Training a Youngster? What are your methods?

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HorseyStar

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Hi All
Well i have a 1.5 year old filly which i am hoping to bring on...she wont be backed untill at least 3 year sold, however in between this i want to get all her training, ground manners etc spot on so that the backign process will hopefully go smoothly if i get everything else 100%

She is a very sweet little thing, veyr loving and not naturally nasty, howevre she is a youngster! lol and is sometimes now starting to test the boundaries & what she can and can't do etc etc...

So i was just wanting to hear other training methods and what you do and how you train youngsters, what you think is most important in their training, whether you use pressure release, or if their naughty how do you reprimand them? is it important to give them a good smack for something naughty, or would you back them up etc?

Her latests tactic is if she comes in from field at tea time for her tea and i wlak ehr to stable and dont take her straight in, she starts getting all pushy and kicks out (very high) with one of her front feet so i need to make sure im not in the way!! she onyl started this tonight, and it suddenly dawned on me that i wasnt sure of the best way to deal with it....as it happens i just backed her up with a bit of pressure on her nose and shouted at her....what would you ahve done in this situation...?

im just intrigued and always open minded to do things a different way to what i have been doing it if it benefits the horse....?

many thanks
 
I tend not to smack unless they are being really brattish. I would back up, using pressure and release. With the taking her straight into her stable I would take her out of the field and make her stand, try and ignore anything minor and as said back her up if she gets bargy. Lead nher to the yard making her stand at random intervals on the way.
For the next year I would get her used to being touched/groomed all over, and pick her feet up. Do lots of de-sensitising - lead her over tarpaulins, rub her over with plastic bags (start with it really small and gradually get bigger), get her used to horseboxes/tractors/vans etc, you could even do loading practice :)
 
appledoberman said:
Belted her hard. Im not taking the risk of getting my knee caps smashed out. Shed only do it once.
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ha ah yeah i am quite annoyed at the way i dealt with it, teh more i think about it, i am thinking it is an opportunity which i missed out on to educate her, i didnt just ignore it, however looking back im thinking i was maybe a tad bit soft, and she sure did get that leg super high in the air, total lack of repesct..

cos she's so sweet im finding it hard to be anything but super soft abck, and now im realising i may be spoiling her with affection..she is just so adorable..

but equally i dont want to create a monster so i realise she needs to have 100% repect for me, just dont want her to be scared of me :( its weird cos theres a fine line isnt there trying to do things just right x
 
what are my methods? common sense and a good dose of reality!

my horse stand when told, dont barge bite kick grab chew things they shouldnt and generally are polite and easy to handle, stay out of MY space, and dont make trouble.

how do they get that way-im firm but fair, if they dont understand thats ok,and if they are scared thats ok too but they must learn to look before they leap and to consider where i am at all times.

your horse would have got a good old fashion clout from me im afraid, i wont tolerate horses putting me in danger like that. if she chanced her luck with a horse above her in the pecking order, in such a way, she would have gotten quickly( and physically) put back in her place.
 
Everybody does their telling off differently..

As your youngster is testing her boundaries she needs to learn right from wrong, if she's not put in to place she will walk all over you.

A foals Dam would not hesitate to give her foal a hard bite on the bum or even threaten with a kick if they are out of order. It's the way they learn where they are in a herds pecking order, don't forget that :)

They are much stronger than many people give them credit for. Just as an example - my vet struggled to get a microchip needle through my mares skin when she was chipped! They don't feel a 'slap' like we do!
 
HorseyStar said:
cos she's so sweet im finding it hard to be anything but super soft abck, and now im realising i may be spoiling her with affection..she is just so adorable..

but equally i dont want to create a monster so i realise she needs to have 100% repect for me, just dont want her to be scared of me :( its weird cos theres a fine line isnt there trying to do things just right x
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You are right, it is hard when they are so sweet but just remember she will grow up to be a big, pushy, bargy horse if you let her get away with it now.

Youngsters have quite short attention spans so it is best not to expect her to do too much standing quietly too soon. Ask her to stand for a very short period and then walk her into her stable. Do not have her tea waiting for her and do not give it to her imediately afterwards.

Firm, consistent handling is what she needs now. If you have ever seen a mare with her foal you will have noticed that she is very quick to reprimand the foal with either a quick nip, ears back or some other method when they overstep the bounday.

The best piece of advise I heard was that if you love your horse it will love you right back into hospital. In this case love meant letting it be the boss in the relationship because you don't want to upset her.

Good luck with your filly.
 
(quote)
The best piece of advise I heard was that if you love your horse it will love you right back into hospital. In this case love meant letting it be the boss in the relationship because you don't want to upset her.


thanks for this i do actually agree 100%, i am naturally and alsways have been quite a pushover and soft person, so i need to start goign against my natural behaviour sometimes and make her realise i am boss...

god she's gonna have a right shock this week...she'l be thinking wheres this meany come from!! ha ha

thanks for all advice so far guys! i am taking everything in, and using lots of diff bits to help me along the way!!....

i certainly dont want a heavy 15'2 Welsh D barging me, better to deal with it now while she's 18 months old and only 14'1!! :)

thankyou x
 
Patience and discipline :) When I got B she was a v nervous 2yr old so my discipline was limited to verbal. The first time she tried to bite me she scared herself, my instinctive reaction of moving my hands scared her too. When she tried to kick me the first time she had a bucket thrown at her back end :rolleyes: Just remember although you might be strong enough to contain her now when she's fully grown she'll cause damage :)
 
I think alot of people when handling youngsters (not presuming you are!) tend to handle them like they're a delicate little human baby!

I had my boy at 6months and he'd never been led but was probably over confident around people and in some ways still is- I believe this is down to how he was handled for the first 6 months of his life, even though I chose him at 2 months, I lived over 100 miles away so couldn't visit much. He was a pushy baby and owners even though lovely, would move out of his way. Field was outside stable so he'd just walk in and out with mum. However I must add that they also helped him allow to be relaxed about alot of things too.
Teaching him to lead was with a schooling whip and on a lead- I wasn't prepared to 'wait' for him to follow whilst pulling the leadrope but tbf this was because of his personality and he was leading perfect within days.

Back to your post- treat her as you would a big adult horse- things need to be clear. When my boy was handled by others as a baby I'd have to keep telling them this as they kind of 'walked on eggshells' with him so he'd become a little 'bolshy'. My oh was the best at handling him apart from me as he was new to horses so just treated him the same as my older horse.
If my boy was bargy/ biting etc I would and still do shout at him and make him walk back- now he'll sometimes try to take a bite then reverse :/ not sure what to make of that one!!!
 
I think that what you did was correct. With horses it's all about pressure, release and leadership. Punishing a horse with slaps kicks whatever doesn't work in the long run. Your horse needs to see you as a trusted leader, not a dominant article she will spend the rest of her life challenging either overtly or surreptitiously.
 
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