For many breeds, 3 to 4 years old should be an adequate age to start a horse under saddle. | Photo: iStock

Q: I have a fine-boned 3-year-old Welsh/Quarter Horse cross that I would like to start in regular work and training, but I’m reluctant for fear of placing too much stress on her young spine. When is it safe to start and ride her on a regular basis?—Anita Covelli, Homosassa, Florida

A: In the performance horse world and with many breeds, 3 to 4 years old should be an adequate age to start a horse under saddle. In the racing breeds we start a little earlier (around 2 years of age) and the data doesn’t show that starting these horses early is a problem. But, generally, 3 to 4 years old is a good age and the horse should be plenty mature skeletally for some riding.

Horse aren’t completely physically mature at this point and are still growing, and certainly a 3-year-old Warmblood will look different than a 6-year-old Warmblood. You have to play it by ear and use common sense, and you won’t use the same training regimen for all breeds and all horses for that matter, even within the same breed