Newby horse owner

[Anonymous]

I am getting ready to purchase a yearling dun snowcap appaloosa colt. He is beautiful and I have always loved horses and wanted to own one. However, I am just now to the point in my life that I can afford to own one. My problem is that I have always ridden other people's horses and don't know very much about how to care and train a horse. Luckily we have plenty of support from friends who raise horses. I know we can give him all the love and attention he could ever need, but I know there is alot more to it than that. Any advice anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

Congratulations on your colt! I know exactly how you feel. I, too, have always loved horses, but until about 15 years ago I rode horses that belonged to others. Except for the 7 years the kids owned an older Appy mare when we lived in MT. Oh, that horse was patient, 'cause we knew NOTHING.

Starting out with a colt is not going to be as easy as starting with a more experienced horse that already knows its manners.

OK, love the horse, but study hard to learn how not to spoil the colt. A spoiled colt is a very dangerous animal.

Start now to find a highly recommended trainer and pay to have this colt trained. Do not try and do it yourself. A good trainer won't have you do very much with the colt, other than care for it, until the trainer is able to work with it.

Don't go for just any Joe Blow trainer - do your homework and find the best you can. Training a colt is not something you can do yourself. It wouldn't be fair to you, nor would it be fair to the colt. Mistakes you could make as a beginner would be very hard for the horse to "unlearn."

Your colt needs, first of all, to learn how to balance on three legs while having its feet handled, how to stand patiently and quietly when tied, how to lead at halter, and how to respect humans and not intrude into their space. These are the basics I would advise you to tackle first. Leave the bridling, saddling and other more advanced teaching strictly for your trainer.

Ride a horse that prospective trainer owns and rides. Ask if the trainer is willing to teach you your horse's cues as or after he trains it.

My 7 year old Arab was the very first colt I had ever owned. When our friends trained him, I asked if they would be willing to teach me the horse's cues. They were astonished and pleased. They said in all the years they had been training horses, I was the very first person to ever ask them to teach the horse's cues. They said everyone else just seemed to assume they could come over when the training was done, load up the horse, and push some kind of button when they got the horse home and started to ride it.

I don't mean to sound totally discouraging. It's just that I've been where you are and raising your colt will be the most wonderful experience if you plan and do it right. I think that's what you are trying to do, if I'm reading your post correctly. You are starting early and have time to do your homework.

Your local library can order John Lyons and Ray Hunt videotapes via interlibrary loan. My friends, who so very successfully raise and train horses, learned from Ray Hunt.

<A HREF="http://www.rayhunt.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.rayhunt.com/</A>

Find a trainer or trainers you can watch work with horses; attend 4H Horsemanship meetings as a spectator and/or helper & listen and learn along with the kids. We attend a lot of 4H Horseman ship meetings in the summer. We help out, watch, listen, and learn a lot.

If you can afford it, take riding lessons while you're waiting for your colt to mature and be ready to ride. Formal lessons can really help keep you out of trouble when it comes time to ride your colt. Learning to have a good seat and balance will do wonders for your safety and confidence when you start riding your colt.

I read a lot of horse magazines, too. Some of the info makes sense; some of it I disagree with; some of the information that didn't make a lick of sense to me 3 years ago, does now.

> I am getting ready to purchase a
> yearling dun snowcap appaloosa
> colt. He is beautiful and I have
> always loved horses and wanted to
> own one. However, I am just now to
> the point in my life that I can
> afford to own one. My problem is
> that I have always ridden other
> people's horses and don't know
> very much about how to care and
> train a horse. Luckily we have
> plenty of support from friends who
> raise horses. I know we can give
> him all the love and attention he
> could ever need, but I know there
> is alot more to it than that. Any
> advice anyone can give me will be
> greatly appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Congrats! But she's right. It isn't going to be easy AT ALL! A few months ago I myself purchased my first horse. He was a 2 1/2 year old Thoroughbred gelding that didn't even know how to lift his feet. He bit, he kicked, he didn't lead well. I had it all under control and got things going for about a month or two. and about a week ago he started rearing, biting, and last night he kicked my dad in the leg. That's another thing she's right about. Don't spoil him. Use a firm hand AT THE RIGHT TIME. You have to become a horse, basically. When they do something mean, do it back. Don't let them push you. Last night after he kicked my dad I went in there and whipped his leg as hard as I could. (on the fleshy spot so it wasn't hitting the bone" Today he lunged PERFECTLY (something I have been working on but couldn't get him to do). He did it better than most horses that have been doing it forever. And usually he kicks at the whip. But tonight he didn't. He also stopped biting again. So see, if you balance it out, you'll have a great friend in your horse. If possible, find some horses that you can watch while they're in a herd. Figure out which one is boss, and copy it's actions with your own horse. Just make sure that if you need to correct them, as soon as they stop doing whatever bad thing they're doing, drop it and go back to making friends. Much like another horse would. It has it's up and down moments. It goes back and forth from being the most wonderful thing, to being a nightmare. But the wonderful parts of it are worth all the nightmare parts. haha I'd recommend buying training tapes (such as Monty Robberts, Parelli) and studying them. they're kind of expensive, but you can also rent at most tack stores. And find a trainer that is experienced and a firm beliver in natural horsemanship. See if YOU can train the horse under their guidence. That's what I'm doing with mine. I'm having the trainer work with him 4-5 days out of the week. And then I'll go 2 days and see what he's learning, and learn how to teach it. That way your horse will know, and learn to listen to YOU, not just the trainer. Hope this helps :-D

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

Way to go Ashley! Someone once told me that the best way to know about horses is to observe them interacting with each other. Yes, Robert, Parelli, and Lyons have very good information out there...well worth the investment in some books or tapes.

A person also told me that a 150 lb human cannot "easily hurt" a 1,000 lb horse (providing you watch what you're doing and imitate what other horses do)...prompt "punishment" to a misdeed is critical. As we all know, one horse can kick the S--t out of another with no injuries...wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those hooves! lol.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

Ashley, just a couple of thoughts/questions.

When you punished your horse for kicking your dad, were you standing right there and punished him immediately? Or, did you punish him a few minutes later? I think if we're advising a newbie on how to work with a horse, that it's best this is clarified.

A thought about your horse kicking at the lunge whip. My mare did some mild kicking at the lunge whip in the round pen, and my horse trainer friends recommended having a very experienced person work with her with ropes, so she would learn not to kick at anything that happened to touch her. I asked if I could learn to do this, and they strongly recommended that I not. We'll have them do the work with her this spring. I think the same training would teach a horse not to kick at people, too, and might be a good solution to your problem.

> Hi Congrats! But she's right.
> It isn't going to be easy AT ALL!
> A few months ago I myself
> purchased my first horse. He was a
> 2 1/2 year old Thoroughbred
> gelding that didn't even know how
> to lift his feet. He bit, he
> kicked, he didn't lead well. I had
> it all under control and got
> things going for about a month or
> two. and about a week ago he
> started rearing, biting, and last
> night he kicked my dad in the leg.
> That's another thing she's right
> about. Don't spoil him. Use a firm
> hand AT THE RIGHT TIME. You have
> to become a horse, basically. When
> they do something mean, do it
> back. Don't let them push you.
> Last night after he kicked my dad
> I went in there and whipped his
> leg as hard as I could. (on the
> fleshy spot so it wasn't hitting
> the bone" Today he lunged
> PERFECTLY (something I have been
> working on but couldn't get him to
> do). He did it better than most
> horses that have been doing it
> forever. And usually he kicks at
> the whip. But tonight he didn't.
> He also stopped biting again. So
> see, if you balance it out, you'll
> have a great friend in your horse.
> If possible, find some horses that
> you can watch while they're in a
> herd. Figure out which one is
> boss, and copy it's actions with
> your own horse. Just make sure
> that if you need to correct them,
> as soon as they stop doing
> whatever bad thing they're doing,
> drop it and go back to making
> friends. Much like another horse
> would. It has it's up and down
> moments. It goes back and forth
> from being the most wonderful
> thing, to being a nightmare. But
> the wonderful parts of it are
> worth all the nightmare parts.
> haha I'd recommend buying training
> tapes (such as Monty Robberts,
> Parelli) and studying them.
> they're kind of expensive, but you
> can also rent at most tack stores.
> And find a trainer that is
> experienced and a firm beliver in
> natural horsemanship. See if YOU
> can train the horse under their
> guidence. That's what I'm doing
> with mine. I'm having the trainer
> work with him 4-5 days out of the
> week. And then I'll go 2 days and
> see what he's learning, and learn
> how to teach it. That way your
> horse will know, and learn to
> listen to YOU, not just the
> trainer. Hope this helps :-D

 

[Anonymous]

I would put him on Fastrack Probiotics to increased performance and endurance, improve hair coat, enhance appetite and improve hoof quality. All of my horses are on it and I do not worry about colic or dehydration when I go to shows and Expos.



[email protected]