teaching a yearling to gallop in the absence of a pony?

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brooke
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teaching a yearling to gallop in the absence of a pony?

Postby brooke » Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:34 pm

ok no pony horse at the moment!! what is the best method to teach a yearling or older horse for that matter, to gallop under saddle with a rider? with the old western horses ya just get on and went but its not that easy with these racin youngins LOL!! . any methods or suggestions?
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doublete
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Postby doublete » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:40 pm

Just curious before I answer your question.. Why are you galloping a yearling in Feb? Do you mean just turned 2 y/o?



As for the question... If you dont have a pony, just send the horse out in company. Try to pick a steady more experienced horse that doesn't have too many bad habits.
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Postby brooke » Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:45 pm

lol we are almost in march arent we!! yes i mean two year old now.
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Postby Tucumcari » Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:14 am

The main thing to teach a young horse is to go foreward with confidence. It really is the same with breaking a TB as it is any other dicipline. I drive the babies I break as they leard how th stear, stop, walk trott and lope before I ever get on them. If they do all that is required of them before you get on them, it is more than half the battle. You must also teach them what a clucking noise or kissing noise means.... GO FOREWARD. It is easy to teach even in the stall. Basically have a shank or a rein in your hand and the long end of the shank in the other. Ask the horse to move foreward by clucking to him and the do things like just swinging the shank near the hind end, the horses natural fear response is foreward. The horse will move in a circle in the stall (around you). Ask the horse to whoa and move your body into position that "stops" the horse. If there is no response to voice or body position use the shank to stop him. At the completion of this lesson, the horse should know that cluck means go and whoa means stop. Sometimes it will take more work to get less response, but as the horse learns what you want it will take less work to get more response.