Re: Advice on 2 1/2 year old?

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

Hi, Mary--

Let your filly play!  Occasionally accidents happen, but hard play is how they
develop.  It would be nice if she could spend MORE time out so that it is more
commonplace for her, but she is not carrying a rider, and even though she
plays hard, she probably varies her activities constantly, and doesn't do
exhausting repititions of anything in particular.  I think you will do her far
more harm by restricting her activity or by overprotecting her--if she is
going to grow up to be an endurance horse, she needs all the cavorting and
play time she can get while developing.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)

PS:  I have two 2-1/2 year old stallions out on about an acre with a 5-year-
old stallion as a babysitter, with juniper trees and lava rocks along one side
and a drain ditch down through the center, and they roughhouse around and
around in there at full speed--in a few years, I imagine I will be able to
ride either of them darn near anywhere at speed without fear.