| Before the ultimate goal of saddle training can begin it | | | | you in the middle. The safest place for you to stand is |
| is necessary to complete some important groundwork | | | | to the left of your student's shoulder, with the older |
| with your horse. You will need to take your horse from | | | | horse to your left. A young horse could suddenly |
| trailer or barn to the tack area, tack up, and then you'll | | | | decide to bolt or to kick his heels, so make sure that |
| ride. You can't begin to teach point B if you've not first | | | | you don't wrap the lead rope around your hand or |
| mastered how to get there from point A. The two of | | | | anywhere else that makes you vunerable. The last |
| you can only act as a team if your horse cooperates | | | | thing you need at this stage is complicating the |
| with you. This cooperation begins with your ability to | | | | process with an injury for which you may need to |
| approach, catch, and halter him first. After that you can | | | | claim on your horse insurance. |
| use a halter and rope to lead your horse. | | | | You could also use the pony method if you have a |
| Teaching a horse the boundaries of acceptable | | | | calm horse which the foal will be comfortable following. |
| behaviour is done with the primary objective of safety | | | | This is done by simply towing the student horse behind |
| in mind. He will need to be taught that his natural | | | | using a longer lead rope. It makes sense in fact to |
| tendency to pull against the lead rope, for example, is | | | | teach the lead in this way, as it's natural for a young |
| not allowed. A horse should never be allowed to | | | | horse to follow an elders lead. |
| invade the personal space of whoever is holding the | | | | If you don't have the luxury of having other horses |
| lead rope. Accidents can easily occur if proper | | | | close by from which your student can learn, you will |
| consideration to teaching basic safety manners to | | | | need to rely heavily on your skills of patience, |
| your horse is not given before moving on to more | | | | persistence and positive reinforcement. Don't be |
| advanced training. Whilst a good equine insurance | | | | discouraged if it takes longer than you would like for |
| policy may cover you for accidents that happen in | | | | your horse to understand what it is that's expected of |
| training, it's obviously far more preferable not to have | | | | him. |
| to find this out! | | | | After satisfactory progress, it's time to try it alone. |
| The three Ps of horse training - patience, persistence | | | | Again, standing to the left of your young horse's |
| and positive reinforcement - come into play when | | | | shoulder and with both of you looking straight ahead, |
| leading your horse. You have probably already | | | | gently walk forward and as you step out, tug very |
| discovered the 3Ps to be effective if you have | | | | gently forward, then release any pressure on the rope |
| accomplished haltering. | | | | as soon as the horse makes any motion to go |
| Ideally you need to begin lead training with your horse | | | | forward. Understanding that release is a reward to |
| when he is still a foal. Basic ground manners should be | | | | your horse is a valuable tip used by professional |
| taught from an early age, before the horse is old | | | | trainers. It tells your horse he's doing something right. |
| enough to worry about saddles and riding. Cooperation | | | | When he can successfully walk with you in straight |
| will still be required from the young horse during vet or | | | | lines, try a slight left turn whist maintaining the space |
| farrier visits, as well as for the various other people he | | | | bubble. If he crowds you, use your right hand to push |
| may come into contact with. | | | | him out away from you and hold your arm out to the |
| If you happen to have the dam - the foal's mother - | | | | appropriate distance. Then try turning to the right with |
| present, lead training will be easier as he will naturally | | | | the same safety distance between the two of you, still |
| copy her behaviours. If not, any horse with which the | | | | using your right hand to guide him into the correct zone. |
| foal spends time will also work. Young horses naturally | | | | You will need to reward him by releasing the pressure |
| learn from the older ones in the herd. For example, you | | | | on the lead rope each time he steps in the right |
| don't need to teach a horse in the pasture how to | | | | direction. |
| graze or go to the water and drink. They watch the | | | | A large amount of patience is required to successfully |
| other horses to learn these things. If your student is | | | | complete lead training with your horse. Big |
| older, you can still use another horse's example by | | | | improvements will soon be made if you can just stick |
| haltering and leading the other horse first. As you do | | | | with it. Work every day if possible for short periods |
| this you will notice your student watching and paying | | | | and you'll be pleased with the results; then you will be |
| attention to these events occurring around him. | | | | moving closer to the time when you can saddle up |
| Start off by leading two horses - the foal and either it's | | | | and begin riding. |
| dam or a more experienced horse - side by side with | | | | |