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Training a young horse

2K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  savvylover112 
#1 ·
Hi everyone I haven't been on here in a long time and decided it was time to return haha

So I have a three year old filly who I have started and riding a couple of times now. She has been long reined and had her first experience of being out on the road yesterday. She's very willing to learn new things and is very willing to please.

I just think I'm at a creative dead end with what to do with her. I don't want to do too much riding with her at this early stage and just want her to know the basics at this point. My concern is that she will get bored with the lunge work and the long reining and I don't want to sour her on anything.

So what I'm really asking is for any ideas with things to do with young horses.

Here's a video of her over the past week or so so that you can see what stages of training she's at or if you guys think I'm doing anything wrong and could use any help.



I have started horses before I just want to see what different opinions and perspectives I can get on her training.
 
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#2 ·
She looks like she's had an awesome start, and you're on your way to a good future with her! She pays attention and responds to you very well, and the trust has definitely been established. The only thing I'm going to nit-pick is when you put on the bridle or a halter, always come from the front, not underneath the head. Coming from underneath is a bad habit (I used to do it all the time, had to train myself out of it) and encourages the horse to raise her head and step backward. Instead, when you put the bridle on, hold the top part of the bridle in your right hand with the bit in your left, and lasso her face with the bridle first before putting the bit in her mouth. If she raises her head or tries to get away when you do it, well then ya got something new to work on =D
 
#4 ·
I was wondering the same thing. I have always (and will continue to) done it from the side. My horses are taught prior to even bridling that when I put a hand between their ears, their head comes down. This is taught easily, and helps a lot. ALWAYS stand at the side. If you are in front and a horse flips its head they will hit you in the face.
 
#5 ·
Exposure is what gets a broke horse broke.

I can't exactly say what you should be doing from just a little video and all I can give you is some things that you may want to look out for.

When your horse bucked, reared, etc. it looked like you just stopped when he did such a thing. In the beginning when he bucked you seemed like you were cantering, then he bucked, then you slowed down instead of kept pushing him forward. In his mind he gets a break when he bucks, then it becomes a nasty and a dangerous habit. Same goes with the rearing, you have to keep pushing him no matter how much he rears/bucks until he does the right thing. Even in the slightest try.

Do you have more videos? I really like her, haha.
 
#7 ·
Thank you very much when she first bucked from the canter she had gone into canter herself and I was about to bring her back to trot anyway she just caught me at a bad time and the time she stopped I realised I should have pushed on and thank you for pointing it out again it's a reminder I need constantly.

I do have more videos on my channel of her and other horses and should be putting more up of her consistently if I can get someone to video for me yes. I'm glad someone likes her other than me haha :)
 
#8 · (Edited)
You are bridling right if coming from side and under, you never approach horse from front to do anything as the horse will back up or fling head.

As I grew up with Saddlebreds, and being taught by my father, I do bridle somewhat differently than many, as I come under throatlatch with right arm and bring hand down between ears to grasp bridle/cavesson, and pull those up as I bit horse.

Also will curl arm around and under to grasp headstall at broadest part of forehead and bring up.

But with high headed horses, you will either teach them to lower head as FnB said, by pressure on poll, or my method of arm under, and over. Same thing though as is on poll to lower head.
 
#9 ·
i made a mistake by being under miover he pushed forward and pinned me against the fence.

safer to be on the side,

i hold the bridle in my right hand, and i put my thumb on the bit ring, and stick my thumb in the side of his mouth where the bit would go which makes him open his mouth, and i slip the bit in from there

miover also raises head and yanks back, he is a mission to get bridle on, i also learnt from a person who works with race horses that try not to have ur arm going going over there face on opersite side, and to try and raising from mouth up.

but yeah i learnt a lesson standing directly in front of him being under his chin,as went forward while pinning me to the fence,

should always be on the side of them
 
#11 ·
Agreed. I, too, go under. I have an old injury (right dislocated shoulder) that doesn't allow me to come from the top, scares me to pieces to do it that way. If I were reaching over and for whatever reason the horse popped it's head up, my shoulder would "pop" as well- no thanks. A horse that wants to evade the bridle will find a way :) Nothing can really "trick" them for long. Good training is the best preventative.

OP- looks like you're doing a great job!
 
#13 ·
So off the topic of bridling. In regards to things to do with her, I've been doing quite a bit of long reining with poles walking in and out of cones and walking/trotting through mazes of poles and stuff just to get her doing things to get her even more used to steering and such :) Going well so far.
 
#14 ·
ive never been able to bridle while having arm on poll, he raises his head and i am up in the air LOL

asoon as the bit touches miovers mouth he raises his head and pulls back, hes already broken 4 head halters thru pulling back,

ive stood there for 2 hrs trying to bridle him, cos i wasnt going to let him win with getting away with pulling back. i eventually got it after 2 hrs i let him stand there for 20 mins with bridle on, and then i took it off him,

im doing more groundwork with him atm and not worrying with riding, as i dont yet have a saddle that fits him, couple of weeks i get my new saddle and then i need to get a saddle fitter, so will work on keeping head down while doing ground work, and slowley re introduce the bit thru just, rubbing his poll and having bit touch his lips in a relaxed manner, do that for couple of weeks until he can keep his head down and can have bit touch his mouth w/o pulling back
 
#15 ·
She looks like a really nice young horse. I agree with AQHAgirl that the very best thing for a young horse is lots of miles and experience. I'd be spending no less than an hour on her at least 4-5 days a week riding as many trails as you can at w/t/c.

One thing I might suggest, though. Drop all the pressure off the bit unless you're asking her to stop. She's much too green for you to be asking her for any type of contact at all. Starting her on that before she figures out how to move forward can cause resistance, all kinds of headset issues (dropping the head, stargazing, nosing out, etc) and, as you've found out, rearing/bucking in refusal of moving forward.

Whenever she goes to bucking/kicking out, take her nose to one side and push her into very fast, small circles until she relaxes and is very supple. That will discourage her from bucking because she'll begin to understand that bucking = work.

As for the rearing, dropping the pressure off the bit should help, but whenever she balks and you feel her front end getting light, I'd be whipping her butt hard with the whip. When she moves forward willingly (even if it's fast, which it may be...you'll need to be ready for a near bolt), just let her go and only give her directions by using one rein. Do not pick up both reins to slow her down or stop her, that will only confuse and frustrate her and probably make her worse. Until she's moving forward willingly 100% of the time in a controlled environment where you can safely circle her around to slow her down after getting after her with the whip, I wouldn't take her out on the road.

As for how you bridled her, that's not the way I do it, but I see nothing wrong with your method.

Does she paw at you often like she did at 2:13? If that's happened more than just that once, I'd be correcting that quick, fast, and in a hurry.
 
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