When?

[Pony Soldier]

Over the years I have been prone to buying 10-12 year old horses and spend time working out the bugs.

Because of the shortfall of older horses, I find myself with a two year old filly. When do folks like to break them to ride. This one is mostly morgan with some paso fino. Good disposition and personality.

 

[Preston]

I started training min to ride in January and they just turned 3 in April/May. I did a lot of densetilizing in the years prior from when I weaned them to raising them

 

[doverpack12]

Now before they get too big and strong with their own opinions about work.

 

[Fordguy]

Depends on exactly what you mean by breaking them to ride,. It also depends on how much riding time you'll put on the horse while it's still growing and what kind of riding you do. When I used to compete in endurance rides, the horse had to be at least 5 before they would let you enter limited distance rides.
I usually started breaking horses to ride as two year olds, and I would sometimes start limited light work under saddle (lunge line work or ground driving with basic commands) earlier than that.
As 2 year olds, all of the work under saddle was short duration, and not at all strenuous.

Having been spent somewhere around 30 years training horses (for myself and others) and competing in various disciplines, I'll tell you that three of my best horses weren't broke/trained until they were between 6 and 10 years old. I bought them cheap because they were older and had only been used to pasture breed mares or were too much of a handful for their current owners to work with.

My 23 year old stallion, (a thoroughbred paint cross with a lot of foundation qh on the paint side) I broke to ride at 4. He's been ridden thousands of miles in endurance conditioning and competition, competitive mounted orienteering, mounted archery competition and demonstration and more. He's also packed out and (occasionally dragged) several animals for me. He hasn't been lame a day in his life, and he's seen a lot of hard use.

It's usually easier to train a horse to do things the right way than it is to untrain/retrain a horse that someone else has made mistakes with.

A Paso Morgan cross sounds like it has the potential to be a very smooth ride. That appeals to me more and more as I get older. This turned into a lot longer post than I had planned.

Keep us posted and let us know how she turns out.

 

[MustangPacker]

I would be doing plenty of ground work/desensitization and ponying them along on light rides, but would wait to start riding until after 3. Then I would wait to be heavily ridden on tough trails and more advanced training by later months of age 4 to 5. They aren't fully developed and bones set until nearly 6. If you work it too much/too hard at 2 and 3, then you likely will have issues later in its life. On the other hand, it is good to get them moving and working rather than stagnant, but be mindful of how much and how hard. Just my opinion.

 

[Archer86]

We lightly started 2 this year one is just 2 and the other is 3 but they are being rode by my daughter who is 14 so not much work for them the 2 year old will get a break and the 3 year old will be taken to hunting camp this year packed lightly

 

[Pony Soldier]

I really appreciare this. She leads well and shows no signs of shyness to anything. I will continue exposing her to various things and focus on formal training next summer.

 

[Wyomuleskinner]

I think youl get alot of opinions on this and there probably are multiple answers. But, I break them at 2. I don't care about people sayin they will wear out sooner. Who cares?? I'll get another one.

 

[bmart2622]

A few rides in the round pen when they are 2, spend the fall being ponied/packed in the mountains and then lots of riding when they turn 3

 

[wymtnpounder]

I like to get 10 or so rides at 2 with light packing, little heavier duty at 3, then put them on the payroll at 4.