young tennessee walker

Question
I have a young tennessee walker gelding of about 1 1/2 years old. (he will be 2 this august). I have never broken a TW before. I was told by someone who owns them that the young ones should not be ridden until 2 years old because of the platelets in thier hooves (they are not fully formed or something). Is this true? he also said that someone of light weight could ride them earlier for no more than 15 minutes at a time. I could not find anything on the internet so far concerning my issue.

Answer
Hi Lily!

A horse is a horse is a horse.  I think you are talking about the growth plates in the legs.  You have to be careful with any young horse.  The bigger the horse, the more careful you need to be with them.  You have to be aware of the breed, and how quickly they mature.  A horse that will mature at 17 hands, I would not even think about starting until they were three.  A smaller and more compact breed or individual, you could start sooner.

Your best bet will be to learn all you can about horses in general.  You are asking some very, very general and basic questions which really makes me worry about what you will be able to offer to your horse.  I would like to see you connect with a knowledgeable horseman in your area that can guide you through this process with quality.  You will be better for it and so will your horse.  

Find a colt starting clinic with Buck Brannaman, Ricky Quinn, Martin Black, Joe Wolter, Bryan Neubert.  These are the people that can really help you and your horse.  It is better to have great help now that will keep you from making expensive mistakes that can cost you or your horse.

Watch the ground work DVD by Buck Brannaman.  This will really give you some good insight as to what the classical ground school is all about.

Most of all, enjoy the journey!

Smiles,

Denise