Breaking two year olds to ride

[Lynette Helgeson <helgeson@lansford.ndak.net>]

Hi Everyone
Just got done reading an article about Al Marah Arabians in the
Sept. issue of Endurance News. And I would like to quote a
paragraph from the article. 

Beginning quote. 
Mrs. T, (Bazy Tankersley), was quick to dispel the idea that
Arabians mature more slowly then other breeds and thus should
not be broke to ride until they are four or five years old. "The
Arabian world is full of myths, " laughed Mrs. T. "I start
breaking them as two years old. Now I don't recommend putting
them on the racetrack like they do Thoroughbreds. We break them
in the fall of their second year but we don't do anything to tax
their joints. The early riding is very slow and quiet. End
quote. 

Now for those few of you who do not know who Bazy Tankersley is,
She is the owner and founder of Al-Marah Arabians and one of the
"greats" in the Arabian industry. Her horses have had a great
influence on the today Arabian and she is well respected. That
is why this statement has really thrown me, because I have never
consider even backing an arab until almost 4 years old. So I am
wondering what everyone else thinks about this statement. Am I
the only one surprised?

Lynette in ND who has an 2 yr. old arab gelding that I told my
husband was too young to start riding. Am I wrong?


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