Hello I am Jack, I am 16, a show jumper and a new writer for BoysRideToo Magazine.
Today I would like to share with you my experience and tips for training and working with young horses.
Me and my 4 year old CC have been together for about 2 months now. Even though that is not long at all, we have accomplished a lot in that time:
I started back at basics with CC, walking her round and getting her used to me – I believe getting to know your horse is one of the most important things you can do.
After that basic work and as you and your horse learn to trust each other, you can then progress on to breaking them in and to the walk, trot and canter.
We started off on the lunge in an indoor school – this is good as there are not a lot of scary things for her to look at. From the walk you can work up to the trot, once you feel confident. You must always be prepared for anything as young horses can be unpredictable. You must not rush at all when dealing with a young horse as this is the most important stage in their life.
Once you are happy with all that they have done on the lunge you can then work your way off the lunge and to more independent flat work and ground work.
At the moment me and CC have started jumping. We are only jumping very small fences, cross poles and small verticals. I like to desensitize all my horses first before I take them out jumping, just so they have a little bit of an idea as to what I am asking them.
Last Sunday we went out jumping at Northcoat Equestrian centre just to do a clear round so she could have a look at the surroundings and all the different things going on, the loud noises and all the other horses. She was a bit unsure at first, but once we had a good trot and canter and then popped over some fences we were all good and relaxed. I then just let her relax and take it all in before going into the ring.
My top tips on young horses
1 Always take your time and never rush
2 Be prepared, they can be unpredictable
3 Always be consistent
4 Make sure you are giving clear instructions
5 Have fun
Please do post any questions and Jack will answer them if he can.
