Here in my neck of Florida, the general consensus is ride 'em at 2...the day they turn 2. Once they are "broke", you can ride them as much or as fast as you want. There are two kinds of horses around here...barrel horses and trail horses. They both have about the same amount of training..none. My neighbors all think I'm insane. My two year old ground drives, has worn a saddle, has had my 10 year old niece on him (wearing a helmet and attached to my hand with a lead rope), I have draped myself all over him, and he has been through some serious despooking. I ride in an english type saddle (it's a Freeform treeless saddle). Merlin will learn how to drive before he learns how to be ridden. The neighbors keep asking me when I'm going to ride him. I tell them, in a year or two...when he doesn't look like a baby and isn't butt high anymore.

Of course, these are the same people that use the excuse of "well he's just old" to explain why their 28 year old looks like a concentration camp victim. And think that two bales of hay a day between 12 horses is more than enough hay. And think that hooves are something you can either trim yourself (with no training) or you have the "ferrier" out every three months to trim. Horses also don't need any type of hoof protection, no matter how many rocks you go through, and if it's lame, you can still ride it...just give it some bute!

Some days I feel I am in horse hell around here. Excuse me while I go see if my horse is dry enough to put a blanket on now.....