What is an appropriate age for a horse to be started under saddle?

Elle: What is an appropriate age for a horse to be started under saddle?
I’m just curious as I have been looking around for a horse, just casually as I like to see what is available. And I was wondering what an appropriate age, or what age should a horse be started under saddle? I’m seeing many 2 year olds that have been started and are being ridden by children. I know racehorses are started young but what age should a typical horse be when you start it under saddle, getting it used to the saddle, and beginning to break him/her. Just curious. Thanks!

Answers and Views:

Answer by Zach
i’m 14 and i saddled my horse when he was 4

Answer by rach2397
2 or 3 depending on the horse

Answer by Ashley
in the paint horse world 2 but i disagree with that it should be at least 3 if not older, the older the better but if you wait to long it could be harder to get them used to ridding:)

Answer by sophia cunningham
if you have a big strong horse, a cob or draft, then 2-3yrs would be fine.
with other horses like arabs and thoroughbreds then i think it’s about 3-4yrs, i know 4yrs is defently okay but im not definite about 3. it perpends on the horse really.

Answer by pix4434
You can start a horse at 2 with putting the saddle pad, saddle, and bridle on. I would not start putting weight on the horse until the horse is at least 3 years of age. If you start the horse too young and put weight on too soon you can cause the horse to become sway backed which is painful to the horse. Draft breeds can be started and ridden at 2 due to the skeletal structure. Smaller breeds need more time to mature.

Answer by Pickled Pig’s Feet
3 to 4 years old at least. Many people start them at 2. I used to also back before I knew better. Medical studies show that even light riding on 2 year olds can cause permanent joint damage. Studies done on necropsied race horses show scar tissue and joint damage as a result of early racing. A horse’s joints, tendons, ligaments and growth plates haven’t even begun to mature and close until 3 1/2- 4 years old. Many people use the argument “this breed matures faster….”…bullshit. Veterinary studies have shown that this is complete hooey. Some breeds (QH, TB, drafts) appear to physically mature faster due to their build or muscle mass but it is only skin deep. Underneath their young joints are just as vulnerable as any other young horse. Especially so in drafts or draft crosses, it can actually longer for them to mature because of their sheer size and bulk just like large dog breeds.

And as for an older horse being harder to train…well that is bullshit too. An older horse is much more mature mentally than a younger one. They are much less likely to come unglued, get confused or burn out from training. You wouldn’t expect a 5 year old to learn algebra would you? Yet a 12 year old can catch on quite easily. Same concept. Of course a horse needs to be prepared to trained to ride. A horse should definitely be worked and trained before being taught to ride and if you were to take a young horse, toss it in pasture and do nothing with it until it is of riding age then hell yeah you’re gonna have problems with it. If a horse is handled regularly and properly prepared for the big day when they are started under saddle the actual riding comes along much easier no matter what the horse’s age is.

Answer by Danielle B
I would never put a child on a 2 yr old. As calm as the horse is, it is still inexperienced, and doesn’t have enough miles under the saddle to be considered safe.

As for begining to “break” a horse- you start at a few hours old- getting it used to touching, halter, leading, etc.

By 2 years (and even usually by a year and a half), we have our horses used to saddles, bridles, lunging, voice commands, walking on a trail in hand, etc, so when we actually get on the horse (usually 2.5 yrs), the horse is used to everything and is calmer already.
However, while we start riding at 2.5 yrs, we don’t ride hard- it is just bending, walk and trot, making everything easy and fun for the horse, and may only ride once or twice a week.
Once they turn about 3.5, we start the canter work and riding more regularly, easy rides 4-5 days a week, slowly building up muscle and stamina, working harder when the horse is physically fit for it.

If you are a beginner, look for horses with a lot of trail or show miles, and at least 8 years old, and it is best to get regular lessons as well to make sure that you don’t teach the horse any bad habits, or let it get away with things that you wouldn’t necessarily think of being a beginner.

EDIT: I want to comment on the person who wrote drafts can be ridden earlier because they are bigger and sturdier. That is false. Drafts, and some draft crosses can grow until 8 years of age, compared to 4-5 years for most horses, and you shouldn’t start heavier riding until 4 or so because their growth plates on their longbones aren’t closed.

Answer by Shandell Hoefsloot
2 years old for sure, but sometimes 3. Really depends on the size of the horse, and if he/she is ready to be broke. So really depends on the horse. 🙂

Answer by mcgraw_hill_fan62394
most horses mature by the time they turn 3. but other horses, like warmbloods, dont fully mature until they are 5 or 6. at my barn, we have a 2 two year olds, a 3 year old and a 2 month old colt. they have just startedd the 3 year old at the begining of the year. and they are going to start the two year olds in the spring. hope this helps ♥

Answer by gallop
Skeletal maturation has nothing to do with a horse’s breed. And the more body mass a horse carries, the more the joints and growth plates are stressed by adding more weight on the spine, so it is particularly damaging to start large draft breeds too early. Ideally we would wait until they are 4 to 5 years old before beginning work under saddle, since by then more of the growth plates will have closed. At least wait until the horse is 3 and then take it very slow as the horse is conditioned to handle the stresses. Bone continues to remodel and develop mature shape as it adapts to the stresses placed on it. Malformations and bone cysts can form when stress forces are excessive. The growth plates of the spinal vertebrae don’t close until the horse is 5 1/2 to 6 years old, and later in taller horses. Since processes of the vertebrae serve as attachments for the muscles that move the body, weakness of malformations can affect everything the horse is asked to do for the rest of its life,
So, ideally, wait until the horse is at least 4, but never start before the age of 3. As for advanced work like jumping or extremes of collection, it’s best to wait until the horse is fully mature at 6 years old or more.

If you are really interested, you should take the time to read this article which is very informative……………..

https://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf