driving training age question

[MPR]

Does it matter what age a horse is trained to drive? I guess what I mean is, can an 8 yr. old horse be trained to drive, or would it be a lot more difficult than starting with a 3 yr. old?

 

[Relic]

We've started them as long 2 year olds and the mares when idle as late as 12 l didn't think this made much differance as to them being any harder to train for the cart just made the older ones take something new in stride a lot easier.

 

[MiLo Minis]

The only thing I find with older horses is that it can be a little bit harder to straighten them out. Pretty much all horses are naturally crooked and the older they are the more set in their ways they are and it can take them a bit longer to find their balance in the cart but other than that no difference whatsoever and I have trained quite a few of all different ages.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I suppose it depends a lot on what the older horse has done.

An older horse, been there, done that, seen it all, that has also jumped and done obstacle- that would be a doddle to harness train.

When I was doing the big(ger) horses I preferred an animal that was saddle trained and had worked, it meant they were bridle wise, etc- mind you I have limited experience training big horses that someone else had done all that work on- I was invariably doing one I had bred and raised, so that would make a difference.

But a lot of older horses are better at a lot of things than youngsters, anyway.