I'm 14 and have a two year old half Aarbian/Saddlebread. He will start triaing next year. I plan to show him. I wanted to know if I should help the trainer out by getting him used to the saddle and bridle before he starts trianing next year. I'm wondering if I should. If I do it worng I don't want the trainer to undo my work and make more work for him. Will it also be less time at the trainer's if I do it right. I'm going to ride him in Hunt Seat. I also wanted to know since he is going to be green should I take lessons so I'm not green when I ride him?

Thanks alot.

Horse Crazy, Brianna

-- Bri (Bodaciousshowhorse@myexcel.com), August 08, 2001

Answers

Yes by all means YOU take riding lessons now so you are better prepared when the horse is ready.

Look up Pat Parelli ( http://www.parelli.com/ ). His system is fairly inexpensive and it will train you and the horse together. There is nothing there that would cause problems for your professional trainer and should help speed things along. This will also give you something to do with your horse while waiting for him to grow up a little more.

I am glad that you are waiting until your horse is 3 to begin training as so many people push their horses too young. Arabs need to wait at least until 3 and really shouldn't be ridden hard until they are 4. I raise Arabs, but mine are raised for ranch work.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), August 08, 2001.

Green rider and a green horse is a BAD combination!!! You need lessons first, especially for hunt seat, a good dressage instructor is a necessity to start out.

Send your two year to a professional trainer, it will be well worth it in the long run, let him/her start your horse out from the very beginning. You could get hurt at this stage.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 08, 2001.

While I agree with Anne that green rider and green horse are a bad combination, that is why I recommended you take riding lessons right now and use Pat Parelli's methods for "playing" with your horse. The beginning ones are not for riding at all, but ground work and will help you with just handling your horse. In the meantime you will learn more about communicating with your horse.

Now I am making the assumption that this not a completely wild horse that has never been handled. If that is not the case, this is not for you right now.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), August 08, 2001.

I would recommend that you get some riding lessons and read, read, read. work with the horse as much as you can getting him used to anything you can think of. You don't want to rush the saddling and bridling, especailly if you are a little afraid. Do everything with confidence so the colt doesn't get the vibe that their is something to be afraid of. If you are not sure, don't do it. Leave it to the pro.

-- Ginger (majic99@home.com), August 09, 2001.

From what I've heard, the right thing to do, regardless of anything else, is to groom the horse - often. Just get him used to you touching him all over, and trusting you. Give him a small treat (apple or carrot or some such) after he's been groomed - maybe a quarter first, three separate quarters after. You could also, after he's accepting that, get him used to carrying a blanket, then a saddle, while you walk beside him; then trot beside him. If he reaches a sticking point, stop immediately: you don't want to get him used to resisting successfully; leave it to the trainer. Once you're confident of him, do a bit of leaning your weight across him while you're handling and grooming him. That's fairly basic, and really commonsense - the sort of thing you'd do with any animal. Beyond that, listen to the people who really know what they're talking about: I'm talking from what I heard as a child, rather than what I know from personal experience - due to bad back, I haven't ridden for decades, and not as an adult.

People, comments please? I think I got this little right, but if I'm wrong we all ought to get it straight.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 09, 2001.

I've been training our own horses for 25 yrs but I didn't train my first one until I had over ten years of riding/ownership experience. (Actually had 15 years of riding experience and tens years of owning a horse by then) As many people have already told you, green plus green is not a good idea. Do your ground work , grooming, leading,etc. but leave the saddling and bridling to a professional. You are right when you say you may cause more work for the trainer, he or she may use a different training method. One comment about the treats. We never hand feed treats to a young horse, it MAY cause biting or nipping problems. We do hand feed teats once in awhile when the horses are older but they are pretty much set in their ways by then. Just our experience. Good Luck and have fun with your horse!

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle MN. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), August 09, 2001.

Bri, consider waiting a year or two to even do anything much with your half Arab, Arabians mature very slowly and I never do anything but ground work with my Arabs until they are a full five years old, they continue to grow (bones are still soft) until they are five. I don't like messing with shin splints and windpuffs, etc., caused by too much too soon with youngsters.

There is no reason you cannot do plenty of "bonding" with your two year old until then, grooming, long walks in hand, playing with the feet and head, spend lots of time together, Arabs really take time to "trust" their handlers, but once they do, they will try to do ANYTHING for you! This is from 30 years of experience with Arabs and Saddlebreds, lovely horses!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 09, 2001.

Well, The first thing is he is not WILD AT ALL. My little sister, (Who is only two and is only maybe 20 pounds) She sits on his back and he lets her but he tell ue when is has had enough. I groom him almost twice a day. And when I put fly stuff on him I us a glove to put it on. So that way I can rub him all over to get him used to it. I tried the packing things with the popers. (I don't know know what they are called right off the hand) I rubed them all over him too and poped them as well. I also tried paper bags and other stuff that makes noise.

Horse Crazy,

-- Bri (Bodaciousshowhorse@myexcel.com), August 09, 2001.