Looking for Guidance on Young Horse Training Methods

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Kitty07
Berichten: 1
Geregistreerd: 22-07-24

Looking for Guidance on Young Horse Training Methods

Link naar dit bericht Geplaatst door de TopicStarter : 22-07-24 12:31

Hello Everyone :),

I'm putting out a call to the public to get opinions and suggestions about training young horses. I've been working on a 2-year-old Dutch Warmblood recently, and I want to make sure that I'm employing the most humane and efficient training methods possible.

My main objectives are to introduce fundamental skills and handling while also building a solid foundation of respect and confidence. I've read a number of training manuals and gone to a couple clinics, but I'd really like to talk to people who have really worked with young horses.

I'm specifically seeking guidance on:

Exercises for the Ground: Which groundwork drills are best for young horses? How can I increase my responsiveness and confidence with groundwork?

Techniques for Desensitisation: What strategies have you used to help a young horse become less stressed out in response to different stimuli?

Training Plan: What kind of training schedule should I follow to keep my lessons interesting and brief for young horses? Do you have any particular schedules or routines that you find to be most effective?

Common Challenges: In the early phases of training, what typical problems can I anticipate and how can I proactively handle them?

I also followed this: https://reiterwelt.eu/blogs/our-latest-posts/how-to-train-a-young-horse-effective-methods-and-minitab-techniques

I'm also open to suggestions for training courses, books, or other materials that you've found to be beneficial. We would be very grateful if you could share any success stories or personal experiences.

Thank you in advance.

HowToHorse

Berichten: 2
Geregistreerd: 16-09-16
Woonplaats: Eemnes

Re: Looking for Guidance on Young Horse Training Methods

Link naar dit bericht Geplaatst: 22-07-24 13:55

Hello!

I have been training young horses professionally for over 12 years and I'm happy to give some advise! In groundwork, I use a lot of guiding the horse from different positions to give them a good sense of aids, gradually becoming more about feel than body language, as you can't use the latter once you're on! I practice a lot of guiding from a position just behind the shoulder and from different distances.
I don't do too much desensitization to be honest. I used to, but not anymore. I now work more on giving the horse tools for stressful situations and communicating. To create a situation in which the horse feels comfortable showing their feelings and I recognize them adequately (which is of course different for every horse).

As for training plan: your horse is a 2-year old, so a 20 minute session is plenty. And so is a day off at least every third day, if not more. Personally, I think productive training can be short but effective. Also with a 2-year old you shouldn't want to do too much. Just create communication and trust / confidence.

The only common challenge you can really anticipate is that training a young horse is all about self reflection! The most important piece of advice I can give is that there really is just one thing that makes the difference between a solid start or a messy one. And that's time! Take your time and if anything doesn't go well or gives your horse stress, really the reason is usually that they feel rushed (even though you might have thought you took all the time!). There's no point repeating something that didn't work. The art is in breaking everything up in tiny steps and getting creative with that.

It's impossible to dig in very deeply by just a post, but I hope any of this might be of help to you! Good luck to you!

balance
Moderator Over Paarden

Berichten: 19436
Geregistreerd: 24-08-02

Re: Looking for Guidance on Young Horse Training Methods

Link naar dit bericht Geplaatst: 22-07-24 14:41

Dit topic gaat op slot; de voertaal op bokt is Nederlands.