When early training becomes a lifetime sentence of pain
The Price of Impatience
We’ve all seen the flashy videos—two-year-olds being saddled, trotting perfectly round circles, working cattle, even sliding to stops. The industry celebrates it. Futurities reward it. Trainers are hired for it.
But at what cost?
As someone who’s spent decades in the horse world—teaching, training, observing, and caring deeply—I can tell you this: juvenile arthritis is real, it’s painful, and it’s mostly man-made.
And it’s happening to horses far too young and far too often.
What Is Juvenile Arthritis?
Juvenile arthritis is joint inflammation that develops in young horses, sometimes as early as two or three years old. It’s not just stiff knees or sore hocks after a long ride. It’s chronic, degenerative, often irreversible joint damage that affects comfort, performance, and longevity.
In severe cases, it shortens careers. In heartbreaking cases, it ends them entirely.
Causes: The Human Part in a Preventable Disease
Let’s call it what it is—juvenile arthritis is largely caused by human impatience and ignorance.
Here’s how we set young horses up to fail:
Early, intensive training before skeletal maturity
Growth plates don’t close fully until ages 5–7, depending on the joint. Yet many horses are being asked to carry riders, perform advanced maneuvers, or race by age 2 or 3—when their joints are still forming.
Forced growth through high-energy feeding
“Bigger, sooner” sounds good on a sale ad, but overfeeding young horses can outpace their bone and joint development. Fast growth often equals fragile joints.
Confinement and limited movement
Foals need freedom to move a lot. Stall-kept youngsters who don’t get enough turnout develop weaker support structures—then are suddenly thrown into work.
Concussion- the repetition of strides while the horse carries weight during training.
Pressure from shoeing.
Altering natural hoof shape too early or making babies carry weight on their hooves.
Riding performance too soon
, asking a young horse to move in collection without the muscles to support it can lead to long-term damage.
Round Penning, Lunging, and the Myth of “Light Work”
Even if a horse isn’t being ridden yet, it can still be overworked—and damaged—on the ground.
Lunging and round penning of horses under the age of three can cause serious harm. Why? Because even though it may appear “light,” these circular exercises put uneven and repetitive stress on developing bones and joints.
Here’s what the research shows:
The growth plates in a horse’s spine (especially the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae) don’t close until about age 5–6
. Check out this article.
Even low-speed work on a lunge line creates asymmetrical loading. That uneven pressure compresses joints, strains ligaments, and can lead to cartilage damage.
Small circles make it worse. The tighter the circle, the more the outside limbs are torqued, and the greater the risk of injury.
This is especially concerning when young horses are chased in round pens for the sake of “respect” or “making them submit.” Or pressure is put on them to swiftly change directions. Or to just plain wear them down so they are too tired to buck. Instead of a relationship building training tool, round pen training done by the aggressive or uneducated horse person can injure horses. Aside from the ethical questions raised, the physical consequences can be lifelong..
Industry Defenses—and Why They Don’t Hold Up
My stance on not riding babies is never popular with reining horse people or racehorse lovers, but sometimes we disagree on right and wrong in the horse industry. For me it’s a moral argument based on what is good for the horse.
To be fair, many people don’t question why horses are started so young—because that’s how it’s always been done. Or they believe trainers whose goal is to make money in the show ring. Or those who develop trainer-dependent amateurs. But if we want to protect the long-term soundness of our horses, we need to look critically at the industry narratives that justify this early workload.
Here are the most common arguments you’ll hear for early riding, racing, or lunging—and why those arguments don’t hold up under closer scrutiny:
- “Early training increases bone strength.”
What they say: Early exercise, including weight-bearing work, stimulates bone density and joint strength in young horses. The theory is that moderate loading before growth plates close encourages adaptation and results in a more durable athlete. Light work, they argue, prepares the horse’s skeleton for the rigors of performance.
Why it falls apart: Yes, bone responds to load. But the rest of the body doesn’t keep up. Tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and connective tissue develop more slowly—and those are the very structures most affected by repetitive, high-impact work. While carefully managed movement is beneficial, pushing immature joints leads directly to the kinds of degenerative changes we see in juvenile arthritis. Bone may adapt, but soft tissue doesn’t bounce back.
There’s a big difference between controlled, light conditioning and the kind of intense speed and concussion involved in racing or reining. Many of these studies are narrowly focused and fail to address long-term degenerative joint disease or mental maturity. Also, bone may adapt—but soft tissue (tendons, ligaments, cartilage) does not mature at the same rate. - “We can’t afford to wait—it’s economics.”
What they say: Raising horses is expensive. The industry depends on early performance and fast sales. Futurities, races, and young horse events are structured to make a return on investment by age three.Waiting until a horse is four or five isn’t financially viable. Owners, breeders, and trainers need a return on investment quickly. Futurities and races are structured around 2- and 3-year-old performance—missing those windows means missing profit and prestige.
Why it falls apart:
I get it—but it’s about money, not horses. And it’s incredibly short-sighted. Horses that are started later and given time to mature often last longer, need fewer injections, and require less corrective care. The short-term economic gain is usually offset by long-term damage and loss of use. We’re breaking down horses to meet a man-made timeline that doesn’t care if they’re still sound at ten.
This is about human economics, not horse health. The model rewards speed, not soundness, and leads to a high rate of breakdowns, wasted horses, and a disposable mindset. Long-term soundness often means a longer, more productive life—but that requires a different kind of investment. And a different goal for the horse.
- “Today’s horses mature faster.”
What they say: Breeding has changed. We’re producing more early developing horses that can handle training at a younger age. They’re stronger, bigger, and more coordinated than they used to be at two or three years old. Modern bloodlines are designed for early bloomers who can handle work sooner than older generations of horses.
Why it falls apart: A horse that looks mature isn’t necessarily built mature. While some modern bloodlines may produce foals that bulk up earlier, skeletal development hasn’t sped up to match. These horses have large muscles pulling against small not-yet-developed bones. The spine and major joints still close around five or six years of age, regardless of what the horse looks like on the outside. You might have a three-year-old with the muscle tone of a six-year-old, but underneath, the structure isn’t ready for what’s being asked. And mental immaturity leads to rushed training, stress behaviors, and resistance that gets blamed on the horse.
- “This is how we’ve always done it.”
What they say: Early starts are tradition. It’s how the industry works—people have been racing and showing young horses for decades. Generations of horses have been started young. Trainers know how to manage the risks. Good horsemanship, not timing, is the key.
Why it falls apart: And horses have been breaking down for decades, too. Plenty of outdated practices were “how it’s always been done”—until we knew better. People used to sore horses, over-bit them, force frame through gadgets, and punish “resistance” with fear-based methods. Just because something is common doesn’t make it right. If tradition means sacrificing long-term soundness for short-term success, then maybe the tradition needs to go.
- “Young horses need to prove themselves early to be marketable.”
What they say: Buyers want young prospects who already show ability. Horses that succeed early bring higher prices and more visibility. As long as the horses win, no one asks how they got there. Few buyers or fans question training timelines, especially if the horse looks flashy or successful. Waiting too long risks missing the market window. Again it’s the money.
Why it falls apart: This kind of thinking treats horses like short-term commodities instead of long-term partners. The best horses are not the ones who look flashy at three—but the ones still sound and working at thirteen. When we prioritize market trends over health and development, we end up creating disposable horses. Many horses are trained into silence or broken by age five. The horse that wins as a 3-year-old often disappears by age six due to unsoundness. The public rarely sees the aftermath.
What would happen if we shifted our values—if we celebrated longevity, soundness, and solid training instead of early bloom and high risk
The Long-Term Impact: Chronic Pain, Shortened Careers
A horse with juvenile arthritis may:
Show stiffness or lameness in early adulthood
Require costly maintenance (injections, supplements, vet care)
Struggle emotionally due to discomfort
Be retired prematurely—or worse, euthanized
And for what? A ribbon? A resale video?
No horse should pay with a lifetime of pain because someone couldn’t wait an extra year to ride—or lunge—them.
A Call for Better Standards: Let Them Grow
We know better now. Science, experience, and compassion all tell us that waiting until a horse is physically and mentally mature is the best path to soundness and partnership. More awareness and improved horsemanship should produce better results.
To read about young horses in the racing industry, check out my blog post on BarbaraEllinFox.com, read When Restraint Is Real Strength: Racing Ethics, Whip Abuse, and What’s There to Love?
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Start groundwork early, but delay weight-bearing work
Avoid tight circle exercises until skeletal maturity is reached
Support natural development with turnout and appropriate nutrition
Use light exposure to new experiences—without the pressure to perform
Advocate for reform in disciplines that reward early performance at the cost of long-term health
Keep horses at a healthy weight instead of show ring fat.
A Gentle Plea
If you’re reading this and you’ve followed the traditional path—starting horses at 2, lunging them at 18 months—you’re not alone. Many people were taught that way.
But horsemen and horsewomen can do better.
Let’s choose the welfare of the horse over industry timelines. Let’s stop producing beautiful young cripples. Let’s give our horses the chance to grow up strong, sound, and pain-free.
They deserve that much.
Thanks for reading,
Barbara Ellin Fox
