The Essential Rules of Horse Training
Sensible Guidelines for Schooling Horses and Ponies
Nov 2, 2009
Horse training or schooling usually describes bringing a horse on in ridden work, often from scratch. Taking a horse from carrying its first rider to being ready for competition is a very time-consuming process which can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
Horse training is a skill which develops with experience, but this is not an excuse to ruin the future of any animal by doing a bad job. Work alongside experienced trainers to start your first horses and listen to their advice. Discuss scenarios you have heard about or pictured and ask the experienced people how they would deal with them. Only take on horses that need work if you are willing to give them the considerable amount of time they need.
The following key rules should be understood and followed by any good horse trainer.
Horses are Individuals
Horses come in all shapes and sizes and all levels of intelligence and sensitivity. Because one horse found it very straightforward to carry his first rider certainly does not mean that the next will be the same. Each horse will have some gaits which it finds more comfortable than others, and easier to work in. Each horse will have its own personal likes and dislikes, and may come with its own baggage that shows itself in fearful behaviour. Each animal you work with is a unique individual and a sensible trainer takes account of that in his approach. This factor brings us onto our next rule...
It is Not ‘One Size Fits All’
One method of training, one set of steps and techniques which suited one horse perfectly may not fit another. The author believes that an open mind is a huge benefit to a dedicated horse trainer, and that all humane methods are worthy of consideration. Examine the techniques of various trainers and be willing to incorporate the best strategies of each in your own training methods.
Do not train to a fixed time table. Whilst it is fair to aim to accomplish certain goals with the horse in vague time frames, having a strict schedule puts unnecessary pressure on both of you. You cannot rush a horse into becoming comfortable under saddle, and any tension due to time slipping away will make trainer and horse more anxious and set the process back.
Training Starts Long Before Riding Does
Horse training starts from the foal’s earliest days. Before being backed, the youngster should be used to being caught, to wearing a head collar and being led, to standing tied up, to being touched all over, usually as part of being groomed, and to picking up its feet when asked for inspection. Horses should not be left untouched in a field until it is time to bring them in and start riding them. If the horse you are working with has difficulties with these essential handling basics, work on these first. A horse which is polite to handle on the ground is much easier to back than one that is pushy and resistant to being held or led.
Keep Early Sessions Short
Little and often is the best approach with first training sessions. Remember that learning to carry and respond to a rider demands a lot from a young or inexperienced horse. You are asking the horse to adjust its whole way of going to accommodate this new weight on their back, and this will take time. Muscles must develop in new places to allow the horse to do this well. Mentally the horse is also taking a lot in, learning not to fear these new experiences and to try and understand what each signal means. This is very tiring, as anyone who has taken on any intense learning course will tell you. Praise the horse when it gets it right and always try to end a session on a good positive note. If the horse simply cannot perform a certain task and there have been several failed attempts, return to an exercise that it can complete successfully, then end the session and try again afresh next time.
Establish the Basics and be Patient
Concentrate on getting the horse happy and at ease with the most fundamental requirements of being ridden. The horse should be comfortable with wearing tack and relaxed with a rider on board. It should respond quietly to rein and legs aids and have some grasp of the signals to slow down and speed up. If the horse is having problems with any of these, take a step back or get help before pushing on to more demanding training. Don’t start trying to teach your horse to canter under saddle if it is still showing a tendency to lose balance and struggle in walk and trot. Don’t rush the horse into hacking out if it still shows some nerves in the school. It is neither realistic nor fair to expect a newly started horse to carry itself in an outline right away- let it achieve balance and rhythm in all paces first. Simply monitor progress at all stages and make sure that the horse is showing itself to be at ease with one stage before moving onto the next.
If in Doubt, Seek Advice
Getting help from more experienced people is not an admission of failure. It is simply getting a second opinion to work out the best way to get the best result from the horse in your care. Almost every professional has turned to others for advice in their career with horses at some time or another. Be willing to discuss the problem with others, make sure you can outline the facts and explain what you have tried so far, and see what is suggested. The solution can be surprisingly easy, but sometimes it takes someone who has not spent so much time grappling with the specific issues to see it.
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