Young Horse Training

There are several techniques and philosophies that govern horse training and this depends significantly upon the kind of horse, its temperament and personality and the purpose for which you are training it.



Horses can be pushy, head strong, shy or spooky and have to be trained keeping their basic personality in mind. Training young horses can be tricky because some horse owners believe that young ones should only be given the basic halter training and feet handling while allowing them to follow the herd in the first two or three years of their life.



Several other owners prefer to train their horses right from birth as this will help lay the foundation for a fruitful partnership between trainer and horse. One of the ground rules for training a young horse is to never be harsh or use a stick or switch on the horse.



This will only make it more fearful and learning from fear does not build a good relationship between the animal and its trainer. Safety is extremely important while training a horse since they are much larger and stronger than humans and may inadvertently hurt their trainers.

Clicker training is now one of the most popular methods which involve using a clicker or simply clicking your tongue to signify that the horse has performed the right action. This can be followed by a reward which signals to the horse that it has done right. The reward can be a sliver of carrot, a slice of apple or even a cube of sugar. Within a few months of its birth, it can be introduced to its halter and be taught to follow when led, stand tied and remain calm. This is important as it will have to be calm for the multitude of vaccinations and de-worming doses it will have to go through as an adult. It would be advisable to get it accustomed to motor vehicles and other people at a young age as a horse that goes into panic can be a dangerous animal. Some trainers believe that beginning minor training while it is still feeding from its mother will strengthen its bond with its trainer and make the weaning process easier as well. Allowing the horse a free run for its first two to three years of life and then training it can be risky for its owner as the animal has become extremely strong and willful.