what is the best way to train young horses for pleasure riding?

Question

i have a 1 and a half year old Appaloosa dat i plan to train for pleasure and barrel racing.. wat should i do first?

Answer 1

Wait until the horse is at least 3 before you get on its back! Bones are still green, brain is still green - lacks maturity.

Any training should start with ground work. Lunging, ground driving, pony it with another horse (you ride one, leading the young one).

Barrel training should be done at the walk and trot, progressing to faster gates as the horse understands the pattern. Never all out running during training, you and your horse will be happier.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Their are some great techniques for training horses out there. Key to it is time investment because horse training requires a bunch of training. The first thing though for all herd animals is the bonding period. Show your horse that you are the leader of the herd and the horse will instinctively follow you and trust you. Also it is a good thing to have other well trained horses around the other horse because they will help in the training period. Again the social structure of the horse is a herd animal so they follow the lead horse.

Answer 3

First things first, your horse at such the young age won't b good in pleasure and barrel racing. You'll need to choose one. Doing both will cause stress and confuse your horse. I'd choose pleasure It's easiest ont he horse and requires less hock and back treatment.

Answer 4

My first inclination is that if you don't know, you probably should be seeking the advice and HELP of a trained professional. In fact, I think I would recommend that anyway for a young horse.

That said, it's always easier to rev them up (barrel racing) after their calm, than it is to calm them down after their revved up.

Answer 5

Here is a link with various types of training techniques.