6
THE MORE GROUND-WORK TRAINING YOU PROVIDE before actually getting on your horse, the better. This preparation will smooth the instruction given when he becomes mature enough physically for mounted lessons or for pulling a cart.
Most horses should not be ridden until they are three years old. You can accomplish some early lessons — mounting, for example, and teaching a horse to move out, stop, and turn — at age two, but it’s usually better to wait until he is three years old before you ride and four years old before you do a lot of trotting and galloping. A horse is not mature enough physically to handle hard work — many hours and miles each day—until he is five years old. Some equine sports such as racing, cutting, and reining start horses young, but this may be hard on them physically; many do not stay sound. Let the horse fully mature before asking him to do speed work.
Remember, training is a step-by-step process that builds on what you have already accomplished. If a horse’s experience with a new situation is a good one, he will be relaxed about the same activity in the future. If you prepare for each step as you go along, anticipating possible reactions and responses, you can prevent problems.
Every horse is different. Methods may have to vary with each green horse you train, as you feel your way along and find the best way to gain trust, confidence, and respect. Some young horses accept new things without fuss or resistance; others are suspicious or fearful, and you must take them more slowly. Some are headstrong; others are lazy. These horses may resist what you are doing just to see if they can get away with it. They’re not really afraid; they’re just testing you. With these individuals, you may need to be firmer.
Bridling Beginners
You don’t think twice about bridling an old dependable horse. But the first time you bridle the young horse can be a traumatic experience unless you’ve prepared him for it. Bridling is such a basic part of everything you’ll be doing with him in the future that you want to make sure his first experience is positive. The horse should already be accustomed to having his head, mouth, and ears handled. He should be used to wearing a halter and standing quietly beside you. With these lessons behind you, and because the horse trusts and respects you, it should be fairly easy to introduce the bit and headstall.
Mouth Handling
From the time he is a foal, your horse should be used to an occasional finger in the corner of his mouth rubbing his gum. If he isn’t yet, start doing this before the first bridling lessons as part of his daily grooming routine. Then he will not be alarmed the first time you try to put a bit in his mouth.
Relaxing and Lowering His Head
Teaching a horse to lower his head is not only handy for haltering, bridling, and giving oral medication and dewormers, but it also breaks the pattern of flight or fight if your horse is upset and establishes you as dominant in the relationship. It teaches him to relax. The excited or nervous horse raises his head; if the horse is taught to lower his head on cue, it can also get him under control in an emergency situation. There are a number of cues to teach the horse to lower his head. It’s best to be consistent, however. Always use the same one with the horse so he understands what you are asking. Choose the cue that works best for you and the horse you are training.
Short Tugs
One way to teach the horse to lower his head is to give rhythmic and regular short tugs on his halter. The tugs should be gentle, more of an annoyance than a pull. He will at first respond by raising his head; this is his natural reaction to get away from annoyance. If he raises his head or tries to back up, let him; just continue with the gentle tugs. It may take several minutes, but as soon as the horse begins to lower his head — even just a little — stop tugging and give him praise. Then continue tugging until he lowers it again.
PRESSURE AND RELEASE
A. Standing next to the horse’s left shoulder, put gentle pressure on the halter. Don’t jerk on the rope.
B. Keep steady downward pressure, and release it as soon as he lowers his head, even slightly.
C. Then ask him to lower his head a little more, rewarding any downward movement with release. Soon he will understand your cue and lower his head as much as you ask.
Soon he will get the connection: when he lowers his head, there’s no more annoyance. Within a few lessons he will lower his head on cue, with just one gentle tug on the halter. He can also learn to lower it as much as you request. The key is patience, especially in the beginning, until he figures it out.
Pressure on the Poll
Another cue is to put one hand behind the horse’s poll at the top of his neck and the other on the bridge of his nose, applying slight downward pressure with both. When he gives to this pressure, immediately release it and pat him, then do it again. If he doesn’t want to lower his head, use your hand on his face to move it from side to side a little, continuing the mild pressure at the top of his neck. Always release the pressure as his reward when he responds.
If his head comes back up, repeat your cue. If he tries to back up or move away, just move with him and continue the pressure, letting him know he’s not trapped but that the pressure stays there until he lowers his head. Never force him to leave his head down. Eventually, he will lower his head — as low as you wish — on cue, for the pressure is released when he does.
Cue the horse to lower his head by putting gentle pressure on the bridge of his nose and at the top of his neck.
Ear Handling
Some horses are very sensitive about their ears; it takes extra time and handling to get them over their fear of having their ears touched. It’s always good to start handling all parts of the horse when he is a baby (see chapter 3 for more on imprint training). If this aspect of handling was inadequate, done improperly, or neglected altogether, it’s time to catch up on it before you bridle him.
Accustom your horse to having his ears handled.
If his ears are sensitive, start gently handling them every time you groom or work with your horse, until he realizes you are not going to hurt him. It may take several sessions before you can handle his ears with ease. Work closer to the ears slowly and gradually. Rub his neck, and work closer and closer to the ears until he’s no longer afraid of having them touched. You can tell when he starts to change his mind. He will be relaxed instead of tense and evasive. His head will come down, and he may sigh. Once you can touch his ears, gently rub all parts of them until he accepts this readily.
Bridling Lessons
Make sure the headstall is of the proper size before you try to put it on the horse. Hold it up next to his head, and judge the distance between the poll (behind the ears) and his mouth. Use a headstall that’s easily adjustable when on the horse, so if you misjudge the size, you’ll be able to take it up or let it out as necessary.
SAFETY TIP
Use a snaffle bit with a thick, comfortable mouthpiece; it will be less apt to pinch or cut into the youngster’s gum. A narrow, thin bit puts too much pressure in one small area of the mouth, causing discomfort.
To ensure that a fussy horse will not resist the bit, put molasses or honey on it before you put it in his mouth. Detach the bit from the headstall, and put it in his mouth alone a few times, if you want, letting him taste the molasses and get used to grabbing hold of the bit and mouthing it — and also spitting it out.
A horse who is properly halter trained, ties well, and has no qualms about having your fingers in his mouth or his ears handled can be left tied in his usual place (to the fence or with cross-ties in the barn stall or aisle) for his first bridling session. Restrain him in a familiar spot until he gets used to the procedure, just in case it takes a few false starts to get the bit into his mouth. You don’t want him backing up and then realizing he can avoid the bit by moving away from you.
BRIDLING TIPS
If the horse refuses to open his mouth, put more pressure on his gum with your finger or tickle his tongue, and he will usually open up. Avoid bumping the horse’s teeth with the bit (a finger against the gum is more effective encouragement) and mishandling his ears; these mistakes can make the horse difficult to bridle the next time.
If he’s not well trained to tie, however, don’t tie him for his first bridling. You don’t want to cause him any reason to be worried about the restriction of his head; he needs to be able to focus on one thing at a time. Even a well-halter-trained horse may become a little anxious about the first bridling, so avoid all possible problems.
Leave on the halter, and put the headstall on over the halter. Even if you will eventually ride the horse without a halter under the bridle, always leave it on during bridling lessons and early training so you can control the horse without having to pull on the bit in his mouth. If you are unsure about how the horse is going to react the first time you bridle him, enlist someone to hold the horse’s halter rope, loosely, on the other side.
Remove the reins from the bridle for first lessons, and use just the bit and headstall. Hold the crownpiece in your right hand (with that arm up around the horse’s head to hold his head in place) and the bit in your left hand. Some people bridle a horse with the right hand up over his forehead, but if the inexperienced horse feels too confined with your arm up over his head, use your arm on the other side of the head to keep it steady between your two hands; he won’t be able to move around to avoid the bit.
The bit rests on the fingers of your left hand, beneath his mouth. Bring the crownpiece up to his ears, and place the bit into his lips. If there is molasses on the bit, he will probably open his mouth for it. (See page 212 for the basic technique.)
If he doesn’t open his mouth, put your thumb or a finger into the side of his mouth, pressing on the bars where there are no teeth. When he opens his mouth, slip in the bit and raise the crownpiece over his ears, being careful not to fold or irritate them. Slip the headstall over the ears one at a time (starting with the far one), then straighten the browband and forelock before fastening the throatlatch. If you are using a Western one-ear headstall, place the ear gently in its slot, then slide the crownpiece over the other ear. Don’t cram in the ears or fold them; ears are very sensitive.
Unbridling
Taking off the bridle properly is just as important as putting it on properly. If the bit bumps his teeth on the way out, your horse will raise his head to try to get away from the pain. He may then raise his head in anticipation of pain every time you start to take off the bridle, making it impossible to get it off without clanking his teeth.
Thus, it is crucial to make first lessons smooth and relaxed. You want him to lower his head so you can slip off the headstall over his ears and let the bit drop out gently. This is where it pays to have him lower his head on cue. One way to get him to relax is to rub his head or forehead. Only after his head is lowered should you remove the headstall, waiting for him to release the bit. Let him spit it out after his head is lowered. Don’t ever try to pull it out; it will hang up on his teeth. He must be given time to let go of it. After a few careful sessions, he’ll learn to lower his head each time you start to take off the bridle.
UNBRIDLING TIPS
If the horse’s head is too high when you begin to remove the bridle, stop — the bit will catch on his lower incisors. First encourage him to lower his head. When you take the headstall forward over his ears, make sure the bit stays well up in his mouth (the headstall supports the bit) until he starts to spit it out. Then it can be eased past his teeth without clanking and causing him to toss up his head. Hold him gently by the halter as you remove the bridle, encouraging him to keep his head low, and hold on to the headstall until he releases the bit.
Saddling Beginners
Saddle the young horse several times before you actually ride him. This way, he becomes comfortable with the feel of the saddle. If he is already used to being touched all over, the first saddling should be easy. Do his first saddling with him tied in a familiar place, such as where you usually groom him.
It’s important that he be thoroughly halter trained before you progress to saddling lessons. He needs to learn he is to stand still for saddling and not move around. Unless he’s not accustomed to being tied, he should be tied rather than held. He must be content to stand tied for these lessons; you don’t want him flying back or trying to avoid the saddle pad.
Be Confident
Work with the horse quietly and confidently. Take care not to upset him, but act as though saddling is a routine thing. If you’re quiet and relaxed, he’s more likely to stay relaxed. If you are tense and nervous about the lesson, he will be, too. He will feel your mood and become more insecure.
Your horse looks to you for cues on how to behave; act with confidence so he will see you as someone he can depend on. You are the leader in this team effort. If you’re unsure or nervous, your horse will think there is something to fear and be suspicious of the lesson.
If you’re nervous and your horse is still not convinced that you’re actually the leader, he’ll become pushy and uncooperative, trying to take advantage of your lack of confidence. In all lessons, you must establish a confident attitude so he knows you are the one in control. This does not mean you have to be forceful; it just means you know you are in control, so he will know it, too.
Familiarizing with the Blanket or Pad
Use an old pad that has a familiar horsey smell. While you are grooming, show the horse the saddle pad and let him smell it. Put it on his back slowly and carefully, without a lot of extra movement. Some young horses accept this readily; a nervous or spooky youngster, however, may be fearful. For a skittish horse, it helps to fold the pad or blanket smaller and to ease it onto the back, being careful not to startle him. Put it on and take it off a few times, so he becomes accustomed to it and realizes it is nothing to fear.
Get your horse completely used to the pad so you can eventually put it on in normal fashion — that is, without having to ease it carefully onto his back. After he is relaxed about it, drag it off his back, put it on and take it off from the other side, flip it on with more motion, and raise it up as you put it on (the height you would lift the saddle to get it on his back), familiarizing him with it. When he is no longer worried about it, he is ready for the saddle.
Some horses are ready for the saddle after you’ve put on and taken off the saddle pad. Others take a little longer to feel comfortable, and you’ll need to spend a few more sessions working with just the saddle pad before you try the saddle. Some horses are calmed and more trusting if you tie a familiar horse nearby and saddle it first, letting the youngster observe and even smell and inspect the tack you are putting on the other horse.
Use a Lightweight Saddle
For the horse’s first saddling, it’s best to use a light saddle, such as an English saddle or a child’s lightweight Western saddle, rather than a big Western saddle. A light saddle won’t be so apt to alarm him and is easier to retrieve if he tries to jump out from under it before you get the girth fastened. Without using the cinch, set the saddle on his back the first time and just hold it there. If he protests or moves around too much, lift it up off his back before he gets overly worried. Once he relaxes and stands still, put it on again. Put it on and take it off several times.
Don’t startle your horse when you set the saddle on his back. If it’s an English saddle, have the stirrup irons run up so they won’t flop around. If it’s a Western saddle, hook the off stirrup bow over the saddle horn, and lay the cinch across the saddle so it can’t flop down on the off side (right side) as you put on the saddle. If you never give him cause to startle, he’ll be more likely to stay calm, relaxed, and trusting about the saddling process.
Ease the saddle gently on his back, and be ready to lift off the saddle if the horse gets nervous. Don’t cinch the saddle this first time unless he is very relaxed about it.
Make Sure the Saddle Fits
Select a saddle that fits the horse. An uncomfortable saddle might make him resist lessons. If the saddle tree and bars are too wide or too narrow for his back, it will cause pain. A wide-backed horse with low withers needs a wide, flat tree; a narrow horse with narrower withers needs a narrower tree. He can’t concentrate on lessons if he’s uncomfortable; he’ll be thinking about pain rather than what he’s supposed to be learning.
Tightening the Cinch
How far and how fast you progress with the first saddling lessons will depend on the individual horse. On a calm and mellow individual, you may accomplish it all in the first lesson. On a nervous horse, work in stages over several sessions. The first time, you may not want to use the cinch at all. It may be better to wait until the second or third lesson, after he is more relaxed about having the saddle placed on his back.
When the cinch is being tightened for the first time is usually when a young horse becomes scared or resentful. It helps if you’ve prepared him by touching him a lot with your hands. During grooming sessions you will have discovered whether your horse is comfortable with your touch. For the sensitive, ticklish horse, extra brushing under his belly and rubbing the girth area and behind his elbows will be necessary until he feels at ease with something touching him around his girth.
CINCHING TIPS
Tighten the cinch slowly and carefully, trying not to pinch or startle the horse. Do not pull it very tight the first time — just enough to keep the saddle from slipping off if he jumps or moves around. If he is nervous, don’t leave it on very long. Take as many sessions as necessary until you can eventually tighten it enough to hold the saddle securely in place.
Leading with the Saddle
When you have saddled the horse a few times, the next step is getting him accustomed to moving while carrying it. If it fits well and he is comfortable with it, he should never try to buck it off. A skittish horse, however, may buck if it alarms him, especially if you try to lead him with it on before he is used to the idea. Whether you start leading him the second day after saddling or the second week will depend on the horse’s personality and reaction to the saddle.
Before you lead him with it on, make sure it is cinched up properly — not too tight, but definitely tight enough that it will not move or shift if he jumps around. You want to make these early lessons a pleasant experience. If you don’t have the cinch tight enough and the saddle turns or slips under his belly if he bucks, it will scare him into bucking harder. This frightening experience could make him afraid of a saddle forever. Remember, the young horse does not have the experience and tolerance of an older, trained horse. Prepare for each step carefully to avoid creating a bad experience.
Most young horses will walk around with the saddle on, but others are frightened. Be alert for sudden movements and prepared to keep the horse under control if he does explode. Tie the stirrups to the cinch rings before you lead him so they cannot flop and scare him into bucking harder. If he’s skittish, you’ll be glad you spent time working on his leading lessons and perfecting his response to Whoa.
When you lead him for the first time with the saddle on, do it in a small pen or a box stall so he can’t get up any speed or get away from you if he explodes. If he jumps or bucks, halt him and reassure him. Then, after he is fully relaxed, again ask him to take a few steps. Don’t lead him in the open until he is comfortable moving around while saddled in a small enclosure.
Longe your horse with a saddle to familiarize him with its weight and sound and the feel of the stirrups flapping.
If the saddle seems to bother him, make sure that it fits correctly. If it doesn’t, change saddles. If it does, give him more lessons in moving around while saddled until he learns to relax and accept it. With the saddle on him, you can lead, longe, or pony him. Some trainers turn the horse loose in a round pen so he can move about freely, while others prefer never to give him such freedom to discover that he can buck while saddled. Whether or not he bucks in the round pen, he’ll still learn that he can’t get rid of the saddle and that it’s not hurting him. Give him plenty of time to become accustomed to carrying it; let him get all the skittishness out of his system.
ANTICIPATE YOUR
HORSE’S RESPONSE
Some horses learn to trust you very quickly and never try to buck. Others test you every step of the way. Know your horse, and be able to predict what he might do. You must outsmart a horse who constantly tests you and prevent bad behavior before it happens. If you feel your way along with each horse, rather than trying to use the same method for every one, you can usually find the best way to handle each individual animal.
Wait for Maturity
Once he is comfortable with a saddle, you can start mounted lessons after lessons in bitting and responding to the bridle (see chapter 7 and 8) and whenever your horse is ready. If he is too young to ride, continue his ground work training. The bones and joints of a two-year-old are not mature enough to handle athletic work with the weight of a rider. Even extensive ground work such as longeing faster than a walk can be hard on the joints of a young horse. Many skills can be taught from the ground while you wait for him to mature, however. You might be able to get on a two-year-old a few times and start the basic work of moving, stopping, and turning, but wait until he is three years old before you get out and go.
Maneuverability and Control
You can teach the horse basic actions and control before you ever get on him. If he already knows how to stop, turn, and respond to bit and leg pressure, it won’t be so confusing for him when he has to try to understand your signals from his back. Leg pressure can be simulated by pressing on his side in the area your leg would be when mounted, as when teaching him to move his hindquarters over (see page 172).
The green horse gains confidence when he understands how to respond to a cue. If he knows he will be rewarded by release of pressure, he will try to make the proper response. If he does not know how to respond, however, your signals will confuse, irritate, and startle him. He may react with a very improper response, such as bucking or pulling on the bit. Anything he can learn ahead of first rides will help ensure that they go well.
Pressure and Response
A basic concept of training a horse is that almost everything we ask him to do is in response to pressure or anticipation of reward (which is usually the release of pressure). He learns to do the proper thing willingly because his reward for responding is instant release of pressure. When riding, you press with your leg and he moves forward or to the side, depending on the cue. You touch the reins lightly and he feels bit pressure, so he slows, or stops, or turns. These are conditioned responses; he learns how to respond properly because the pressure goes away when he does something correctly. His response becomes automatic, a reflex response to the stimulus, created by training. The essence of training is to use less and less pressure as the horse learns to respond, until he will perform the correct response at just the lightest touch.
If you don’t release pressure, thereby withholding the reward for the proper response, he sees no reason to move when you press with a leg or to halt when you use the bit. He responds to the release of pressure — the reward he gets for doing something correctly — rather than to the pressure itself.
Remember, horses don’t reason the way a human does; they learn by means of step-by-step training. We ask a horse to do something, and when he responds, we reward him by halting the signal. We may ask again immediately for another step, but we don’t keep pressing or pushing; we repeat the process, asking with lighter pressure until he responds at the slightest cue.
Stopping and Turning with Reins
After the horse is accustomed to saddling and bridling, you can lead him a few times with bridle and saddle on (with the halter under the bridle and a lead rope for use if needed). For most horses it’s a simple matter to make the transition from signals via halter to signals via the bridle reins as you are leading. When you want to halt, put pressure on the bit with the reins as well as the halter, getting him used to the feel of the bit. Pull and release, pull and release. Use intermittent gentle pulls, never a steady pull. Release all pressure as soon as he halts. He will soon make the connection.
When you want him to turn, put a little pressure on the proper rein and pull his head around to the desired direction. If he leads equally well from both sides, you can do this easily as you lead him. If he is more comfortable with you on his left, give him the signal to turn to the right by shifting his head in that direction using your hand under his neck and directing him away from you as you make the turn to the right. The pull-and-release action on the bit works better than a steady pull when encouraging him to turn.
If at first he is confused, use the halter and lead to reinforce what you are asking. Soon he will understand about following his head in whichever direction you pull on the bit, knowing he gets release of pressure from the rein when he makes the correct response. In just a few lessons he will learn to respond to bit pressure for stopping and turning, and these signals will not be confusing to him when you get on his back for the first rides.
Turn on the Forehand
The turn on the forehand teaches the horse to move away from pressure and helps him become more maneuverable. Stand at his left shoulder, facing him, with the halter rope in your left hand about 10 inches from the halter. Using your right hand doubled into a fist, put pressure with your knuckles on his side, at about the same place where the calf of your leg would be if you were mounted. His response should be to move away from the pressure, swinging his hindquarters away from you. Use the halter to keep his front end from moving too much. You want his left front foot to act as a pivot, with only some up-and-down motion, as he moves his hindquarters away.
Try to get the horse to move only his hindquarters, not his whole body. It is often necessary to pull his head toward you a little in order to accomplish this. At the first “give” of his hindquarters, cease pressing and offer him praise. Repeat the procedure until he does several side steps with his hind legs.
TURNING TIP
If the horse is confused and wants to move forward instead of to the side, position him facing a fence. Now he’ll be able to see that he can’t move forward and will be more apt to move his hindquarters to the side. Stay far enough out from the fence that you can make a 180-degree turn, however, so that he will be facing in the opposite direction when you finish the maneuver.
Do the same on the opposite side, so he learns to move away from pressure on either side. After a few
lessons, he will move his hindquarters either way whenever firm pressure is applied with your fist and the halter rope is held lightly to keep his front legs stationary. Use lighter pressure as he learns what you want. If you release pressure as soon as he starts to move his hindquarters, he will respond readily. These lessons will help prepare him for leg pressure when you start riding him and also make him more maneuverable for ground handling and for better control of his actions.
TURN ON THE FOREHAND
A. Stand by his shoulder, and ask your horse to move his hind legs one step away from you while keeping his front legs in place.
B. Ask for one step at a time, pulling his head slightly toward you (but not enough to move his front feet), and press with your knuckles behind the girth area, where your leg would be if you were riding.
C. Ask for another step, one at a time, until the horse has turned 180 degrees with his hind legs walking around his stationary front legs.
Turn on the Hindquarters
To rotate on the hindquarters — that is, moving his front legs but not his hind legs — it helps to attach two lead ropes to his halter like reins, putting them over his neck. Face the horse, standing at his left shoulder. Take the right rope in your right hand and the left one in your left. Pull them both to the side and a little back to make him move only his front legs to the left. He may refuse at first, not understanding what you want. Be patient. When he makes his first step toward you with one front foot, stop all cues and praise him. Repeat the process, asking for another step. After he makes a couple of steps, cue him from the other side.
WATCH HIS LEGS
It is all right if your horse moves his feet up and down on the opposite end when rotating on the hind legs or the front as long as the stationary end does not move to the side. When rotating the front legs around the hindquarters, a backward or forward step or two in the hind legs is acceptable as long as there is no side movement. The legs that are in motion (crossing over while making the side steps) should always cross in front of the opposite leg that is standing still. This keeps a feeling of better body control and balance, which will be important later when you do this maneuver while mounted. If the horse does not cross his legs correctly, he will be more apt to trip himself. Reevaluate your cues if he does it incorrectly, and try again.
Another way to teach the horse to move his front quarters is to push them around, having him turn away from you instead of toward you. Stand next to his shoulder, with slack in the lead rope but pressing gently on his cheek with the hand holding the rope, and put pressure on his shoulder with the other hand. Release all pressure if he moves away. Repeat, walking the horse’s front end away from you, a step at a time, pivoting on his hindquarters. If he attempts to step forward instead of to the side, tug slightly on the halter rope, thus shifting his weight back onto his hindquarters. Now ask him to move his front. If he has trouble with this, have him stand facing a fence in order to block the forward movement.
TURN ON THE HINDQUARTERS
A. Stand next to the horse’s shoulder, pressing gently on his cheek with the hand holding the halter rope and pressing on his shoulder with the other hand. Release all pressure when he moves his front end away from you.
B. Repeat, walking his front end away from you, one step at a time, pivoting on his hind legs.
Teaching the Backup
If you have not already taught your young horse to back up at halter, now is the time to do so. To teach the horse to back up, see page 135. Learning to back up on cue when handled on the ground will be useful to you and the horse for your entire relationship; there will be numerous occasions when you’ll need to reposition him for something or keep him from crowding you. If he is maneuverable on the ground — backward and sideways as well as forward — there will be fewer bumps and bruises and stepped-on toes.
The backup under saddle is something you should wait to teach your horse until after he has mastered the other basics: stopping, turning, and moving forward willingly under saddle (see chapter 15). All these lessons will be beneficial later when you start to ride your horse and will improve his ground manners. Ground work is the foundation for a well-trained horse.