The market for horses has shifted – 20 years ago it was easy to sell a weaned foal with an impeccable pedigree for a lot of money. Today, the discerning buyer wants a horse that’s rideable.
The market for horses has shifted – 20 years ago it was easy to sell a weaned foal with an impeccable pedigree for a lot of money. Today, the discerning buyer wants a horse that’s rideable.
You can start working with a horse by the time it reaches two and a half, with the aim of a first show or outing under saddle at three. In South Africa, unlike Europe and the US, very few trainers will start working with a young horse from scratch. In many cases, breeders will have to do the basics themselves and only send the horse to a trainer once it’s calm under saddle at a walk and trot.
Breaking in horses by sitting out the bucking is not only dangerous, but results in a horse that’s unreliable and learns how to rear. Fortunately this method is out of fashion and we have a variety of “gentling methods” described by horse behaviour gurus like Pat Pirelli and Monty Roberts.
But there comes a time when the “gentled” horse, even if it’s already used to a saddle and bridle, needs further training. Putting a bit into its mouth in a round pen is fine, but in the long run, you need a horse with a correct head position and schooled to come down on the bit and get its hindquarters under its body for balance and turns.
Without this training, riding is like driving a car without gears, brakes and a steering wheel.
Bit your horse slowly
I spoke to Leon Botha, chief trainer at the Strydom Arabian Stud, who has taken many horses from an unbroken state to show winners in a diversity of equestrian fields.
The first step, he says, is to get the horse relaxed about the idea of having a bit in its mouth. You can do this by using an old leather head collar or a bridle and attaching a broad, soft, snaffle bit without a nose band every morning and evening while the horse is being fed.
Chewing part of the feed with a bit in its mouth lets the horse associate the bit with a pleasant experience, while simultaneously teaching it to roll the bit around with its tongue, so that it becomes comfortable in the mouth. This should always be done under supervision and the bit should be removed after about 10 minutes, so that the horse can finish its meal in peace. If it’s not getting concentrate rations, you can also offer it good quality hay or lucerne, or allow it to graze while the bit is in the mouth.
It’s better to go slowly, rather than rush the training and this stage can take as long as a month or at least 10 days. Part of the training is to get the horse to stand still and lower its head when the bridle or head collar with the bit is put in place. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when the horse moves away once it’s been bridled and happily resumes eating.
Attaching the reins
Attaching the reins is the next stage. The rope reins used on farm bridles, obtainable from your local farming co-op, are a good substitute for expensive leather ones.
Rope reins usually attach to the rings of the snaffle with a clip rather than a buckle and the other end is attached with a quick release knot to a surcingle. This is a broad, padded leather or webbing strap with rings on it, that goes around the horse’s chest just behind its elbows.
Attaching the reins for the first time can be dangerous, as some horses will panic as the pressure is taken up on the bit, so you must do it slowly. First, attach the reins to the bit and work the other ends with your hands, quietly pulling and releasing until the horse lowers its head and accepts the pressure. This is best done in the stable.
In the beginning, most young horses gape or may even try to rear. You need to stay calm and patient and let the pressure off the reins a little, until the horse is quiet.
After a while, even after a few days, you’ll be able to attach the reins to the rings on the sides of the surcingle. Attach them very loosely at first, but you can gradually tighten them until they’re about the same length as they would be when the rider has “contact” with their horse’s mouth.
This is known as “side-reins” and has been in use for centuries at the Spanish Riding School.
If repeated once or twice a day for 10 to 40 minutes, it usually takes a month until the horse “comes down “ easily on the bit with its head in a natural position that’s not less than 45º.
Now you are ready to start long-lining your young horse. – Dr Mac (Contact Dr Mac c/o [email protected]). |fw
