Training!

Question
Hi Solange,
I have a question about leads and lead changing. I started riding my gelding just a few months after he turned 2 which was last April. He knows the basics and everything else, but I wasn't sure when to start him on his leads. And could you explain them to me and how I can teach him his leads. I also have an older horse I can practice on too. Any help will be great.
                Thank you,
                    Tonie

Answer
Hi Tonie!

I will first address your specific question about leads and then make a few comments about the responsibility of owning/training a young horse.

Training a horse to respond to cues for him picking up the lead you are asking for is far too complicated to explain over the Internet.  It involves so many separate issues...not to mention ensuring the baby has all the required basics to even understand the training of leads.

Also, if you have to ask for help on such a complicated technique, you should not be teaching it to a young and impressionable baby.

One must take great care in the effort of bring up baby correctly.  Everything you do has an effect on them...either positive or negative.  I think it is good that you wish to learn more about training and moving your horse along.  But, you must put aside your own desires for now and think only of what's best for your little guy.

Speak to your vet, farrier or tack shop and ask them to recommend a local trainer who specializes in babies of your breed.  Have the trainer out to evaluate your situation and discuss your goals.

Since you followed-up with more info about not having an indoor arena or round pen, you are very limited to what can be done at your place.  Ideally, when you and your guy are ready, you would send him off to a training facility where he would get what he needs, safely and correctly.  You could watch, ask questions and learn from this also.

It is a huge responsibility to train a horse to be a willing and happy partner to a human.  Slaughterhouses are full of badly trained horses, either through ignorance or abuse doesn't matter.  It is your job now to give your guy the very best start in his life with humans.

Spending the time and money now to correctly train him will bring you 20 more years of a solid and happy riding partnership!

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange