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[RC] more general training questions - Ed Kilpatrick

jackie,  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