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"Do you have any tips for making sure the horse respects such a young teacher?"
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Dear Keith...
Monday, June 18, 2007
I just purchased an 18month old gaited filly for my daughter. I will be trainng the horse as far as finish breaking & handling basics. I want my daughter, who's 9years old to help in the process so she can learn, but do you have any tips for making sure the horse respects such a young teacher. I will always be with her while we exercise the horse thru training & on the bigger lessons, I will, of course take over for the safety of both my daughter & the horse.
I have grown up with horses & have had several, but it's been a few years & I'm afraid I may be a little rusty, so forgive me for asking basic questions, I just want to get the best results with this new horse. She has been well handled & takes the saddle & bridle very well at this point & will allow my daughter to mount up & ride while being led in the round pin. She changes direction well with little instruction, & as of yet, we have had only very minor discipline to do. I'm very pleased with her so far, she is gentle, will pick up her feet well, & stand grooming quietly. I feel I have an excellent prospect on my hands & want to ensure that both I & my daughter continue with good training & educating ourselves so that we may better educate this horse. She is a little thin at the moment & we have her with pasture available & some hay. Is sweet feed or corn ok to give her in moderation to help her gain a little weight so she doesn't get too thin while we are exercising her daily? Do you have a recommendation for a proper amount of sweet feed at this young age? I don't want to over-do or hype her up with sweet feed.
I thank you for any advice you may have!
Sincerely,
Michelle D |
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Reply
Hi, Michelle – thank you for the email.
While I'm sure you understand that I can't advice via a simple email for a horse I’ve never seen, I can suggest that you go to this page on my site: http://www.horsemanship101.com/Horse-Training-Tools/index1001.html. It lists over 200 training topics. Simply find a topic related to your situation and the link will bring you to a list of relevant books, video, audio tapes. It will also link you to free articles, when they're available. Note that some topics (like “biting” or foal handling specifically) haven’t been addressed yet. They someday will be – but right not most of our articles mirror our riding clinics.
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Reply
I understand on the not seeing the horse part. I'm just excited on what a good prospect she is. I have had several horses over the years, but this is my first one this young, so I just want to go a good job with her!! I'll go to the websites & educate myself more there. I signed up for the newsletter too, so hopefully, there will be some things to help me there. All I can do is get the newsletters & learn, I appreciate your time. I look forward to the newsletters. I'll keep you posted on the results with this young horse!!
Thank you,
Michelle D
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Suggested Article: "Scared of My Horse"
Your horse wants to eat, sleep and poop. "Bonding" has never been high on his list.
You can have a terrific relationship, but it takes respect – and respect must be earned. Begin by realizing that you're the one paying the bills. Your...
from our Ask a Horse Trainer series > read more |
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Suggested Article: "Riding Exercise: Steer the Tail"
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Suggested Article: "Three Step Stop Exercise"
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Suggested Article: "An Easy Way to Look At Training"
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from our Horse Training Basics series > read more |
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from our Horse Training Problem series > read more |
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