Am I wrong?

Question
I have a 20month old stud colt I've had him for a year. He has very good blood lines and he is submissive. We are going to draw from him and then he will be gelded. He is a very high strung nervous horse due to being abused when he was only a few months. I have done quite a bit of ground manners with him and he responds beautifully. There is still a bit more to go. Now, everyone who finds out that he is almost 2 yrs old and that he hasn't had someone on his back yet talks down to me I had one woman who told me I should have been on him at 1 and have him being in shows already. She had gone as far as threatening to take him and give him what she called "a real home" I was always told to get a saddle on them at 2 walk them around with the saddle get them very used to it and then at about 2 and a half just sit on him then dismounted to continue to do that. And not actually ride until he is 3. Am I wrong? I always thought that you didn't want to do too much until they were 2.

Answer
Hi Angel!

You trust your gut and your instincts!!!  Horses are not full grown until they are 5 years old.  Some of the larger horses, when they are 7!  The push to ride younger and younger babies is the result of AQHA futurities and it is just nuts.  Most horses ridden and shown young are cripples by the time they are 6.  Seen it, done it, been there and am over it.  It is crazy.  

Horses live until they are in their 20's!  AQHA is really thinking about pushing out the age that a horse can be shown.  The 2 year old futurities were a HUGE mistake.  These are just babies with undeveloped legs and backs.  I have owned and campaigned a 2 year old WP horse and I'll never do it again.  I got lucky.  Mentally he is a bit fried and that is my punishment for being an arrogant human.  He is getting better, but will never be as good as he could have been had he not been subjected to that kind of pressure.  

Riding a yearling is just plain dumb.  They still have their milk teeth.  Angel, DO NOT give into the pressure of stupid people.  When I have colts, they are introduced to the saddle in their TWO year old year.  Depending on the size of the colt,  almost three.  It is just exposure, maybe a couple weeks of riding light and then they get kicked out again until they are solid threes!  The bigger horses I won't start until they are 3 and a half and the hunters not until they are FOUR!  

You stick to your guns and do what you KNOW is right.  Let those other knot-heads ruin their own horses.  You keep yours sound and mentally good.  You, Angel, will have a solid, sound performance horse while those other folks are paying vet bills!

I'm proud of you!  

Denise