TB mare

Question
QUESTION: Hi i have a 2 yo TB mare that i am training, and so far she does great, we have worked her in the ring with and without a saddle, and she does perfect lunging circles on a lead rope (we dont usually lunge her anyway) and knows the first 5 parelli games very well.  It doesnt take this horse long to learn things, but it seems like she just gets bored with them after a while, can you reccomend excercies that i can do to keep her engaged? She does really good if i keep her on her toes but if i stop asking for things she just goes to "sleep" its like she puts a little screensaver on in her mind lol. what would you recommend?

ANSWER: Hello Kassidy,

A two year old is too young for training.  She is a baby.  At this age she should be handled, led around, saddled and bridled and then untacked and turned out.  Let her grow up.  No lunging or short work because of the stress on her inside hocks.  And for sure the lunging on a lead rope is much too short for her.  Let her grow up.  When she is three you can begin trail riding on long straight or curved lines that we find out in the open.  No ring work or circles or lunging until she is 4.  I think you will find that her mind is much more receptive when she is older.

I know that many, many people train horses at two, but I cannot and will not recommend it.  Racers do it for the money. If you really care for the horse, let her grow up a bit.  She will last longer, be sounder and less apt to develop defences.

Happy riding
Dorothy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I understand the not riding until she is 3 and then we are going to trail ride her lightly for a year, but its not like we sit in the ring a whip her to death, my definition of ring work is mostly walk and light trotting, maybe for a mintue, when i said i "lunged" her i only did it once for 15 seconds, on a 10 ft lead rope. Its not in my regimen to lunge (nor will it ever be because i dont like the idea of lunging). When i do work with her it focuses on moving away from pressure, backing up, and picking up her hooves, and reading my body language(join up), all of which she does very well. But i just didnt know if there were more fun games that we could play until next year. As for her mind being receptive, i havent dealt with a horse this adaptive and receptive in years, i've worked with older horses before (ages 5-20) but she's very very smart and the most willing horse that i have worked with so far. But like i said, i'm not one of those horrible people who sit in the ring for 30 mintues "working their horse out" in the ring, i train at the walk and that way she is more relaxed and her joints dont get worn out. And i definately wouldnt even consider riding her in a ring until she was 4. I was mildly insulted by your advice because it was presumptious, but i can forgive that because there are people out there that are truely ignorant when it comes to horses and really dont need to own one. I doubt i am doing this filly any harm by picking her feet up and teaching her manners.

Answer
Yes, Kassidy, you are correct.  You would be surprised, shocked and horrified at the letters I get, the questions I am posed and the quality of rider/trainer out there.  I am glad that you are not one of them. My first concern is for the horse.  If I offended you it is only because I don't know you and when I hear "2 year old ... what more can I do"...I think...nothing more you should do.

I am classically trained and don't know Perelli. I don't even know what he teaches.  I only work with English training in jumping, dressage and cross country riding, and remedial training, as I said in my profile.

Keep up the good work,
Dorothy