Training Tips for New Horse Owners: Essential Advice for Training Your Horse and Building a Strong Bond

Embarking on the journey of horse ownership is both exciting and challenging. For new horse owners, understanding how to train their horse effectively while building a solid bond is crucial. This blog post provides you with essential advice, exercises for groundwork (in-hand) and riding, and emphasizes the importance of patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement.

Understanding Your Horse’s Needs

Before diving into training, it is important to understand your horse’s needs. Horses are social animals that thrive on relationships. Establishing trust and communication is key. Spend time simply being with your horse, walking beside them, and allowing them to get comfortable with you. Learn to read their body language to understand their emotions and reactions.

Just remember, they are not lap dogs so don't get caught out in allowing them to "walk all over you"!

Allow a Settling in Period

Ensure you give them sufficient time to settle into their new home. Most horses will need to travel to your new place. Nerves, and finding safety in their new space (and even as part of a herd hierarchy) can take time and will depend on the horse's previous training and exposure. Some may take days, other's weeks or months. Definitely get help from your coach in this space (if you don't have a coach and are in the Canberra region, there are a bunch available here).

Helping a horse settle, may be about getting them into a regular routine. Horses thrive on consistency so pick a routine and try to stick to it. This might be:

• Feeding times

• Turn-out times and rugging routine

• Tack-up routine

• Exercise/training times (and what types of exercises this may entail such as trail riding, arena flatwork, jumping and so on)

Key Elements of Horse Training

Training a horse requires a firm grasp of a few key elements:

1. Patience: Horses do not learn as quickly as humans do. They require time to process new information.

2. Consistency: Using the same commands and signals helps prevent confusion.

3. Positive Reinforcement: Rewarding good behavior encourages desirable outcomes.

4. Clarity: Horses respond amazingly well to clear, concise cues (and boundaries) to ensure you and the horse's safety and training progression.

   
   

These elements form the foundation of a successful training experience.

Groundwork Exercises

Groundwork is an excellent starting point for training as it establishes groundwork for communication and trust. Below are some effective exercises you can begin with:

1. Leading Exercises

Teaching your horse to lead properly is fundamental. Start from a calm environment. My blog on leading fundamentals un-packs all the steps needed.

This exercise builds trust and establishes you as a leader.

2. Straightness & Lunging Work

Straightness training builds your horses balance and strength. This means the horse will progress in its mind and body which builds trust and connection in the long run. This approach will work wonders for you both if you spend time helping your horse regulate its self-management of its nervous and functional system. Additionally, lunging work teaches your horse to move away from pressure, improve spatial awareness and maintain focus.

Make sure you work with your coach on exercises to do here (if you need help in this space, don't ever feel like you can't ask for help).

Some exercises you could consider:

• Shoulder-in

• Leg yield

• Haunches-in

• Flexion on a straight line

• Transitions between the gait and the quality of the transitions

• Lifting the thoracic sling from halt (almost like an in-hand half-halt)

• Lunge on a 20m circle (walk, trot and canter both reins)

• Float loading practice

These exercises enhance responsiveness and build connection.

3. Desensitisation

This is the process for helping a horse self-regulate their nervous system which is a part of their "fight, flight or freeze" responses to perceived threats in their environment. Spending time on this will also enhance your partnership in creating trust and expectations around responses to environmental stimuli.

Some exercises or exposure you could consider, include:

• Flag exposure

• Animal exposure

• Wash/grooming exposure (i.e. crossties, water on their body, standing still whilst being shampooed etc.)

• Sudden movements

• Objects touching various parts of their bodies

• Obstacles (i.e. bridges, pool noodles, gates etc.)

• Machinery noise exposure

• Different terrains/footings (i.e. concrete, mud, rocks, gravel, rubber, up and down hills, ditches and tarpaulins etc.)

• Worming

• Injections

• Mounting block behaviours

• Holding hooves (mirroring expected farrier behaviours)

• Tight spaces (i.e. floats/trailers)

Desensitisation is crucial for safety, calmness, riding and performance work.

Ridden Exercises

Once you have established a solid groundwork foundation, you can transition to riding exercises.

1. Checking Basics

Once safely mounted, you should spend time checking the basics, including:

• Stop and stand quietly

• Turning left and right (off direct reins aids)

• Back-up

• Walk on/go forward

The goal would be to get the horse soft, calm and responding to the smallest of aids. Spend around 20mins working on this for the first couple of weeks. Reward the horse at the end of the ride with something they enjoy (like a groom, wash down and roll and sparingly treats).

2. Remove Brace

Once you and the horse are comfortable with the basics, it's a great time to check in on brace or tension - both you and the horse!

• Are you...

  • breathing or holding your breathe?

  • gripping on with your legs for dear life, or are your arms stiff and locked?

  • looking down or head up and eyes where you want to go?

  • clenching your butt-cheeks?

  • curling your toes on the stirrups?

  • slouching your shoulders or carrying them?

• Is the horse...

  • moving its ribcage equally side to side (can you help it become more equal)?

  • holding its breathe (and how can you tell if it is)?

  • taking short or choppy steps (how could you help them have more flowy longer strides)?

  • dropping its inside shoulder when you turn?

  • at the walk, able to gently sway its head left and right evenly and not stiffly?

  • swishing its tail or kicking out when you ask for a transition to a faster gait?

Start training your eye and feel in your body so you can encourage the horse to remove the brace/tension in their body (it usually starts with tension you are carrying)! It takes time so play with this a bit and start feeling your horse and be its PT (Personal Trainer) to help get the best out of their body.

3. Start Cross-Training

Horses need time to build strength, balance and trust, and a great way to do this is to mix up the training. Consider building in the following:

• Trail rides

• Pole work

• Jumping (even if it is cross rails or ground poles)

• Hill work

• Obstacles

• Flatwork (including in-hand/groundwork and ridden work)

• Liberty fun games

• Outings or sessions with other horsie friends - what about a local Adult/Pony Riding Club day?

• Cute tricks (like teaching them to hug you or "present" at the mounting block with minimal cues)

This helps decrease the workout "boredom" or "sourness", whilst keeping it interesting for both parties. You may even have quite some fun!

Building a Strong Bond

As you go through exercises, building a strong bond with your horse is paramount. Spend quality time together outside of the training sessions. Grooming, walking, or just sitting near your horse fosters trust. Moreover, engage in activities that they enjoy and reward them often. This helps in creating a lasting partnership.

Establishing Trust Through Interaction

Your daily interactions with your horse impact the bond significantly. Understand their likes and dislikes. Use treats sparingly as rewards and be sure to praise verbally (if you want to avoid creating a "treat monster" then read this post). The goal is to create an environment where your horse feels safe and cared for, without becoming the unsafe "lap dog".

Overcoming Challenges in Training

Training isn't without its challenges, especially for new horse owners. Now is the time to reach out for help from your coach, as issues can quickly escalate. Again, don't be afraid to ask for help here as safety is paramount.

If you have an external or easily distracted horse, read this blog post to get ideas on how to address this.

I also really love Mark Langley's approach to helping horses with self-management and handling brace in their bodies. He is super encouraging and open to all levels of horses and humans alike. He frequents places around Australia and has an amazing online option and supportive group of like-minded horse people too.

Continuing Your Training Journey

As a new horse owner, remember that every step counts in building a successful training journey. Consider enrolling in clinics and regular lessons that focus on horse behaviour and training techniques. This not only enhances your skills and sets clear goals but also builds a network of support within the horse community.

By engaging in continued education, you will feel more equipped to face the challenges of horse training. It’s about learning and growing together with your horse.

Canberra, and surrounding region, trainers and clinicians are listed here.

One lesson option is:

Private Lesson: Laura Ushay

60

Book Now

Lifelong Learning and Acceptance

Horse training is a lifelong learning process. Accept that setbacks will happen and that every horse is unique. Celebrate the small milestones, and don’t hesitate to seek advice from experienced riders or coaches.

Training your horse effectively is not just about teaching them commands but about creating a bond built on trust and communication. Remember, you are not alone in this journey, and every new experience adds to your growth as a horse owner.

By implementing these exercises and tips, your training can lead to a rewarding partnership with your horse. Enjoy the process and never stop learning!