What have YOU learnt when riding/training green,young or just broken in horses?

Ladyknight

Ladyknight

New Member
May 6, 2007
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Queensland, Australia
Something important or unexpected.That you want to share or think is not emphasied enough these days.
Whether it was your first time riding a young (little trained) horse, or you are in the process of training a green horse, or you break/start horses for a living.

Very interested to see your replies. Thanks!:)



P.S Please stick to what I have asked. I know we can learn something from EVERY horse, no matter their age or training, but I specifically mean green type horses. Thanks again

Ladyknight:D
 
I'm half way through starting my new 5yo and i've learnt lots.........

1. I've become a more sensitive trainer, by watching his reactions
2. Young horses hve a great capacity for play & fun - if you can make your training 'fun' it works really well for both of you
3. Patience and lots of it.
4. Positive reinforcement - rubs and praise everytime your horse gets omething right, builds confidence in your horse, decreases herdbound issues, makes your horse enjoy your company more, and can become easier to catch.
5. Little steps every day and build up gradually in your horses time
6. Recognise the try and reward it.
7, If you find yourelf smiling as you walk down to catch our horse, and find yourself smiling as you walk back home after letgin him back out again, you' re doing something right, and your horse is probably happy too.
8. Get everything light, supple, and relaxed right from the start.
9. Don't ask/force your horse to do something he's not comfortble with - dont push him to hard too soon. if he doesnt like the girth, dont just tighten it up and then try to get on for the first time. Take some time to desensitise him to teh girh, and postpone getting up until he's REALLY ready.
10. Perfect every step before you move onto the next one.
11. Behind every great horse is a great trainer.

And here's some pics from the first 7 weeks...............

ozziecollectionsmall-1.jpg



C'mere, where are you going with that camera??! When are we going riding?!

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Aww, Ozzie is georgeous!:D I love the last photo. You look like you are doing really well, Ican see all the groundwork and "scary things" he is getting used to. Great foundation
 
Never expect results, ask for them and see what happens. If you expect, you're more likely to be disappointed if it doesnt work. If you ask, theres no pressure and you're more likely to get the results because of this. :)
 
That you can never take too much time over something.

Short sharp sessions improve concentration.

To never neglect groundwork.

To always listen to your horse first and other people second!

To always end on a good note and not worry if the session has only been 5 minutes long.

To not have an agenda- youngsters learn in their own time.

That everything is 2 steps forward and a million back but it is so rewarding to be the first to teach them something and it is great when they have got it and they are just so pleased with themselves.

Spend time with them without an agenda just appreciating them for being themselves.

Finally- always expect them to be terribly naughty and over prepare for everything and then they will always do the opposite and be amazingly good :p (love my chunky cantankerous cob!!!)
 
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Hi, this is Ozzie here. Elaines gone off into town so I thought id try out his colourful box thing and see why she spends time at it, when she could be outside playing basketball with me......

I'm pretty cool alright :cool: its in the genes you know? I have to say i like where I am now. In my last place they were a bit rough and I used to get pushed around a lot. They didn't listen to me at all!! They'd throw scary things on me and then steer me around pulling my mouth all the time. I didnt like it.

My new home is much better. I have a huge field to myself, along with about 30 cattle which I like to boss about. It amazing how fast you can get them to run!! They do smell a bit though, but when I fart they all disappear :D

Because of my last place, I didnt like people at all. All they did was force you to do stuff you dont want to do, and lunging you at a gallop over huge fences. I hated that, I always felt I was about to fall over or crash into the fence.

I got clever though and it used take them HOURS to catch me. I used hate being caught. I was pretty good at avoiding a headcolloar too - i used to turn my neck THE WHOLE way around... I'm quite intelligent you know ;)

When I came here though, it took me a while to figure out that things were a bit different (sorry elaine for making you run around the paddock for there hours in the rain to catch me ). You see, I thought all humans were rude and horrible.

Now its pretty cool though :) I've got 3 horsey friends - one is a bit too bossy for my liking though, and he tried to steal my basketball yesterday!! (might have to have a word with elaine about that) but as far as humans go, I seem to own a fairly good one now.

She's funny (why does she walk backwards around me with a small black box in her hand? she wants me to eat it right?) tries her best, and she listens to me (as much as humans can)... if there's something I'm not happy with she's pretty understanding and will help me out if I need it. In the few months I've been here I've trained her pretty well :D

At the start she used to vist me every day, but now (I hear she's got a new job in dublin) I only see here every weekend, which makes me a bit sad :rolleyes: Surely she should just be here everyday to take care of me? There's another guy who drives that small machine who looks after me when she's gone, but its not the same... We're hoping to do our first trot this weekend, so I'll let me all know who we get on. I'll be grand of course :D but I'll just have to take it easy to make sure elaine manages to stay on. I dont know how much trotting she's done before, so I better look after her.

Oh oh, she's coming back, have to dash...............*galops away and resume his position eating grass innocently in the next field*
 
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Never neglect ground manners or voice commands when under saddle, in any case. But think on it..you never know the circumstances of the person who might dearly love to be your horse's next owner, should you intend to or inadvertently have to sell at some point. They may rely more heavily on those, than you would if you were to keep him.

If at all possible, teach pony to load in a wagon AND a trailer. There's nothing worse than finding a horse for yourself who is ideal in every way, except he'll only load in a wagon. (It's usually that way round.)
 
It was a big transition for me going to being a riding school client to being a horse owner.

I have learnt just how being at a riding school focuses on you and how you behave rather than focusing you on your horse and how it behaves. Now how I behave is a reaction on how my horse bahave rather than the other way around if that makes sense :eek:
 
1) a horse can learn anything as long as you break the process up into small steps

2) a horse that knows nothing can learn something new (the right way) much quicker and more compeltely than a horse that knows something the wrong way.
 
I'm starting my loan Pony at the mo, shes only 4 but I love her to bits. I make sure I play and "chill" in the field with her as much as possible and beyoned anything else maken sure we have a relationship based on trust and make sure I educate her correctly and with compasion focussing mainly on the liberty work so she can be as truthful as she wants, also being very adaptible to her indivdule needs. When riding her I can't get over how important it is to flex, if I spend the whole time I'm on her (about 5 mins at the mo) flexing its a good session:) Also always taking it at the horses pase, slow or fast.;)
 
Hello, I started mine from the floor, long reins!! Every young horse should learn the basics. We long reined for months and months. We went out on hacks alone and in a group. we did walk and halt, trot, canter on the two line lunge, figures of eight, everything to voice command.
I found it so satisfying but i also had lots of tears. One day they are fabulous and the next they behave like you have never asked them to do it before. I found I had to go back a couple of stages regular but not to be disheartened as they are just like kids and they need to be shown again and again.
Patience patience and even more patience. Always praise as soon as they perform what ever action you are asking, really emphasise the tone in your voice to praise them. However should they misbehave you will never win a fight with a young horse, let them get on with the paddy, try to keep hold. Don't always assume your horse is being a git, they could be teething, changing shape/growing or just having a "I wanna play with my momma day" Mine is now 6 and we are learning canter at my pace not his, for a change.( his pace was on a right angle with his head between his legs and yee haaing all the way!:eek:) I now go to sleep hearing sit up, sit back and HAAAAAANDS!! Good fun though would soooooo do it all again, good luck, Vicky:)
 
babies will try ANYTHING and always give you 100%. And they are so honest.
also - over handling youngsters can cause great problems!
 
Assume nothing. P had been broken for some time when I got her & could walk, trot canter & do a little jump under saddle. Took me a while to figure out that many of our early 'issues' were down to the fact that she didn't know to move away from pressure, she would move into it. I just assumed that she's been taught this, but she hadn't. So back to the groundwork, she learned to move away from pressure in no time - she is a clever lady - and voila! Big progress.
 
working with jake i have learnt to enjoy every little step we make and to have more trust in myself, how can he trust me if i'm not confident in myself!
 
Well this would be my top 5 ;)

1) Assume absolutely nothing. Just because he didn't spook at something one time doesn't mean he won't spook at it next time.
2) Have patience. With yourself and with the horse.
3) Stay humble. Never start thinking you're a better rider then you are, because sure as hell, the horse will diabuse you of that notion!
4) Remember that the horse is young. It's fine to expect things and to push them a bit, but in moderation.
5) Find someone who is a better rider then you and have them get on every so often to help the horse stay together as well as you.
 
I've got a five year old. He has taught me patience :)

I now appreciate the little things! Jumping a scary log in the forest or slightly extending his trot in the school when asked makes me beam with pride :p

He also bucks, squeals and naps on occasion - it's certainly not perfect, but I never feel that he'd intentionally hurt me. He's taught me how to totally trust a horse and that is an amazing feeling :D
 
That although Daffy is being reschooled as a 15yo and parts of it (lateral in particular) are taking ages, it apparently only takes him 30seconds to find a new evasion technique for something. :rolleyes:
 
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