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[RC] more general training questions - Ed Kilpatrickjackie, i start a lot of young horses. my approach is pretty simple. i use lots of groundwork excercises to get the horse ready to be ridden. try to think of everything you ask a horse to do from the saddle, then teach them on the ground first. i teach the horse lateral flexion excercises first. this gets the horse soft and supple in the head and neck, and also helps the horse to relax. after that, i teach the horse to move each foot individually on cue, and also teach the horse to stand still until i tell him to move. this is important for when you first put a saddle on the horse. i dont tie them up, i teach them to stand still while i put the saddle on. i do lots of desensitizing excercises, so that the horse is not afraid of things going on around him. i do lots of lunging and directional changes. another very important thing that i do is, i never let the horse get away with bucking under
saddle. many people will tell you, oh just let them buck it out when you first put the saddle on. i think if you do that, you are letting them know that is ok. what i when i saddle them for the first time, i ask the horse to move the hindquarters and forequarters on both sides, back straight up, then lunge in both directions at a walk and a trot. if the horse bucks at any time, i make him stop, then start over until he does what i ask without bucking. i also make the horse walk past objects such as barrels, poles, farm equipment, anything that the horse shies away from. after that, i get on them and start riding in the arena. after a few days in the arena, we hit the trails. i like to ride young horses out by themselves for the first few times. i dont pony them at all. it helps them become more independant, prevents barn sour and buddy sour.
i probably left a few things out, but i was trying to just summarize. this works great for me. i have started about 90 horses in the last 8 years, and i only had two that bucked under saddle when i got on them, probably because i took a few shortcuts. cowboy ed
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