How do you keep your yearlings?

campervan

I'm looking to get an idea of the 'norm' for keeping yearlings at the moment - I am sharing a filly who at the moment is in paddocks that are far too small for her, she seems to need a good gallop and has tons of energy to burn off. We were planning to put her out in a field with some other youngsters or even just on her own for the summer but we are struggling to find somewhere, there is very little grass in the place she is now. She is also getting quite hard to handle which is another story, but I feel that if she is let off for the summer she might be easier to handle in the autumn? Of course she is young and is playful, thats understandable. Anyway I was just curious about how other people do it - do you leave your yearlings out all year round, are they stabled at all? Do you do much handling work with them? Or are they gone for the few years and just brought back in then when they are 3/3.5?
thanks

pearliewhite

I'm no expert by any means but this is what I did with my guy:
Got him around 6 months or so (in December) - He was never handled before so I kept him in and put head collar on him, lifted feet, groomed him etc. let him out during the day for a few hours to have a good gallop. Did this all winter and brought him out for walks to get him used to being lead around. He was housed beside the cattle shed so he got used to all the noise and tractors coming and going. Then in spring he went out to grass and was kept out for the next 2 winters and was only handled lightly ( put into box for moving, walking to next field, brought in for gelding etc).
For me anyway it has worked well as he's easily handled and has enjoyed being out in the field relaxing before the stress of being broken. He's off to get broken next week so I may eat my words!
I always find if you keep them in the first winter to put some basic handling work in place, it pays off but that's just me.
Don't know if this helps at all! Good luck with her anyway

campervan

thanks for the reply pearliewhite, she has been well handled since we got her last october, she is picking up her feet fine, front and back. She is happy to be rubbed and brushed all over even under her belly, perfect with headcollar. She is an absolute gem in the stable - its just when she is out that she gets excited. We havent done much leading with her though, she tends to circle around and rear a bit. well we will have to search more for some big grassy field and see how it goes!

pearliewhite

she'll definitely burn off that energy in the bigger field! sounds like you're well on the way with her anyway

doctor evil

Get her in somewhere with young company, preferably with an older horse to put manners on the youngsters!

Don't keep her on her own as you'll be setting yourself up for trouble. A stable would be handy when needed. Have you tried rope around the bum for leading.

convert

doctor evil wrote: »

Have you tried rope around the bum for leading.

Unless the yearling is pretty quiet (for a yearling), you're in an enclosed space and/or you really know what you're doing and have help, I'd avoid this as it has the potential for the youngster to get tangled up in the rope and that's not what you want.

boxerly

I worked on a stud farm mostly working with the yearlings.When we got them they would get fed early then checked,feet picked out then they went out to paddocks.They were brought in after lunch and groomed.This was done every day for a few weeks.Then we began to lunge them 5 minutes per side then hand walked them for 30 minutes.After a few weeks again we put rollers on them,then the side reins went on.Coming close to sales they didnt get out to the paddocks :(they were kept in stables with rugs on,even when it was hot.Yearlings need gentle but firm handling,it is very easy for them to turn "mad" and develop fears.I prept a few horses who liked to rear especially when the colts became fit and its not nice to have a steel hoof coming down at your head x.Best of luck with her xx