How to Train a Horse

Training a horse is as much about you learning how to communicate as it is for your horse to do what you want him to. Training is about developing two-way communication that is based on respect and trust.
Of course the method of training you choose will depend on the type of activities you are going to be partaking in. Are you going to be racing, entering him in shows, or just riding out on the trails on a leisurely Sunday afternoon? Whichever activity you have in mind, know that abuse or harsh training practices should never be considered. If anyone even suggests it, run the other way and don’t look back. There are far better methods of training a horse and you will gain a mutual respect that you wouldn’t gain by employing harsher methods
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To get your horse trained faster, consider using the services of a professional trainer. They will work with you by giving you tips and strategies that you would probably never even think of. They’ll teach you how to communicate with your horse as well as offer you advice on how to best care for him. You’ll soon learn what your horse likes and what he doesn’t; and your horse will come to learn what you like as well. It will learn your body language and will begin to trust your approach and your voice.

As a general rule, horses can start to be trained when they are approximately two years of age. Before then, it’s important to spend as much time as possible with your horse/foal so they get used to being around people. This will help tremendously when it comes time to actually start training. One of the most important aspects of training is to be calm and unafraid at all times; if you’re nervous, it will make the horse nervous and training will be much more difficult.

The first step of training a horse is to do some ground training; this involves leading your horse in a circle via a long rope while issuing various commands. It needs to learn basic commands before you can even think of riding him. The next part of training involves teaching your horse how to walk beside you on a lead. Some horses may test your authority by wanting to shoulder you out of its space – be firm but gentle and let the horse know who the boss is!

Each training session at a hastgard should start with a warm up to loosen joints and muscles. Just like humans, horses need to stretch and loosen up so they don’t experience any discomfort or pain later. Once warm up is done, continue with skills that they already know, before you introduce anything new. A gradual introduction to new skills is best and won’t frustrate the horse or you. Then, once training is over, end with a cool down period that leaves your horse feeling refreshed and happy.

There are many horse farms  that offer professional training services for you and your horse. Find one that you are completely comfortable with before agreeing to employ their services.