Starting training on a young horse?

Question

I have a Paint that turns 3 in July. Currently, she leads fairly well and picks up her feet. I would like to start training her, but I'm not really sure where to start. What do I teach her first? How long do I need to train on the ground before introducing the saddle? I have trained older horses before, but I have never started a young one. Anyone have any experience with this?

Answer 1

longe her just about everyday. theres no specific order to training your horse but get her used to being tied up in your barn or wherever you plan on saddling her in the future. a few tricks i use to lower your horses confidence and to make him/her rely on you.... take your horse out into its pasture and find a decently sized tree away from brush or anything your horse can become tangled in and tie him to the tree. you can live him there just about all day... right befor the sun goes down maybe take her some feed and some water, just a bucket of each. and leave her there over night. she will be fine just as long as this area is free from  brush and other trees... the next morning do the same as the night before.  atleast keep her there long enough to do this about twice (aprox. 24 hrs.) during the evening go back to her and see how her attitude is compared to how it was the day before if it has improved you can turn her loose and if it hasnt changed keep her there another day.. she will progress and you will be able to tell. now when your transitioning to the saddle make sure your horse is comfortable around you. you dont want her to rear while shes tied up or strike at you. always stand to the side of your horse when your not sure about her attitude tprward the saddle when saddling her. when you get the saddle on and she is still gently tighten the cinch dont do it too tight the first time. and each time after gradually make it tighter.  also when you train her on the ground... you just train her to your expectations. what you feel comfortable around. sac her out or desensitize her. with like a plastic trash bag or a feed sac.

Answer 2

Well, just have someone hold her and lean and put your weight on her. Make sure she knows you wont hurt her. If you do it alone just put her halter on and walk to her shoulder and lean on her. Then have someone hold her and get on her bareback. After she lets you do that you can start introducing the saddle and blanket. Just make sure that you sack her out with the blanket rubbing it on her all over. Let her smell it if she wants. Once she is used to the blanket, you can bring the saddle and let her smell it. If she is in a stall, hang it somewhere in the stall where she can smell it and get used to it. When she is used to the saddle in her stall, put the halter on her and just set the saddle on her back. hold on to it so if she bolts  you can pull it off. Keep doing this and pretty soon you should be able to cinch it up. Just take it slow and if she get spooked or excited stop and let her calm down. Just keep trying until you are successful. Just start hanging on the saddle and have someone hold her while you put your weight in the saddle without getting on. This is what we did with my cousin's mustang. She addopted him when he was between 8 month's and a yearling. He is almost completely broke and he is 2.This is what we did with him.  We rode him this morning and just had my uncle walk by us. Hope I helped.

P.S. It is also a good idea once you get the saddle on her to lunge her with the saddle so she gets used to it.

Answer 3

yes, i have experience. my advice is to go to a horse trainer. if you dont even know where to start, youre gonna have lots of problems later.

starting a horse is something to be taken lightly. if you make one mistake, its pretty much impossible to fix.