I Need Some Training Tips.?

Question

I am about to get a 6 year old Appendix Mare in the fall. She was professionally trained when she was four, until people were comfortable enough with her. Then, they stopped. She hasn't been dealt with since then. So, two years later, i want her. She will be free, and it more tb, than qh. Since shes been trained, i know she will eventually be a good horse, but until then I will need to smooth down her rough edges when i get her. I do not have any experts or people who have trained horses before near me, and i cannot contact any. I believe i can do it, since i did it a little with my pony, But I could still use some tips.

And don't say i shouldn't get her, or anything like that. I have my mind made up.

Answer 1

When you first start riding her no matter what discipline you want to end up doing you have to go slow.

Start with lots of slow trot getting her to stretch down. Relaxation is the first thing you must achieve before being able to move on.

Look up The german training pyramid online. That will tell you what you need to achieve and in what order and what it looks like.

-rhythm is first followed by relaxation.

So you can work on that on the lunge getting her to respond to voice commands and to find a natural rhythm and way of going. get her to listen to you. Do things like trot poles and small fences while on the lunge. You want her to keep one ear turned on you the whole time and her chewing and stretching down.

Side reins if used correctly will help her carry herself correctly and develop correct muscles.

If she was pro.trained she will default to what she learned then so it probably won't take as long as you think to get her back to a good working horse.

See if you could contact the old trainer and ask her about the horse that might give you some insight to waht she is like.

Good luck and have fun.

Answer 2

Because this mare hasn't had a whole lot of human contact for several years, you will need to take her training very slowly. Always begin with ground work, this is the basis of training for any horse/pony. All you need is a halter and lead, preferably 6-10 feet in length. A round pen is an invaluable tool, but if you do not have access to one, a smaller corral is fine. Always begin training in a fenced area so that if the horse escapes from your contact, she won't be in any danger of running on the road, etc. Begin by leading her into the closed area, and turn her loose, without a halter on. Take a looped rope in your hand and begin 'chasing' her around the pen. Try to act aggressive, with arms up and walking toward her steadily. She should be trotting around the fence perimeter. Chase her around 6 laps to the right, themswing your arm and rope in front of her so she changes direction, and go about 6 laps in the other direction. She will be breathing a bit hard and will eventually begin looking toward you when trotting (if theis doesn't happen after 12 laps, continue chasing her until this happens). When she begins looking at you while trotting, stop chasing her and turn away. Adopt a 'submissive' stance and look down. She should come to you. If she does, pat her and begin to touch her body. Put her halter and lead on if you prefer, but do not tie her. This way if she gets spooked or feels uncomfortable she can move away. Rub her all over, including legs, back, and head, noting any sensitive spots that need extra attention. If you can touch her all other and she seems calm, try leading her around the corral. If she won't go forward, cluck, give a light tug. If she doesn't respond, tug harder, and finally, if she still doesn't move, give a tug then use your left hand to flick the end of the lead rope on her behind to encourage her. Once she is moving forward freely, she needs to learn to stop. Say 'whoa' or 'halt' (whatever you prefer), stop walking forward, and apply a bit of pressure backward. If she doesn't stop within a few steps, try again, speaking lower and tugging the lead a bit harder. Once she stops, reward her by saying 'good girl' and patting her neck. Keep leading her forward and stopping her until she can do both quickly and with little pressure. Now try turning her in big circles. If she stops, encourage her forward. Continue in increasing smaller circles, changing direction frequently so she doesn't get bored. If she is turning easily, begin trotting her in hand, turning her, and bring her back into a walk. If this has become second nature, it's time to tie her. Tie a piece of twine to a vertical post and tie your lead rope on the twine. If she pulls back, the twine will break and she won't be injured (and your halter/lead won't be broken). Tie her, then spend time with her, rubbing her body and grooming her. Run your hand down her legs and ask her to pick up her feet. If she doesn't lift them immediatly try nudging her and squeezing the tendon above the fetlock. Don't leave her alone while tied. If she ties well, take her into the middle of the corral and put on her saddle then bridle. Don't tie her for this, so if she spooks she won't get hurt. You might not want to use your best saddle/bridle for this, you might even consider buying a cheap, very worn one just in case it fall into the dirt or gets scratched. Let her walk freely around the corral (with supervision) for half and hour or so daily until she is quite used to the saddle and bridle. Lead her around until she is comfortable walking and trotting beside you while tacked up. If all goes well, it is time to ride her. Wear a proper fitting helment; safety is always important but more so when dealing with a horse that might be unpredictable. Double check the rigging of your saddle and bridle for wear and tear. If it is in good repair, bring the reins over her head and grab them with your left hand. Put your left foot in the stirrup, only as far as the ball of your foot so if she moves there is no danger of your foot being caught in the stirrups. Put some weight in the stirrup and watch how she reacts. If she is unfazed, begin to mount but don't swing your right leg over yet. Just 'stand' with one foot in the stirrunp and your weight in the saddle. Step back to the ground, and repeat the movement a few times. If she is comfortable, fully mount and sit in the saddle. Sit straight and in proper position, looking forward. Gently squeeze your calf muscle and nudge with your heel if required until she moves forward. Reward her by patting her. Kep her moving forward at a good pace, if she trots don't stop her, right now all you want is forward movement. Eventually though, you will need to stop her because she will be approaching a fence. This is a good place to stop her because she will need to stop anyway (or turn, but we don't want that quite yet). Sit deep in the saddle, say 'whoa', and gently apply pressure on the reins. Let go, then apply

Answer 3

If she's in a barn, play a radio for her, just loud enough to hear,  get her accustomed to noise and her new surroundings.  Whenever you go in the barn, say her name,speak to her as though she's another person while you're brushing her, take her treats.  After a couple days of this, or whenever she seems adjusted to you coming around, take her out in a paddock on a lunge line and exercise her in a circle the length of your line 1st at a walk, then trot, then to a canter(slow gallop).  What exactly was she trained for?  This new relationship should be built on trust, help her learn to trust you.    

Answer 4

Look on Ebay for a good ground work video.....I would not even worry about riding her until you have done a good 60 days of consistent ground work...lunging, bitting,bending, lateral flexing, ground driving, long lining. It is soo important to have a solid foundation of groundwork before even getting on because you are sure you can turn right, turn left, stop, back, and move forward comfortably in all three gaits. A few suggestions would be Clinton Anderson's Ground work training DVD stay away from Parelli unless you are into alot of games and not ever getting to riding....edit just my opinion. Good Luck and stay safe.  

Answer 5

Hi, if you email me (or add details on here) with answers to the following questions I'd be more than happy to help:

When she was prof trained as a 4yo; what did they do with her:

Was she halter broken? handled? backed? etc

What has happened between then and now? ie has she just been left in a field?

What do you mean by her "rough edges" ? What are her habits and mannerisms?

What do you plan to do with her?

If you give me as much info as you can, like I say I'll be happy to help. Email me at [e-mail] or on here

:-)

xx