Tips for a young horse?

Question

Heya

Ive just bought a 4 yo.I dont want to do anything fancy with him as he is only a new forest and im probably going to sell him on or keep him for my child when they get older (if i bond with the horse) . I just want him to be safe and know basic stuff. He is quite curious and a bit of a handful. He has been broken but has absolutly no schooling. so im looking for some tips really. When you ride him he stops and refuses to move to leg and voice commands. also if you ask him to turn left or right he just sort of turns his neck around and bites your foot. He is also throwing his head up quite abit.Im pregnant and therfore will not ride him as he is a strange and unknown horse. So my friend is riding him and she got on him today with a whip and he wasnt as bad but was still not turning right and wasnt listening properly to aids. so have you any tips on how i can bring him on.Thankyou in advance =] x*x

Answer 1

With young horses you want to make sure to take things slow, considering you seem like a predator on their back. However, if he's over all of the back stuf, you should have the hardest part over with.

When working with him refusing to go forward, make sure to - as others said - lounge him so that he KNOWS walk means walk, trot means trot, canter means canter and whoa means WHOA. Your breaks are your most important part for safety sake, in fact, with my first young horse I trained (I was 11 at the time, she's a 15.2 hh quarter horse, it was dangerous, but - surprisingly, it worked out wonderfully -- we got her when she was 5 months, too) we worked on a lot of backing. I had that horse so when I said "Back.. back..back....back" she'd back up. I also walked beside her and taught her how to turn by rein pressure.

Back then I didn't know a lot of leg pressure, lol, but I walked beside her (The same thing can be accomplished by long-lining, but again I was young and this worked well for an inexperienced person) clucking at her softly and teaching her to walk like that, then I'd pull a rein, continue clucking and get her to work that way.

After all of this, if he is iffy under saddle about moving, very softly squeeze your legs and release for forward movement while saying the verbal command. Usually I cluck, immediately say walk and put my legs on basically all in the same time. You must start with vocal commands first to teach him how to move off of your leg using those commands.

Also, when asking a young horse to turn, you always take your hand out and gently guide with the rein while putting pressure on his outside leg slightly behind the girth. Also, look the way you want to turn - but I'd ask for most turning when you are already moving, try not to ask him to be stopped and turn, or you'll probably just get the biting idea. If he tries to bite your foot, gently kick him in the nose. Don't do anything hard, but enough that he'll bug off and stop trying to bite your foot. I usually just very gently pop the end of their nose with the flat of my foot to sort of annoy them more then hurt them. It's annoying to have your nose pushed on, so they stop.

Also, when asking a horse to go off of your leg, never put steady pressure. A horse can brace against steady pressure, instead start with a soft push, if he doesn't respond, make it a varying push, so that it is slightly more pressure but it disappears and comes back, like a nagging sensation. Remember at a young age, PRAISE IS EVERYTHING! If he even moves a step when you ask for the first times you're riding, "GOOD BOY!". I even carry treats in my pocket and have taught my horses to turn their heads to get a treat from me while I'm in the saddle. This is a riders choice, but remember that with every horse there must be some praise, and more praise then you ever scold. If you have a horse that is acting like a stupid beginner and he's really a great well schooled horse, you must always end on a good note. If he cannot seem to accomplish what he can most days, just pick a basic goal that he isn't accomplishing that he can easily enough and try to reach it. For example, my 2nd level dressage horse will decide he can't stop one day. So, I go back to the basics of stopping :D It'll make a well rounded horse, truly.

Just try your best to work on leg pressure, and when my horse refuses to turn (Then again, he IS schooling higher level dressage) I put giving and releasing pressure on his side, look the way i want to go, and if he still refuses i gently tap his shoulder with the whip. I've also worked on teaching him how to move his shoulder because a whip asks for it on the ground, and his hips. You get better control.

And trust me, you aren't hitting your horse with the whip, you're just saying "hey, this spot here, move it" and nagging.

Good luck with your guy! Take it slow, good luck!

Answer 2

The only advice I can really give is that you want to make riding enjoyable to him.

It may also help to lunge with a rider.

Answer 3

He has certainly not been broken properly and I would agree with a previous answer "find a competant trainer", do check them out properly though as anyone can call themselves a trainer preferably through recommendation and send him to be broken properly.  Using a whip is certainly not the answer especially for a pony intended for children.

New Forest ponies can make great childrens ponies and be safe and fun to ride.   I have been riding for many years and the best rides I have ever had were on Candy a Forester my sister and I bought off the Forest as a foal, I never carried a whip.  After being professionally broken she taught many children to ride over her long life, winning their hearts as well as many rosettes.

Answer 4

lunge him !!

it will really help for those hyper days, and get him listening to your voice aids

try a martingale, or a new bit for those reining problems.

GOODLUCK(:

Answer 5

alot of ground work, ground work can resolve alot of riding issues in young horses. try circling him in both directions get him moving sideways, backwards , over ground poles through gates forwards and backwards, also try ground driving him this really works well , the basic thing is for the horse to trust you, i never, ever use a whip, he is a young horse and maybe doesnèt understand all that is being asked of him, would you like to be disciplined for doing something wrong because you didnt understand it.  the biting is a bad habit though, and most horses only bite when they dont respect you, be patient earn his trust and teach him the proper skills he needs and he should turn out great.

Answer 6

I recommend that you get help from a competent trainer in your area.

Answer 7

Ground work!  Try to teach voice commands of "walk," "trot" and "halt" and necessary commands like that.

Lunging!  Lunge first by himself then add a rider and slowly introduce the idea of turning from rein aid and going forward with leg pressure (center person uses the whip while rider says "walk" and presses softly with legs)

Get control of his shoulder to turn!  Don't just turn his head and neck, guide his body!  Feel like you are pushing his shoulder over with your leg.  Young horses often do not know how to turn from the rein aid, so you need to keep his head straight (keep his nose in the middle of his chest (not ON his chest, just in the same line)

Answer 8

Sounds like you need to do some more ground work with him first. He should be yielding 100% to all basic commands on the ground before you even consider getting on his back. Also, if you put a rider on him, and pony him off another horse, that should help too. Have his rider give a command, let the horse respond, and if his response isn't correct then correct him off the other horse. This will also work with someone on the ground... but usually takes a lot longer than if he's just ponied.

Answer 9

I know everyone has been parellied to death and if you even whisper the phrase natural horsemanship people roll their eyes like you are selling amway..lol...but the program works. And much of it you do from the ground so you are safe while schooling your horse. I have a 5yr old gelding and when I bought him from his last owner as a three year old he was a wreck. It took me 2hrs to catch him...just to give him cookies and turn him loose..(working on our report)...2yrs later he is not perfect but we have a good foundation. Today we were riding in a pond and it was wonderful to have him be respectful and willing. There was no bit, no whip, no mechanical hacamore, but there was trust and try. All I am trying to say is keep your mind open to different ways of training and think about what is best for both you and your horse.