Groundwork

Question
i just bought a  5-8 year old appy mare (i cant remember at the moment how old she is) iv been riding since i was about 5 and I'm 17 now. shes halter broken and thats about it(shes pretty green). she has been in a pasture with about 50 other horses at a horse rescue. she hasn't been physically abused and she has a very sweet attitude. the only reason she ended up at the rescue was because her owners couldn't keep her any longer and were moving so they basically dropped her off and left. i volunteer at the rescue and fell in love with her. i haven't really trained a horse before other than lunging and keeping them exercised. the owner of the rescue says he can help me out a little but hes very busy so i'm kind of on my own. the horses i usually work with have had basic training, if not more. so I'm wondering how i should start her out and get her used to being handled more. my goal is to berrel race with her. any tips you have would be awesome. iv also been reading a bunch of books about training and talking to my equine vet. but I'm looking for all the advise i can get! thanks so much for taking the time to read and answer my question i appreciate it a lot. ~Tracy~

Answer
Hi Tracy,

First of all congrats on your new horse! It sounds like you two have really "clicked" already. I would start with a general health assessment from a vet, confirm her teeth are in good shape, she's of good overall health. From there, I'd start with earning her trust and having her earn your respect. The two go hand in hand. I'd start with some round pen exercises, start with simple things like asking her to change gaits, directions, etc., from your verbal commands. With lots of praise and keeping the lessons short. I'd also do alot of hand walking and desensitizing, everything from walking over tarps and poles to getting her used to bags, and other scary objects. It sounds like you are off to a great start.

Jen