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Horse Training - What Can I Do With a Five to Fifteen Year Old?

By Katherine Blocksdorf, About.com

A mature hose is better able to withstand the stress of high level competition.

Photo by MN Chan/Getty Images
Question: Horse Training - What Can I Do With a Five to Fifteen Year Old?

What can you do with a horse that is between the ages of five and fifteen? Here's an overview of what you can expect when training and handling your mature horse.

Answer: Horses at this age are in their prime working years. All bones and joints are fully developed and the animal is considered mature in every way. The horse is ready to take on the work it was bred for—whether pleasure horse or top level competitor. In fact many top level competition horses have not reached their full potential until after the age of 10.

Training continues throughout a horse's life. Every interaction between human and horse leaves an impression. No matter how thorough a horse's training is early in life a poor handler or rider/driver can all too easily undo that training.

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