He is halter broke, picks up his feet, enjoys being brushed. He hasn't been clipped or or "ponied" yet, but will work on that. He has a pretty good attitude. I don't want to push him and have him get frusterated, but don't want to waste the summer either. Any ideas would be great!
Answers:
This is a wonderful age to begin more extensive training. At this age though a horse will get bored quickly, so don't overdue it. Ten minutes to twenty minute at a time. You'll know the signs. Spend the summer getting him used to being touched with different objects. Rub him all over. EVERY new situation is a learning experience for him. I actually begin to put a blanket on for a few minutes at a time and as he gets used to it and knows it won't hurt him set a saddle on him. Be patient! Each horse is different as well as their tolerence. Eventually when you are able to completly saddle him. Be careful not to OVER sench him, this will ruin him for life. Just tight enough to keep it from slipping and turning under his belly. This will take a few weeks or maybe even months. So don't rush and be very patient. Remember you may have a small rodeo, but make sure to have a tree handy to put your lead rope around to give you some leverage. Make sure and give your horse LOTS! of approval and congradulations, not all snacks, but pets and "atta boys". Once this is exepted, you may begin to add a "LITTLE" weight. Remember their bones are still growing and you can do damage with too much. Your only trying to get him use to the difference. Five lbs, ten, fifteen, twenty, up to ONE feed sack (w/feed), . Walk him around slowly hang onto the sack. Make sure it doesn't fall off and scare him. Don't rush this part.
In between these lessons, continue brushing, petting, sacking (rubbing different textures and noises on his skin, all over, under belly, on legs. Even tie plastic sacks to his tail. As soon as he figures out it won't hurt him, try something new. Also, when you are training him turn the music off and let it just be the two of you. Get to know him. When your not training him turn the music up!!! and let him get used to the noises.
Give him every opportunity to succeed. If Mama's around let her help. (if she's is a rider). Let him see other horses being saddled and rode. Make sure these are good experiences. His natural curiosity will kick in.
To teach him patience of just standing. Find a good tree. Wrap the lead rope around to give you extra leverage (give yourself at least 2 feet to work with and wear gloves) and just stand there. Give him plenty of rope on the other side of the tree (two or three feet). Your going to give him the ellusion that you are holding him. If he begins to fuss and fight, just hang on and talk gently to him. This can get boring for you, but is necessary for the next step.
When he is used to this tie him to a sturdy tree. Stay near where he can see him. Once he is standing for 10 to 15 minutes, you'll go to the next step.
Find a good cedar tree. The reason you use a cedar tree is because the roots are on top of the ground. Tie off your horse from the top, so he can't get the rope around him. The rope MUST be long enough that if he falls he won't choke himself. Measure this by his height, if he was to lie down or fall down the rope should just have enought slack to keep his knees from going to the ground. Don't worry he will stand back up. If he is one that falls or lies down use a stretch line that can be added for additional length when needed. Remember safety for your horse first. Than let him stand each time a little longer 10 minutes adding 5 minute incruments a day, until he is standing as long as an hour at a time.
When he is older, say 2, you can add the saddle and stand him longer. This will teach him patience.
When you are ready to send him to a trainer, he's half way there.
Most of all give him love and please be patient yourself and get to know him and become friends. But remember, your the boss, he's your student. Have fun!!
You can work on trailer loading, and take him for walks around strange looking things to get him used to seeing all sorts of automobiles, animals, trees, brush, trash cans, etc.just being "out and about" will get him used to normal trail obstacles. Have fun; he sounds wonderful, and you are wise to begin teaching him what you can right now.
Taking him for walks would be a great idea... If you can have another horse come along that might be good as well. Get him used to bridges and creeks if you can since those can cause trouble later on as I'm sure you know.
i would suggest "sacking him out" get him used to things he might see on a trial ride. try plastic bags, and thing that he could find scary. Also just work on the basics and try trailer loading. this is easiest to do with a ramp so that they don't have to lift their feet as high. As soon as he is in praise him and take him out. you don't want him to get really scared his first time in the trailer. good luck!
Teach him to be calm, bomb-proof him, teach him about all the stuff like cars backfiring, etc.
I would start working with things like tarps, water, bridges and other types of things that might spook him. That way nothing can scare him on the trails. Maybe even walk him through some trails, get him used to it.
All the other answers are GREAT. I would strongly suggest handwalking him everywhere possible. One thing that is kind of tricky to do while you're not "aboard" is to get your horse used to traffic. If you can trailer him to someplace where cars drive by frequently, that would be good. Lots of horses get spooked by the strange way that sound bends around objects (like cars) that are moving quickly. You should also introduce your baby to railroad tracks. Most horses are very freaked out about walking over railroad tracks, simply because they look so strange. If you can take strange-looking household objects (dogs, small children, plastic bags, a pile of cardboard boxes, bicycles) and place them where he can see them but still feels safe, that would be a good start. You can encourage his exploration of them when he's on a lead and you're there to reassure him and praise him for being a brave boy. Also, if you have the opportunity, I STRONGLY suggest introducing your horse to cows and poultry. My horse wasn't phased by anything (semis, railroad tracks, puddles, dogs, runners, bikes, tarps) -until- we went to a county fair and he saw cows. *rolls eyes* And some of the trails I used to ride on were frequented by wild turkeys and free-range chickens. These are also verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry scary to horses.
The best asset to a trail horse is being able to think for itself and solve basic problems like getting over, through, or around something. These things will help tremendously.
Start right away. Train him undersaddle and work him from the ground. You can train him to bend, turn and back using groung driving tecniques. get min used to walking around and over obstacles, and staying calm amid distractions. If you can, ride another horse on the trails and pony the yearling so he can get used to narrow trails and scenery. By the time he's grown out, he'll already be an old pro.
To make him more bombproof, you could always take him on walks around different objects like a mailbox or tie some ribbon in trees. You could try taking him over a tarp also. Maybe hose a section of ground so its sorta puddley to get him used to creeks etc. If you have a dog have someone walk it around so your horse sees it and take a dog toy or something that makes noise and squeak it and gradually move that noise closer. theres so many ways that could help, you just have to be creative! ; ] good luck and have fun with your horse!
take a older trail horse and lead the older horse with the 10 month old and set up tarps and find bushe sand thing that you would see on a trail ride.
trailer loading. get him use to strange noises andsights and work more on his ground manners. horses can never be worked enough with ground manners
you should be working on despooking him lay big blue tarps on the ground and 2x4's and anything you can think of that might scare him on the trail and have him walk over them around them and sometimes even through it but dont push him through these things it will take time and understanding.
Get him used to every thing, Tarps, plastic bags, cars, dogs, loud noises, uneven footing, water on the ground (puddels) put a saddel blanket on his back. Walk him on pavement, asphalt, dirt, walk im across roads with yellow and whit lins on the ground. some thims the silliest things will spook a horse if you get them used to it very young ther is generly no problem in the future. hope this gives you some stuff to work with.
Oh goodness there is plenty of stuff. You just need to start exposing him to everything! Do alot of desensitizing exercises. Work with objects like tarps, bridges, fun noodles, bags, etc, etc. You can also do hand trails. Take him out and lead him down the trails. This is great exposure and exercise for him, and also good exercise for you as well. And it really helps your horse bond with you. He will learn to trust you when something new scares him, and this will transistion into him trusting you in the saddle. So lots of desensitization, and if a few months move into some line driving to get him used to bit pressure. Then start doing everything you were doing while leading, while line driving. This will help in the transition to the saddle. You're not right there by his head telling him it's ok, but you're not on his back yet either. Also work on things like clipping, tieing, loading, etc. By the time you get to saddle breaking this horse will know it all!
I would get him used to walking over stuff, having stuff being put on him. I had a trail horse we would put a tarp over his head and make him walk over it to bomb proof him.
you could work on sounds that might be on a trail so he can get use 2 them
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