Handling Youngsters

Question
I have recently bought 2 x 3 year old welsh ponies.  They are literally straight from the Welsh hills and have never been touched.  When they arrived they didn't even know what a bucket was but now will eat out of a bucket and even out of my hand.  They follow me round the field and come in and out of the stables following another pony.  Am I right in saying that I just need to spend an awful lot of time with them to gain their trust before thinking about breaking them to ride?  Or am I just mad buying 2 x 3 year olds who are untouched.... will they always be wild?

Answer
Hi Judith

Thanks for your question.

You're not mad at all!  I've worked with the wild brumbies out here in Australia and they make wonderful riding horses - they just take more time.

You will need to spend many hours with your horses.  Once they are reasonably comfortable with you, it would be better to work with them on a 1 on 1 situation in a roundpen or similar.  That way they concentrate on you, not on each other.

Time, time time and more time with lot's of patience and understanding will mean that these ponies will eventually be beautiful trusting riding horses.

Don't forget that training with youngsters (or any age for that matter) is often a case of 1 step forward 4 steps back.  If you work to their timeline and don't betray their trust you'll eventually decrease the number of steps back until they are working with, and for, you willingly.

Good luck!!!