Where to start with a youngster

K

KiaKaha

Active Member
Joined
6 April 2010
Messages
33
Visit site
I have always wondered what is the best way to get a youngster going in regards to training. What pathway do you generally follow in regards to getting the horse trained with lunging, long reining and so on.

Is there an order which you should follow.

I am thinking about getting a youngster next year and between now and then i would like to get a good base of knowledge so that i know what to do when i get the youngster. I imagine i would get a 3 year old that is unbacked, that had done very little in the way of being handled.

Thank you.
 
At three years old it would want to be very well handled and the basics already done i.e. leading well, tying up etc.

Dependant upon the type of horse i.e. TB or Warmblood etc I would expect a three year old to have been introduced to tack and led around in it just to get used to the feeling.

Are you an experienced horse rider / owner? (don't want to cause any offence but doesn't say in your post).

If the answer to the above is no then don't buy a youngster for both your sakes.

If you've been there and done that however, just find yourself a good local instructor who has experience in handling and breaking youngsters and ask for their help.
 
This is just what I've done with my youngster and by no means am I an expert or anything, but it's working for me...

The first hurdles were getting him used to his head collar and catching him in the field. Took a lot of bribing with food to begin with and slowly became a reward when he let me put his head collar and when he came over to be caught. We got there slowly and now can't believe he was so much hassle as he's a doddle now lol! Has his off days but they all do.

I did a lot of handling with him, starting off with just happily standing while tied up and being groomed. He would swing himself a lot so getting him to understand personal space and to move away from me when I asked him to. Used to have to use my whole body to move his bum over to start with, knock him off his balance, but now he's pretty good. Another thing was getting him to pick his feet up. Another slow process but we got there. A lot of leg touching, moving down, picking up the foot briefly then rewarding him, then making it longer each time and if he started getting funny, I'd make him pick it up again and then only put it down when he stopped fidgeting. He used to get funny about it after the intial teaching so I'd hold his leg so he couldn't get his own way, now I have no problems and he's good with the farrier too :)

Lots of introducing him to new and scary things. Bags, tarp, trees, sprays, anyhting and everything, and lots of walking on the roads for him to get use to things. This is a lot of it, and just general handling and routine. My boy calmed down soooo much once he was in a routine and everything was just so much easier and he seemed happier.

Only now have I started lunging him (he's just 3) and this is twice a week for max 10 minutes in mostly walk and a tiny bit of trot. It's just to get him listening, so a lot of walk, stop, walk, stop, walk, trot, walk, stop and then when he's got that down, I'm going to start teaching him to longrein. I lunged him in a saddle on Monday for the 1st time, wasn't fussed by it at all!

That's another thing, maybe get him used to have a saddle on his back, having the girth done up etc, just simple tacking up things. And having a bridle put on.

Another good thing, once you're happy that your youngster is behaving and you feel secure with taking him out (took a little while with harry for this), shows are always a good thing to take them too. Get them used to the travelling, the other horses, the hub bub of the place and it's just new experiences. Harry now falls asleep at them lol!!

Lol just realised I've written a lot but hope it helps!! Like I said, this is all pretty new to me and I've learnt on the way but when I look back at how Harry was when I frist got him, it's almost unbelievable that he's the same horse. I love him to bits :)
 
Thank you both for your help - very informative and useful :)

I am experienced yes - however i have always had horses that have been backed so i have never really had to start off with a blank canvas.

At the moment i do help a woman with her 2 year old filly who is obviously unbacked - getting her used to walking, long lining, having a bit in her mouth for showing, trotting in hand, leading in and out of the horse box, and so on. So that is very helpful experience too.

I just wanted to gather a lot of ideas and see what is best.

What about long lining, would you introduce that after or before lunging?

Thank you.
 
I too wouldnt touch a 3yo that wasnt well handled. The one I got had also been bitted, regular farrier and worming, inspected by breed soc etc.

Once we had her we concentrated on leading here there and everywhere round the place and out on the roads in hand (using a Dually headcollar), and then at home we started with long reining. Much better for their joints than lunging circles, and also teaches them voice commands, and to wear a roller in preparation for a saddle.

We also did some monty roberts join up with her as my instructor was a recommended associate as well as BHS qualified. This helped us bond a lot, tho it did make lunging interesting when we did eventually do some as the eye contact in the lunge 'triangle' shape made her think I was sending her away!!

We took her to a couple of in hand shows too.
We backed her at 3 and three quarters as she was very bored and very mature and then just kept going with very light work in her 4yo year. She did a walk and trot dressage test but we made no attempt to 'compete' or collect, it was for the experience.

Shes now 7 and has just done first endurance ride and is fab and barefoot and beautiful. Today my neighbour and I had to hack past trees being felled by giant forestry machinery and tractors with loads of big round bales, a bull in a pen and a cow being clangingly put in a cattle crush.....

so something must have gone ok!
Edited to add she was my first unbroken horse too, but I wouldnt have done it without my RI and deep pockets to pay for her help, its a lonely business otherwise!
 
My 3 year old was unhandled, but because he's a gypsy cob, he has a fantastic temperment, and we soon got over that.He even let me sit on him after three weeks (sig picture). He is the first horse I've started, and I read a lot before hand. My bible was "The ABC of breaking and schooling horses". Although I followed a lot of the early stuff, and it's great for telling you how to do things and in what order, the downside was that I felt it was pushing too hard too soon, so worth bearing that in mind.

Gently, gently, slowly, slowly, and with much love and humour, and horse-whispering techniques, but discipline and safety comes first. If it goes wrong, it can go very wrong (seen it on my old yard) so only go ahead if you are sure you are strong enough to keep on top of things and to correct bad, even dangerous dangerous behaviour.

sm x
 
Last edited:
Personal preference I think but I lunge first then long rein.

Get the horse comfortable and confident on just one lunge line, then introduce a second line and lunge with two lines. Once happy with that then move on to long reining.

I long reined all over the paddocks first and then progressed to some quiet back roads.

Getting the horse happy and confident with things across its back as soon as possible makes it a lot easier for you and less stressful for them when you eventually get to sitting on them.

I used to sit on the fence and rub my bare feet on my girls back (only way I could reach as shes 16.2hh!!)

When the big day came for getting on she was so chilled out she didn't stop resting a hoof whilst she was laid across and eventually sat on - seemed to find all the fuss and praise rather surprising!!
 
Personally I'm going the lunging and then long reining route. That way I can make sure he's listening and understands my commands where he can see me before I stand behind him and become dependant on my voice for his action.
 
keep us posted, and if you need advice I've always found lots on here as well as from a good friend. My boy started taking the piss out of me with lungeing last week, turning in all the time. My friend sorted it out in a matter of minutes, it was humbling to watch - she was a hell of a lot firmer that I dared to be, but I learnt so much just from watching her. Never be afraid to ask for help was my lesson there.

I actually left lungeing for quite a while, as I think it may put too much strain on a youngsters growing joints - does that sound right ? So short hacks and long reining have been our main theme, with gentle schooling on the hacks.

The very best of luck, it's the best thing I've ever done :D sm x

ps forgot to mention that giving a few weeks off every so often esp during growth spurts, seems to be a very good idea.
 
shysmum said:
keep us posted, and if you need advice I've always found lots on here as well as from a good friend. My boy started taking the piss out of me with lungeing last week, turning in all the time. My friend sorted it out in a matter of minutes, it was humbling to watch - she was a hell of a lot firmer that I dared to be, but I learnt so much just from watching her. Never be afraid to ask for help was my lesson there.

I actually left lungeing for quite a while, as I think it may put too much strain on a youngsters growing joints - does that sound right ? So short hacks and long reining have been our main theme, with gentle schooling on the hacks.

The very best of luck, it's the best thing I've ever done :D sm x

ps forgot to mention that giving a few weeks off every so often esp during growth spurts, seems to be a very good idea.
Click to expand...


Out of interest - what did she do as i have a horse that does that sometimes!
 
Harry did this incredibly badly on the right rein. My friend at the yard sorted it, also being much firmer than I would be. She just got behind him when he turned and made him keep moving, if he tried to turned round more, she'd get behind his bum and make him walk on. He was being a prat but he got back on the circle and then gave in when he realised he wouldn't get away with it.

If he tries this now, I'm straight on it and get behind him (out of the way of legs ofcourse lol) but he soon get back on his circle :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top