How to Let Your Young Horse Process – and Why It’s So Important

Understanding Timing, Aids, and Adaptation Across Environments

Raising and training a young horse is a journey that requires patience, empathy, and a good understanding of equine learning. One of the most crucial – yet often underestimated – aspects of this journey is giving your young horse time to process. In this blog post, we’ll explore what it means to let your young horse process, why it’s essential, and how you can apply the right timing and aids in a variety of settings.

What Do We Mean by Process and Why It Matters

Just like us, young horses need time to digest new information. Giving a young horse time to process involves allowing it the necessary period to comprehend something new—be it a verbal command, physical sensation, unfamiliar environment, sounds, movements, or any novel experience. This approach ensures the horse has the opportunity to evaluate and react appropriately. When we bombard them with cues, tasks, or changes without giving them a moment to think, it can lead to confusion, stress, or even resistance. The goal is that, with adequate time, the young horse will become calmer, more curious, more confident and better at self-regulation throughout its life, thereby creating a safer environment for the horse, its herd, and humans.

The Importance of Timing

Timing is everything when working with horses, especially the young ones. After you ask your horse for something – whether it’s stepping forward, yielding to pressure, or navigating a new obstacle – pause. Observe. Does your horse drop its head, lick and chew, or blink slowly? These are signs that it’s thinking things over. Avoid rushing to the next task or repeating the cue before your horse has had a chance to process. Jumping in too quickly can overwhelm your horse and undermine the lesson.

• Wait for signs of processing: After you ask, watch for signs like licking and chewing, a sigh, or a softening of the eye.

• Release at the right moment: Reward your horse by releasing pressure or offering a scratch when you see these signs. This reinforces their efforts and encourages them to keep trying.

• Be patient: Some days your horse may need more time than others. Adapt to their individual pace.

High Stressors and Supporting the "Come Down"

If your youngster is showing signs of freeze, flight or fidget (whether this be snorting, stopping and planting their feet suddenly, shaking, whites of eyes showing or suddenly moving their bodies), this is a crucial moment where the horse handler needs to assist the horse. You could consider applying the following approaches:

• "Sacrificial Lamb": You step closer, and in-between it and the youngster, to the scary object/noise (without putting any pressure on the lead rope). And breathe deliberately out, like a relaxed horse would do. The horse builds trust in you as you are showing that the scary object would get you first and not them.

• 3-second rule: Allow the youngster to look/snort/be distracted by said scary thing for 3-Missisipis. Then gently step away or put a soft feel on the lead rope to get them thinking/feeling for you instead. (Go big if there is no reaction from them to change their focus to you. Then come down very quickly here.)

• Demonstrate: You or a seasoned horse can demonstrate touching or nearing the object. Youngsters learn through mirroring. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate this. Make sure you do this ensuring you position yourself safely, as you need to avoid them launching into your space (think ditches here).

• Softly Back: For absolute softness and grounding your youngster, get them to softly back towards the scary object, and only release for a stop if they do it without any brace and soften their entire body. This works amazingly if you have started your youngster in-hand using this softening technique.

At the beginning, after your 3-second rule, you could gently ask them to take only one small step forward of a soft feel of the rope. Once youngsters are more confident, they will automatically step or approach objects themselves.

I always recommend going "big" (think whacking your leg, swooshing a flag on your leg etc.; never direct this towards or at your horse) and helping the horse as its nervous system "comes down". This builds their trust in that you help them into this state and will often look for you when you transition to saddle work or future training sessions. Flags can be useful here. Additionally, this approach means that the horse will cope very well with higher stress environments as if you train with helping their nervous system to calm and self-mange, these new environments will be a walk in the park!

Using the Right Aids

Clear, consistent aids are key to helping your young horse learn and process. This means using your seat, legs, hands, and voice in a way that’s gentle and easy to understand. Overloading a young horse with too many signals at once can be confusing, so keep it simple.

• Start with the lightest aid: Always begin with the softest cue – a gentle nudge, a quiet voice, or a slight shift in weight.

• Build gradually: If the horse doesn’t respond, increase the aid slowly but always give them a moment to respond before making it stronger.

• Reward effort, not just perfection: Any try – even a small one – deserves praise. This keeps your horse motivated and keen to learn.

Adapting to Different Environments

Processing isn’t just important in the round yard or arena. Young horses need time to think in every environment – from the paddock to the trail, at shows, or even at the servo when you stop for a snack on a float trip. New places are full of distractions and potential stressors, so it’s essential to allow extra time for your horse to process what’s happening.

• At home: Work in a familiar environment first. Let your horse get comfortable with new lessons in a safe space.

• On the road: When taking your young horse to new places, expect them to need more time to settle and process sights, sounds, and smells.

• In a group: Other horses and people can be exciting or nerve-wracking. Give your horse time to adjust and don’t expect immediate focus.

In Summary

Letting your young horse process is at the heart of good horsemanship. By getting your timing right, using clear aids, and adjusting to different environments, you’re setting your horse up for a lifetime of confidence and willingness. Remember: sometimes the best thing you can do is simply wait, watch, and let your horse think it through.

So next time you’re working with your young horse, take a breath, give them 3-Missisipis, and watch the magic happen. After all, good things come to those who wait – and that’s as true in the paddock as it is anywhere else.