Starting The Young Horse 3
By Jason Webb
Last month I gave an overview of the facilities that I use for starting, or breaking-in, horses. This month, I will describe the first steps of the starting process that I use.
Before I commence any work on a horse, I make sure there are no physical problems that the horse may have that could hinder his progress. This includes checking his teeth, feet and watching his movement.
Each day I cover the preceding day's lesson, then add the next stage. As I described in my first article, all my training can be described as: Pressure - Result - Release - Reflect
Also, never underestimate the work you can do when carrying out everyday tasks with a young horse, such as leading him to the field and grooming him. If you are not getting the required result from your horse, you must always be thinking about what signals you are giving him!
Day 1
The first stage is to put the bridle on. I tend to use a Fulmer bit with the long cheek pieces to stop the bit sliding through the mouth. I then leave the horse to his own devices to get used to it.
Once he is comfortable with the bridle on, I will work the horse in the round pen. This work can be described as 'join-up' but I would describe the level that I want as 'facing up'. I do not want the horse to follow me everywhere, rather to keep him facing me and keeping me as his main focus.
Once they are 'facing up' and happy to stand quietly with me, I will start to 'desensitise' the horse by introducing him to different objects such as plastic bags. Their first instinct will be to flee. However, I will persist with what I am doing until they stop, after which I will take the object away. This teaches them to accept different things and that standing quietly rather than fleeing gets the best results!
The other area I work on straight away is their manners when being lead, tied up and when being handled. They quickly learn and accept that they are not allowed into my personal space.
Day 2
I will generally repeat what I did on Day 1 and if all goes well, I introduce a roller onto his back.
Day 3
On Day 3, I will usually mouth the horse using the roller and a system of ropes, similar to the way long reins are used. Working in the round-pen, I can teach the horse to go left and right, to stop and to back-up. It is an extremely important process for the horse and vital to your safety when it comes to riding the horse for the first few times.
If you would like to discuss your horse or these articles, please contact Jason Webb on 01580 211662 or visit www.australianstockhorses.co.uk.
