Preparing a yearling for sale or show
Tania Cubitt | 01.12.20

Which horse for which sale?
Apart from genetics, size and maturity should help you make your decision as to which sale you should enter your yearling in. In Australasia the major sales start at the beginning of February and finish up around Easter. There are also a few sales during winter as well. Thus if you have a quality yearling that will be accepted into the higher category sale and is a little shy in the size and maturity department it may be wise to save him for the later sales and let him mature for the extra 2-3 months. If you consider that most preparations look for a gain of nearly 1kg a day, the extra time for your smaller yearling could increase its size by 80-100kg. Also muscle and bone development will be more defined as well. If you have an average yearling which is smaller I would again suggest waiting for the latter sales to maximise it growth. For the majority of yearlings I would suggest choose your sales wisely. If you have a marginal yearling for sale, you must decide whether you want to be on the bottom rung at a larger sale or a headliner at a smaller sale. That's the gamble.Timelines
When to start preparation is always the main question asked about preparing yearlings. Most studs use a 90-120 day preparation period. This gives enough room for the smaller or less developed yearlings to catch up, without putting too much pressure on them. (Remember - even though buyers want a lean athletic yearling, they still want a little bulk and muscle development). Many preparation staff will select some horses to start earlier than this and gradually build them up. Personally this is the best way for me. This doesn't mean that the yearlings will be boxed for 4-5 months but their feed intake, handling and limited exercise may start from the paddock much earlier than the traditional 3 months from sale. Some people wait until the last 4-6 weeks before the sale to start preparing their yearlings. This can put immense pressure on the yearlings to gain weight and condition. Such a sudden burst of growth is quite dangerous as this can lead to Development Orthopaedic Disease (DOD), laminitis and colic. When planning your yearling’s preparation it is necessary to plan each yearling individually and perhaps group similar formed yearlings for different sales. This will enable you to control their preparation and also enable a steady rate of growth instead of a mad panic coming into a sale.Feeding the yearling


Tuning the yearling
Even though yearlings are turned out in the paddock during prep, this form of free exercise rarely produces the toned effect we are looking for. Therefore some additional conditioning is required to achieve the athletic look at the sales. It may be advisable before you start your yearlings on an exercise regime that the next time your veterinarian is in to let them examine the horse to give an alternative opinion on the structure and soundness of the yearling and the suitability of an exercise program. Some physical or conformational problems could be enhanced by forced exercise and stresses involved with that exercise. The most traditional but also the most labour intensive form of conditioning the yearling is by hand walking. For most yearlings this may be suitable but considering the amount of feed you are feeding the yearling they may tend to get a little fat on this exercise program and may need a more vigorous form of exercise to maintain condition score and muscle tone. Some form of trotting exercise will help in promoting the desired condition and muscle tone. Depending on the size of your operation careful management of your yearlings exercise program is paramount. If yearlings develop lameness or joint problems it is advised to reduce exercise and consult your veterinarian.The final Gleam
Some of the factors affecting a yearling's sale price are beyond your control (pedigree, performance etc.), but attention to proper feeding and conditioning will substantially improve a yearlings health and value to prospective buyers. Potential buyers pay great attention to conditioning and behaviour of horses so grooming and handling play an important role in determining the final price of your yearling. Some studs specialise in the preparation of horses and have developed reputations for turning out great looking well mannered horses and so attract the main buyers to inspect their draft.
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