this is the first time i have posted and the second time on a computer so bare with me i own a 3yr old newforest called limekiln amigo he is about 14hh and hope him to finish at 14.2hh he was a challenge to start with but patience paid off not going to start him untill next year while my coloured cob as her foal and will have more time what do you think about starting them as 4 year olds ?

Can I ask what his breeding is as iknow quite a few Limekiln ponies.

hi
welcome

just wondering how long you have had your new forest as you say he was a bit of a challenge at first and my youngster is the same
i got him at 3 months old and he was wild and i mean wild
he is called rebel and he lives up to his name he is now almost 2 and he has got a lot better but he can still throw the odd temper tantrum when he feels like it
my husband was going to have 666 put on his backend at first
his sire is portmore tempest

i dont think there is anything wrong with backing your pony at 4 as i also have a 3 year old that we are thinking of leaving until next year as he has been having teething trouble since before summer and the dentist says he is an early developer but we have bitted him , walked him out in hand on the roads , put the saddle on and long reined him and he has also been sat on and walked with a lead attached a couple of times

so good luck what ever you decide to do

hi i am also new on the forum and i have a yearling filly by limekiln harmony she has the most amazing laid back nature and nothing fazes her, she stands at 13.2 already so hopefully she will make 14.2hh and we won't be in any rush to do too much more than the basics when she is 3 i think 4yrs is fine.

amigo,s sire is faircross sunrise and dam is limekiln cocoa he was around 6 months old when i got him i live in shropshire so he did some travelling he was halter broken and had had basic handling but i made the mistake of taking his head collar off after a couple of days and he decided he was free again it took a while to convince him that i was not going to hurt him he as been a nightmare with his feet and to touch all over he hated the stable did not like his ears touched i could go on but this spring we had a breakthrough he just decided that i was not that bad after all i bought him as a companion to my mini shettie and was going to sell him at 3yrs but he is part of the family now i have had all his tack on and a light weight rider on and he stood like a rock he actually liked the bit and just takes it before your ready to put bridle on

I live in Somerset and got my young new forest when she was 14 months old from her breeder, who said that she never backs hers till they are four years old. I did the normal things with her and led her in hand, taught her to load and took her to a couple of shows, had a saddle and briddle on her. She was an autumn foal so she went to be backed last October and I have been very pleased with her. I think that by that time she was ready and wanted to do things. We now have regular lessons; she goes to riding club training twice a month and we hack out, although she is more confident if she has another horse with her. Last month she went over a couple of tiny cross poles and loved it. Every one says how well she has come on, so from my point of view, waiting till she was four has worked. I did not turn her away, as a lot of people do with three years old, but caried on riding her through the winter.
You obviously have patience and I am sure you will make the right decision for your gelding and I hope you find it as satisfying as I have done. When I rode Molly for the first time,it was one of the best moments of my life. Molly really loves going out and from the sound of it he will too.Good luck with him, it sounds like you have got it right.

i think you need lots of patience with youngsters don,t you my mare is at a stud yard at the moment she will be scanned late next week to see if she,s in foal then it dawned on me that it will in 4 years time before that baby will be three and ready to start horses are not for impatient people are they ?

sunrise was by Blackwell Sunset who competed in veteran and jumping and gymkana at breed show this week at 24years of age.Good competition family. Limekiln Harmony is an angel, super ride, competed point to point and drifts and is safe as houses.Both real family horses.

i did get in touch with mike eccles who bred amigo who was very helpful he sent me lots of info about how things work on the forest , and sent me a full family tree and photo,s of my boy with his dam and one off the forest just before he was sold. i do write and send mike up dates and photos he always seems interested in how he is getting on