he was four" he would immediately pass him by because he > would be a quitter. If the man said he'd been ridden young he knew this > horse knew how to work and would not be a quitter. They said a horse that > was broke late would always have the disposition of a farm animal. There's > LOTS of interesting stuff in this book. Bill had to give $60 for it used on > eBay but I'm really enjoying reading it. > > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. > Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp > Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp > > Ride Long and Ride Safe!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
