age

Question
how old should the horse be if you want to show them. and what about the age and how do you tell their age.

Answer
Hello Anna,

You tell the age of a horse by the teeth.  Your vet will be able to look at them and tell  you how old your horse is. There are also books about horsemanship that show what to look for, as well as web sites.

Many disciplines have rules about age for showing. Different levels require different age. For instance, a recognized combined training event accepts only 5 year olds and above at training level.

In my opinion a horse should be at least 4 before showing, except if showing "in hand". That can be done with very young horses because only their conformation and way of moving is being judged. They are not mounted.

If you consider that in the best of all worlds the horse is not started in training until at least a 3 year old, then 4 should be the earliest he is shown.  After that, they can show as long as they are healthy enough to do so.

Best wishes,
Dorothy