Horse Training Tips: Training Sessions

Short horse training tips on how to conduct a productive training session with your horse:

1. Always start with a warm-up. Just like people, horses need a little bit of time to loosen up their muscles and to prepare themselves both physically and mentally for a workout. Lunging is a good way to warm up your horse. It involves letting your horse go through different gaits, using a thirty foot lead in a circle around you.

2. Start the training session with something that your horse is familiar with. It will help build his confidence in you and himself.

3. At first, new things introduced should be those that are only slightly different from the things your horse is already familiar with. Knowledge and skills should build up on one another, for training to be successful.

4. New things should be introduced very gradually. This is a very important horse training tip. For example, any new equipment that is introduced should only be put on for a few minutes at a time, then taken off. This must be repeated over a period of several days, until the horse gets used to it. Ideally, the new equipment should be worn while on a lunging line, at first. Getting a young horse to accept a saddle, for example, should be done in several stages. First, let him see the saddle. Then just hold it above him, not putting it down yet until he is not afraid of it anymore. When you first put it on, do not put the girth or stirrups yet. Let him get used to its weight first, and talk gently to him and stroke him repeatedly. When he loses his fear of it, then you can add the girth, and gradually other new things.

5. Finally, all training sessions should end with a cool down period. It is best to end the workouts when the training has been going well, so it is remembered by your horse as a good experience.

Of all the horse training tips though, the most important one that you should remember is that your horse looks up to you for guidance. If you are calm, comfortable and confident, your training session will surely go very well.