Starting Under by Wendy Elks info@westernranch.com.au Photos by Monique vanVliet: The preferred age seems to differ between breeds and disciplines. Why are there differences? To find answers we asked renowned horsemen and women, known for their work with young horses, for their thoughts on the starting under saddle age of horses. Hoofbeats thanks: DR CHRIS WHITTON - head veterinarian at the Melbourne University Equine Unit and world leader in lameness investigation and imaging, with a special interest in diagnosing and preventing injury in performance horses. SHEILA LAXON represented Great Britain in junior showjumping, evented and rode as an amateur in professional steeplechase, hurdle and flat races before becoming an apprentice jockey and then trainer. KIRSTEN STRATH of Strathford Park is a breeder of Riding Ponies, and has been starting, training and preparing horses and ponies for the show ring for over 22 years. RICHARD SHARMAN starting, training and showing clients’ horses across Australia with 90% being Arabians. DEAN GRASS starts up to 2,000 horses per year and is experienced with Quarter Horses, Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. he planning and care that goes into raising a foal, from plotting its genetics, and care in-utero, to the pasture, feeding and exercise it receives as a foal and yearling can, to a degree, affect its future health and the purpose for which it was bred. Starting under saddle heralds the beginning of a horse’s working life, and is therefore a significant milestone that can have an enormous effect on its future performance and attitude. These days, the age of backing a horse varies according to the traditions and culture into which a horse is born, rather than the once generally accepted four-years-old. Many Thoroughbreds are started under saddle before their second birthday, and so are Quarter Horses bound for futurity competition. Arabians and Warmbloods are traditionally not begun under saddle until the Spring of their third year, while Spanish horses may not be fully backed until considerably older. To read more click to purchase this issue or subscribe. Continued T Photos by Is there an ideal age? M western liet: info@ onique vanV ranch.com le dd Sa .au