Raising My Two-Year-Old Horse: Milestones, Methods, and Next Steps
- Loz
- Oct 26
- 11 min read
Updated: Oct 30
Sharing our journey so far and what’s next on the path to a well-rounded, confident young horse
Bringing up a young horse is as rewarding as it is challenging. Over the past two years with my gelding, Thor, I’ve focused on building a strong foundation—one that will set him up for a happy, confident, and safe life, no matter the pathway he ends up taking. Here’s a look at what we’ve done to date, along with some thoughts on what else can help shape a well-adjusted young horse.
1. Halter Training & Leading
From the very start, the breeder and handler provided the fundamental halter training and leading (can't give enough of a shout-out to Lauren from Black Pearl Horses). I went out every fortnight to work with them both and ensure I was continuing this for consistency. Once my boy was home with me (and his Mum, Gwen), I continued the approach in a gentle, low-pressure way, letting him sniff and investigate before putting it on. Leading began with short, positive sessions—lots of praise for following, stopping, and turning. This groundwork has made every other step so much easier.
The introduction of moving things around him like saddlecloths, bags, flags, at this point of his training means I could introduce saddle cloths and really light (treeless) saddle on his back.
a) Transitioning to Bridle with a Bit
Once Thor was extremely consistent and comfortable with the halter and leading, I started to introduce the bridle and a very soft rubber bit. I was lucky in that he is a quick learner and responded extremely well to verbal cues and praise (both in the form of scratches and Smoochie treats). His breeder and handler, Lauren, spent time working this with him from the start. Therefore, I was lucky in training him to put his own bit and bridle on himself in under 5 minutes! He loves it so much, if he sees a bridle hanging near him he will ask/try to put it on himself. Bless him, damn overachiever! lol
Another point here is I won't put any pressure on the bit as I will train him in the halter and cavesson with excellent responses to cues first. Then I would introduce responses from the bit. Therefore, any time I put his bridle and bit on, I will either work at liberty or put his rope halter over the top and work from there.
b) Transitioning to Saddle and Girth
Once we could easily fling saddle cloths on his back from both sides with no flinching or anxiety responses, I could progress to a light, treeless saddle (no stirrups) and girth.
I will point out, I will not be putting any person on his back until he is strong enough (no younger than 3.5-4 years of age). And this is why, take a look at the following image and see how long it takes for horses to be skeletally developed, and strong enough, to support themselves. Up to 6 years before the spine is developed in the area we sit on their backs! So my focus with Thor is creating the gymnastic fitness until then (think of it like sending your child to their first sports where they start with basic moves to build up coordination based on their age and build on stamina and strength in a structured, but gentle way).
2. Picking Up Hooves
Early on, I taught him to pick up his hooves calmly. We practiced holding each hoof for gradually longer periods, rewarding him for standing still. I made sure he was not hard tied during this part of the process so you can respond to any escalations in stress in this space. This set him up for easy farrier visits and avoided any drama down the track. It also helped that my farrier was super patient and consistent with young horses too.
Consistency and repetition are key here. I have cleaned out Thor's hooves EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. To the point he can stand and have his hooves picked out without being caught (halter/lead rope) now. This doesn't mean I don't revisit doing it whilst he has his halter on. It is just the expected behaviour and standard I have with all my horses (yes, all my horses must be able to have their hooves picked up and cleaned out with no catching). It also helps teach them to be calm and responsive in emergencies.
3. Float Loading
Loading can be a big ask for young horses, so we took it slow. First of all, I ensure they can see me loading a horse that is comfortable and calm loading in the float I am working with. I will leave the well-seasoned horse on the float, where possible and safe to do so, and let the youngster explore the float to encourage curiosity and mirror the well-seasoned horse as they are in the float. Using positive rewards here also helps, as the float can be quite confronting for youngsters.
Side tip: If you don't have access to a well-seasoned floater, then let the youngster explore the float by removing all the dividers and opening the float right up for a welcoming, open, space for them. Where possible, see if you can do this in an arena/safe fenced area.
I let Thor explore the float at his own pace, rewarding even the smallest try. He's now comfortable stepping on and off and stands quietly while travelling. There might be occasions when they become fatigued more quickly from travelling, so it's important to demonstrate patience, love, and support to assist them when they're more tired. This will happen. To prevent creating a negative association with float loading, keep sessions shorter to help reduce this fatigue (and you don't always have to have the end goal of "they must get on the float")... enjoy and reward the smallest of wins with youngsters.
Ensure the leading preparation is done first here as you will want to be able to have clear cues for them. Also bear in mind there are different approaches to angle loading floats versus straight loading floats. The key differences being:
Angle-load
Horse walks up beside you
They should turn around to calmly walk off
Must stand calmly tied-up before the bay is closed beside them
Straight-load
Horse walks past you
Walk backwards calmly to get off (unless you have a front opening ramp, and they can walk off forwards)
Must handle a bum bar behind them
Therefore, these cues and exposures may impact the horse's ability to load. This is something to be aware of and consider what training you should fundamentally habituate.
As a 2 year old, Thor can load easily with his seasonsed traveller and also solo.
4. Exposure to Different Surfaces
To build confidence, I led him over all sorts of surfaces: gravel, rubber mats, ditches, rocks, sand, even tarpaulins. We made a game of it—treats and scratches for bravery. Now, new ground doesn’t faze him.
5. Dragging Items & Windy Day Challenges
We practised dragging light objects (like a feed bag or small tyre or tarp) behind and beside him, so he’d learn not to panic at odd noises or movement. I also made sure he encountered flapping jackets, bunting, spray bottles (think fly spray application) and other things blowing in the wind, always rewarding calm responses.
6. Ropes Around Legs
I spent time getting him, safely, used to ropes and hoses gently touching and looping around his legs, teaching him to stand still and not react. This is so important for safety, especially if he ever gets caught up.
7. Encouraging Curiosity
Rather than shooing him away from new things, I encouraged him to investigate—plastic bags, wheelbarrows, new animals. Allowing and rewarding his curiosity made him braver and more adaptable. However, this doesn't come at the expense of safety and not being present in the moment with you. (A good example here is them walking over to a feed bucket and not walking with you.)
An excellent opportunity, if you have someone harrowing a paddock or grading an arena, use this time for a training opportunity with your youngster. Lead them behind the thing being dragged to create a sense of chasing the "things that scare us". It is a controlled way of exposing horses to scarier moving objects and noises. You know you have been successful when you see your horse following things like this instead of running away scared (Thor now herds the resident kangaroos around the paddock so I know this curiosity-to-confidence approach is working). It helps to train bravery/confidence and curiosity over anxiety, and threat responses in horses.
This approach has paid off in dividends. This was his first exposure to umbrellas (and in the same session I could open and close it quickly everywhere around his body with no stress response... in fact he kept trying to pick it up himself and throw it around):
8. Tying at the Float & Overnight Stays
He learned to tie quietly at the float/round yard, first for short periods, then longer. Eventually, when we had our first overnight stay at a new place, with a familiar herd mate for comfort, he handled it like a champ. Teaching them to tie up and patience is key to helping a horse with self-regulation.
Once you have finished a training session with your youngster and rewarded them with scratches or a Hygain Smoochie (or two), tie them up and go finish some chores or put away equipment from your training session. Aim for 10-15mins of them being tied up. Don't interact with them if they paw or demand attention as you will be rewarding this and they will do this more often as a trained response. Your horse will learn to stand quietly and patiently.
My little tip is don't leave any food around during this process, and ensure they are tied at a length where they cannot feed on grass/food nearby, as they will learn to fidget and not be still in their mind and body.
I will be honest and say I have some more training to do here, as Thor does still paw when tied up at the round yard.
9. Weaning & Herd Life
We approached weaning gradually, always ensuring he had the support of the herd. Growing up in a stable herd group has taught him essential horse manners and social skills. Luckily for me, he was weaned but I ensured his Mum, Gwen, came with him to join my new herd. Check out the various scientific studies done on how staying with their Mum longer can help with confidence in horses (good old Dr Google to the rescue).
I gradually started taking him away from his herd to develop his bravery and curiosity and show he is safe and put his trust in me. This helps build on their foundations for learning and growth generally, and specifically around herd-bound or separation anxiety behaviours we can see in today's horses.
Being an accepted member of the herd is definitely an amazing experience (enjoy the triple chins and nose angles in the following video).
10. Vet and Health Care Experiences
Routine injections, worming, sedation, dentals and being checked over by the vet have all been part of his upbringing. We’ve kept these experiences as calm and positive as possible, so he stands quietly for procedures. This is built on with consistently reviewing and checking in on expected leading behaviours and exposure to different environments/stimuli.
11. Meeting Other Animals & Environments
He’s met dogs, cows, chooks, alpacas, sheep and seen farm vehicles in action. I’ve made sure he’s comfortable in different environments—yards, wash bays, stables/enclosed sheds, paddocks, bush trails—so he’s less likely to spook at something new, but approach inquisitively.
12. Consistency, Repetition and Safety are Key
I will harp on about this, but this is my non-negotiables with youngsters—training and handling must be consistent, repeated (every time you are with them) and with safety at the forefront (i.e. so they are safe to handle, and you approach training with safety in mind). It helps with their early habituation and sets them, and you, up for the best success in a happy, healthy, calm and safe horse.
You do have to be able to pick up on their mental and physical capacity, as it is super important not to overload or overwhelm them. They will tell you when they are ready to try something new or more challenging. Learn to look for signs and their expressions (as this is how they communicate with you and strengthens the bond and partnership)!
What Else Should a Two-Year-Old Have Experienced and Consistently Trained In?
Basic Desensitisation: To various noises (machinery, clippers, cars, kids, radios) and movements (flapping bags, umbrellas).
Bathing and Grooming: Comfortable with hose, sponges, and being brushed and touched all over (yep, including his gentlemen bits).
Rugging: Introducing a light rug in winter to get used to the sensation.
Yielding to Pressure: Teaching to move shoulders, hindquarters, and back up with gentle cues.
Walking Out Alone: Short walks away from the herd to build independence.
Standing for Farrier: Not just hoof picking but calmly standing for trims and not placing weight on people.
Introducing a Bit (Optional): Depending on future plans, some light mouthing work.
Introducing a Saddle & Girth (Optional): Depending on the youngsters mental and physical capacity, introduction to a light saddle and girth. If all the work has been done right, this part of the process should be very boring!
Loading in Different Floats/Trailers: Exposure to both straight and angle loads, if possible.
Different items touching his body: Safe exposure to different items and feelings and habituating a relaxed response is best (think ropes, pool noodles, trot poles, gates, flags, saddle pads, plastic bags).
Weird Noises: Exposure to hearing audio clips on your mobile device of clippers and other large machines or noises can enhance their ability to process and handle unfamiliar situations, experiences, or highly stressful environments. Positively reward good responses here and gradually introduce these with lower volume and when they are calm, increase slowly.
You Being Higher Than Them and Training: Think mounting block preparedness. Can you be up higher and give them a verbal or soft rope cue and they respond calmly and confidently? A great way to do this is with a mounting block, starting on the bottom step and then when they are confident, move up a step and repeat until they are confident with you at the top. No mounting block? Find a sturdy log, stump or a cattle yard fence.
Preparations for Long-Reining: If you have done your leading and float loading training well, your youngtser should be able to walk past you with a soft cue on the rope (in horsemanship, you may have heard this called "casting"). If you can then allow them to continue walking and pour the rope out until you are near their bum and allow their curiosity to take them a few steps to explore and then ask them to come back to you (like a yielding of the hindquarters) on both sides softly, then this should set you up for long-reining well. Also getting them safely used to you scratching their bum and legs whilst standing behind them is useful. (Although in the paddock, Thor does ask quite politely now when he wants his bum scratched! Doh!)
Next Steps
Now we are starting to see engrained positive habits, I plan to introduce the following:
Long reining (already underway)
Cavesson and basic straightness training introductions (he already knows shoulder-in and lifting his pecks/thoracic sling)
Ground pole work
Belly rope work
Further enhancements to lunging and liberty cues/responses
Handling more ditches/un-even/more challenging terrain
More outings away from home
Find some day clinics for obstacle training where young horses can be taken and handled in-hand
Adult Riding Club days where the youngster can accompany another herd member and chill at the float/day yard for the experience
Different horse friends' places
Increase being worked on his own (away from horses)
Check his response to increased stimuli around various parts of his body (i.e. flags or things near his ears/over his eyes etc.) to further build confident, calm responses
Refined wormer training with apple sauce and syringes
Refined training with objects being dragged behind (this will be started after long reining is established)
In-hand walking on trails (and long reining once this is learnt)
Saddle with stirrups (or more noisy objects like plastic bottles with stones in them or bags) to reinforce calmness and self-management in his responses (already underway)
Large soft toys
Checking in with his breeder and initial handler to see if there are any gaps or opportunities in his training and understanding level
Final Thoughts
Every horse is different—some take things in their stride, while others need more time and reassurance. The key is patience, consistency, and letting your youngster’s confidence and stamina guide the pace (never rush young horse development). With these foundations in place, I’m excited for what comes next in our journey together!
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