A Beginner's Guide to Training a Horse

If you are a beginner with horses, you really should get a horse that is already broke to ride. Yet, you will still need to train it to your satisfaction and desire. Here are a few tips for training him once you have him back to his new home (or your place).

First tip...be sure to start from the ground. Do not just take a new horse to a new place and hop right on. The horse must get used to the new surroundings and sounds and smells. Also, you must learn more about the horse. Does he have any kinds of fears (i.e. afraid of loud noises, afraid of flags of any kind, afraid of vehicles et cetera? You really do not want to be on his back when you find out that a vehicle scares him silly.

Second.....once the horse has settled in to his new surroundings then start with some ground work exercises for the horse. Longeing or using a long roped attached to the horses halter to make the horse go in circles is one of the best exercises for the horse. During this stage you should start teaching the horse commands such as walk, jog/trot, lope/canter, and stop. Some horses may require you keep a small riding crop (whip) in your hand. However, never strike the horse. It is only for a little reinforcement. Begin the horse by having him walk in a small circle while you stand in the "center" of the circle and move around as he does. Start the horse going in just one direction at a time. Do clock-wise one day or more until he gets good at that. Then switch to counter-clock-wise when you feel he is ready. Make sure that before you switch directions the horse knows how to walk, trot, and lope in that one direction. Do not be afraid to ask someone for help if you need it as this part is a little difficult at times. One suggestion is to buy a video on training a horse for beginners.

Third, once you have got the longeing to a good point of progress then start teaching the horse to lead directly beside you. You always want to lead a horse on the left side (also the side to mount the horse on). Hold the lead rope in your right hand up fairly close to the halter but below the snap of the rope. Then, depending on how long the rope is, you want to wind it up sort of like a garden hose. Hold the remainder (garden hose) in your left hand. What ever you do, never (repeat never) wrap the rope around your hand. This is dangerous in the fact that if the horse gets frightened and tries to run, you will either be dragged or the rope will be pulled through your hands causing rope burn.

Fourth, once the horse has gotten good a longeing and walking beside you, you are ready to move on to getting the horse ready to ride. Grooming the horse before a ride is a must. This includes using a curry comb (or a comb with ridges) in order to loosen any deep down dirt within the horse's coat. The reason for this is that once you have put the saddle on that dirt can become very irritating to the horse if left on him (especially if he is going to be getting a good work out and sweating). After the curry comb use a "hard" brush to brush the loose dirt off the horse. Follow that by using a soft brush to make the coat "lay down" and get any remaining dirt. You then want to make sure the horse's hooves are free from any kind of gravels or other irritating particles (i.e. rocks, nails, bottle caps et cetera). (If you have purchased the horse make sure he is not a kicker.) To check the hooves put your hand on the horses shoulder and slowly work you way down the leg. Gently pinch the horse's leg while pushing into him with your shoulder and tell him "Up." Once you have the leg raised, remove any particles with a hoof pick or even a screw driver will work.

Fifth, you are ready to bridle the horse. Begin by standing on the left side of the horse right in front of his shoulder and facing his head. Begin at the mouth with the bit. Some horse will just let you simply slip it in while others like to fight it. Be calm and gentle if he fights at first. Take your time and talk to him. Then put the bit up to his mouth again and gently try to push it in. Sometimes you may have to be a little forceful. If you must, take you finger and gently put it in the side of the horse's mouth while still trying to put the bit in. Once you have the bit in, you are usually almost home. You then just slip the "head stall" over the horse's ears by reaching under the horse's neck to put the bridle over the right ear and then the left.

Sixth, now you are ready to saddle. Again, this is all from the left side. Gently place a blanket on the horses back with the front slightly over the withers of the horse. Then put the saddle on with the front of the saddle slightly "behind" the front of the blanket. In other words, the saddle should sit in the middle of the blanket.

Seventh, you are ready to cinch the saddle in place. The cinch or girth is like the belt(s) that go around the horse's belly. Carefully reach under the horses belly and grab the front cinch and pull it to you. Find the "buckle" and pull the cinch through. Pull the cinch until the saddle is very snug and seems to be steady, and then fasten it just like you would belt. If the saddle has a back cinch do the same thing *except* you want to leave at least an inch of room between the horse's belly and the back cinch. Some people find that tying the front cinch is more secure. However, this process is a little more complicated than simply buckling it. If you so desire, you can find someone (or get a video...yet they are still a little difficult to follow) to teach you how to tie the saddle instead of buckle it.

Eighth, you are ready to mount. The best place to start riding is in an enclosed area such as a small part of pasture that is fenced off or a small riding ring. Lead your horse to where you are going to be riding and mount for the first time there. You always want to mount on the left side of the horse. Put your left foot in the stirrup, grab a hold of the pommel and cantle of the saddle and give yourself a push with your right leg. Swing your right leg over the horse and there you are. You are now on board. Some people if heavier set may find it easier to grab the horse's mane and then the back of the saddle. This does not hurt the horse at all since they do not really have any feeling in their mane area. The reason for this type of mount is that it does not pull your saddle off nearly as easily.

Ninth and tenth, begin by walking. Do not just get on the horse and begin loping or running. You must get used to the feel of the horse and vice versa. Also, at a walk you can feel the horse's actions a little better. That means you can sort of "sense" if something is wrong. For the first couple of days stay within a confined area and stay at a walk or no more than a trot. Once you have gotten used to the horse's movements and he is used to your commands and movements, you can then start venturing out in more open spaces. Always remember that if you are riding the horse in an unfamiliar area and the horse begins acting strange, for a beginner it is best to go ahead and get off and lead the horse. Try to figure out what is bothering him however so as to try to get him over his fear.

To be honest, your best bet is to have someone experienced with horses with you the first couple of days and then the first couple of days you begin riding. This is basically for safety reasons.

Source:

Personal experience of raising horses for around twenty years.

A good website is www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/horse-training-young.shtml May 8, 2009