Questions for horse people who know about breeding/training?

Question

Dont talk at me like I know nothing, this is a question that I've been thinking bout and I'd perfer only serious answers.

At what age is it safe to breed a horse? At what age is it safe to train a horse? Do people breed horses before they train them and is that really a smart idea? At what age are horse's done developing?

I was thinking that it was better to wait and take your time with training, but I've never heard/thought much bout breeding. Let's just assume that I'm talking about responsible breeding for the "right reasons".

Answer 1

I believe there are far too many broodmares that were never trained to do anything much, and down the road they become throwaways.  But I don't breed horses, so I'm not an expert on that.

I have strong opinions on the age at which certain aspects of training should occur.  There are both physical and mental considerations, and horses can be damaged both mentally and/or physically when trained too early.  Breeds vary, and so do individuals.  Being physically ready for certain tasks could vary as much as a year from one horse to another of the same breed.  So waiting longer makes good sense.

The same goes for mental tasks....a baby needs baby tasks, and lots of time to think about very few lessons.  No good ever comes from hurrying them along.  I don't have an arbitrary age in mind, since I'd have to list what I think is okay at various ages....just like with child development.

Answer 2

A good general rule to follow is that you can do ground work, and LIGHT work w/ the saddle (a light saddle) on the horses back from 1-2. The ideal time to start a horse under saddle is 2 1/2 yr. old. There are always exceptions to the rules however...I'm training a 2yr old stud colt under saddle (walk trot canter) right now but my own 2 1/2 yr old gelding i've never been on. My client's colt is already 15hds, his knees are closed, and he is huge! My gelding is finer boned and only about 14hds...so I probably will not get on him until this fall.

Breeding is best done after 4-5yr old. My personally belief is that if you want to train the mare do it BEFORE breeding the first time. It solves alot of issues...hope this helps! good luck!

Answer 3

Ok um lol it is safe to breed at the age of about 3-4 it is safe to start at 2 and put the saddle on at 3 but you need to work halter and bonding wise since the first day  you should train them before you breed them but if it is a brood mare then you don't need to the horse is done developing at 6-7 i think lol  

Answer 4

You question can not be completely answered without knowing the breed and specifics of your horse. Some breeds take longer to develop and should not be started with strenuous training until they are 3 years old and their knees are closed. Some breeds are usually fine to start at age 2. As far as breeding, I think I would get a horse going with some good training first for a couple years so they are well started. But, a vet could best advise you on safet;y of breeding horses at different ages.

Good luck.

Answer 5

This is a great question. :)

Usually 3-4 is a good age to begin breeding. Some trainers have a great theory that breeding at the age of 3 then backing is the way to go with some mares.  They say it really mentally prepares them, quiets them and supples them for training.  Which I think is correct however Iam not personally a breeder so, I cant justify this but I do know reputable grand prix and higher level warmblood breeders who run off of this theory and it seems to me that the horses that come off their property are exceptionally mentally stable and quiet.  So Iam going to vouge that it works!

Either way - I begin light work on mine from day one.  Halter breaking, tieing, standing for ferrier, good with feet etc. just general manerisms that I expect from them - all ground work.  I dont start pace work (wtc and lunging) until about 2.5 and it all depends on the horse.  Some horses mature well at 2 and are "ready" to make the first steps into a full time program BUT usually its around age 2.5.  Bigger warmbloods (17hh+) at times require more time to grow and develop.  As far as backing a horse its usually around age 3-4 (again depends on the horse) that I can safely hop on and ride quietly in a halter lead rope and put them into a full time riding program.  

Training is always individual to the horse in EVERY case.  I had a 2 yr old gelding who was quite a size at 2 and we backed him.  Just walking with a halter and a lead rope, worked on desensitizing him with ground work and when it really came to really "breaking" him he was a charm!  Again horses are no different than us in that they all learn very differently and at different paces.  Each trainer has a different method/standard.  But I can assure you that my horses always come out finished and quiet and willing and they are all happy!!!  And to me, thats all that matters.  

Happy Riding/Training/Breeding :P

EDIT**

Someone must be having a good time with the thumbs down button !!!!

Answer 6

We breed some of our girls at 3 to foal at 4 but it's based on the individual.  Some youngsters are more mature than others emotionally and if they need time to grow up, we take that into consideration.

We do not start backing our babies until they are 3.  Not a moment sooner.  As ponies, we expect good longevity and for them to stay sound with a fruitful show career long into their lives therefore we don't want to put undue stress on legs.  We do not jump our ponies until they are 4.

Before they reach 3 years of age, we want them to have good ground manners, know how to model for a confirmation/in hand class and have rudimentary lunge training.  In the meantime, we want them to grow up in the field and be horses.  They learn a lot from each other and just giving them time to be ponies gives them a good head on their shoulders.

Answer 7

at 2, you start putting tack on them usually. at 2and a half, you can start light riding. at about 4 they are full grown. thats the time you can breed. you can breed before or after training.  

Answer 8

Depends on breed of horse at age 5 the QH is ready and done growing and for the Arabian it's 7 yrs, they are all a bit different so depends on when growth is stooped and they are fully sexual mature to handle the pregnancy:)  I like to start training the arabian at about 3 yrs, NO weight til them and very little to start and QH's at 2 yr, know my current horse she's 1/2 Arb/QH and at 2 1/2 her knees were closed, (she meet in the middle) so that's when I started with her, and yep like you said handling and so on started at birth:)  

EDIT

this is soooo sad that folks don't know this and all the yrs of QH and Arbaian breeding you see so many YOUNG horses with foals on there side, they NEVER reach there potential height, they tend to become sway backed quickly, and never in the greatest of health.  See it WAY to many times.  ALL breeds are different, and grow til a different age, live longer or shorter than others, the THUMBS DOWNER, you NEED to do you research and I hope and pray you DON'T breed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S.

Take a good long hard look at what is happening to the Throughbreeds and the track??????  Makes ya think, don't it?  (I hope)

Answer 9

Typically, I start my babies as soon as they hit the ground.  Halter, leading, etc.  By the time they are yearlings, they are used to blankets, clipping, loading, the whole shooting match.  As yearlings they learn to lunge, drive and stand patiently at the hitching post with a light saddle on them.

By two, they sleep through the mounting and riding off....

IF I'd had my rathers, I'd rather wait until a mare is 6 to breed her.  They grow UPwards until they are 4 then outwards until they are six.  Unfortunately, my now 9 year old mare wasn't mine until she was six and she'd already had 4 foals!!!  They NEVER bothered to saddle break her and because of circumstances, I didn't get the job done when I got her and left her open for 2 years.

Answer 10

Def. Train before breeding,  Sure a horse may have the BEST conformation as per their breed standards, but that doesn't mean anything really if they have attitude or trainabilty issues.  Breeding I think should wait until the horse is a proven performer and is at least 5 years old.

Training starts from day one.  you are always teaching ahorse something weather you intend too or not.

AS for riding and driving, you can start slowly after 2 years old, and increase slowly over the years,  most of the horses Ive known have been started as two year olds and "finshed" by three or 4.

Answer 11

ok i beleive its better to train a horse before breading so they no a bit of knollage and they will be better to handel when you do bread with them but it doesnt realy matter if you do or not.

horses dont realy finish growing untill 4 to 5 years old depends on wat bread they are and there knees dont fully close over till four years old and thats with most horses.

and i think its a good age to start breaking at 3 it gives them a little more time to grow out but you can start them at 2 it realy depends if you dont mind waiting that bit longer and you should never jump a horse under the aige of 4 because of there knees not fully closed up and developed.

and colts or fillies are safe to breed from the age of four years old. leah  

Answer 12

I typically like to wait until three to breed and 4 to have a foal.  That is the earliest I would consider breeding.  Not really an issue though for me since most of my mares have usually been older still by the time I considered breeding.  Many people wait until 4 or later to breed.  I do know of people who breed at two and let their mares foal at three.  I do not like to do that.

Of course you start handling immediately but serious training and backing I like to start at two.  At two I break them to light riding.  Nothing heavy just light riding around a small paddock and or the back yard.  Later (usually about two and one half) I will ride them down the gravel road to give them experience with trail objects that may be spooky for them.

I do not like waiting until three since many horses start to get to the age to test dominance as they turn three.  They generally turn out to be better horses if they learn to ride before this happens and are much less likely to ever buck or throw a hissy fit.

Answer 13

This isn't a flippant answer, but in my opinion horses are old enough to train from the time they are newborns.

I suspect that isn't what you meant in your question, you probably meant - how old should they start being rode?  But the reason I said newborn is; there is a huge variety of things you can and should train your horse at various ages, and it isn't wise to wait until they're three or four before starting these things.  I would much rather start a two year old than a three year old - most three year olds are rather like sassy teenagers and if they haven't got a good basis under them it makes the job much more difficult.  And four and five year olds are the worse for attitude!

In my opinion, weanlings should learn how to lead, pick up their feet, tie, be loaded in a trailer, be brushed and sacked out and handled, to give their heads to pressure of the rope, to walk over ramps and poles and tarps, and to enjoy but still respect people.

Yearlings can learn an amazing amount!  They should be able to lunge at all three gaits (don't overdo it at a trot and canter due to their immature joints) they should start doing in-hand trail obstacles such as ramps, sidepassing, backing between poles, they should be sacked out with a bunch of stuff, they should be hobbled, they should load in trailers well, they should be tied regularily, they should be blanketed and saddled with a light saddle, they should be hauled to shows and other unfamiliar places, they should be exposed to as many things as possible.  They should be ponies off other horses and lead by people along side the road and down paths.

I start lightly riding my two-year olds.  You need to be careful to not overdo riding in circles, and you shouldn't be a heavy rider for a young horse (I weigh about 110 lbs)  Most riding should be done at a walk and trot, they can learn almost everything this year if done slowly.  I would expect them to sidepass, back, to give at the pole, to pivot, to begin to headset.  They can lope short distances, especially on the straight and to begin to pick up the proper leads.  They should learn to go out on the trail at a walk and trot with another quiet horse.  They should be hauled to shows, even if its just to watch the activities.  They should be stalled at times, but spend most of their time outdoors in turnout.  They should be polite, respectful and calm.

As three year olds I would continue all those things and just build on them.  Three year olds can lope longer periods and do more circle work.  I would expect a decent headset.  I would expect more flexibility, more percision.  

You don't jump a horse until they are four as that's an activity especially hard on their joints.  Likewise you should keep sliding stops and other tough activities to a minimal until they are four.  Be aware that certain breed mature later than others, and within breeds there are ones that mature earlier and ones that mature later.

As for breeding, a stallion can breed a certain number of mares at the age of two, and more as a three year old.  A mare could be bred at the age of three and when she foals she will be four.  That is the minimum age, in my opinion, ideally she could be bred at the age of four.

I believe your horse should be trained before being bred.  Training will make every other aspect much easier - how else do you haul your horse to the breeder, to have them cooperate with the vet, to have them accept you working with their foal?

Answer 14

I have been breeding and training horses for over 40 years. I made my share of mistakes along the way, and I hope I learned from them. There are a lot of safty issues involved in breeding mares, especially for the first ime, besides age.

Most people think it best to wait until the mare is at least 3, me I think 4 is better, if you can wait. A four year old may be big enough to have a foal, but often a four year old is still not settled down all the way, not the way a five year old is,and they can be pretty touchy about haveing a foal getting "fresh" with them. However, I wouldn't want to wait much past four to breed a mare, 'cause they can begin to have fertility problems if their reproductive systems don't come on line in a timely fashion. Breeding older mares, for their first foal can be hit or miss.

More important is the condition of the mare, and the size of the stallion she is being bred to. Breeding a small, or ill  conditioned mare, to a big stallion, for instance, is not a good breeding risk. There are a lot of factors involved.

Breeding is a risky business, you can only guess at how the resulting foal will turn out, and you have to wait for 2 or 3 years before you can really tell. I'd say it is easier just to buy the horse you want, than it is to breed one. I know that someone posted that there is a lot of money to be made breeding horses... well I wouldn't count on it. Not every foal is a good one, but they eat all the same. There are a lot of horses out there, competing for the market. And feed prices are on the rise, as you well know by now.

It takes about double the feed to keep a mare with a foal by her side in good shape. And feed and a half to keep her while she is pregnant. Best to have a lot of money and/or a good pasture if you plan on raising foals.

I will keep my training council to myself as you have plenty of good advise already. Be kind, and use your common sense.

Answer 15

Horse training tips, much like general opinions, are something horsemen have no shortage of. So many different techniques and schools of thought exist that it can almost be maddening for those who wish to pick up sound advice for training their own horse. Which technique is correct? Which school of thought is the one I should follow?

The answer is none!

While you can become proficient with a particular training technique, you will really blossom if you remain receptive to a variety of techniques and incorporate those elements of the different schools that blend well with your own personal skills or preferences.

Although we do not advocate following horse training tips or techniques belonging exclusively to one school of thought, we do strongly believe in keeping your focus within one theme: natural horsemanship. If a particular technique goes against our philosophy of gentle horsemanship and creating a bond rather than an adversarial relationship, it will not be included here (at least not in a complimentary fashion).