From: "Loren Lord"
Dear Jessica;
I had previously sent you a question on lunging young horses that you haven't had a chance to answer yet (which is understandable with all the questions I am sure you receive) but after reading some of your postings I have found out that I was trying to teach them to lunge too early in their lives. So I was wondering if you could tell me what I should be teaching them and at what age of life to teach it? I have been around horses a long time and have owned several horses but I have never trained one at a young age.
My babies will be two in July 1997. They both have good manners and lead well. They know the voice commands for whoa, walk, and trot. I will be riding western. Where do I go next in their training?
I know you are busy and so thank you in advance for any advice. I do enjoy reading your horse sense.
Kim
They can learn to have perfect ground manners -- standing, stopping, turning, backing, and lifting their feet when asked. All of this will make them very popular with vets and farriers -- forever!
They can learn leading -- staying balanced, staying attentive, keeping a polite distance from you, not getting behind you or ahead of you. If you practice leading them from BOTH sides (including turning, stopping, standing, and walking and trotting), they'll be ahead of the game when you teach them to longe next year.
They can learn all about being clipped (and staying calm and quiet). They can learn all about loading into (and getting out of) trailers.
They can learn about tack! There's no reason that they can't have a smooth bit clipped to their halter for fifteen minutes or so at a time under supervision; there's no reason that they can't learn what it feels like to have boots and pads and saddles put on and taken off. They can certainly wear tack while you walk them around -- and if you already have a good longeing cavesson, that's great -- put it on, add a bradoon strap and a simple, straight snaffle, and let them be directed by the cavesson and just carry the bit. Again, they'll be ahead of the game when you teach them to longe next year.
Keep leading them around -- and you can take them EVERYWHERE, up and down hills, over and through ditches, in mud and sand, on grass and gravel. Lead them over ground rails and through pole mazes (look at some of Linda Tellington-Jones' older books on Ttouch for great ideas here). And keep doing it FROM BOTH SIDES.
If there's anyone in your area who trains driving horses, you might think about doing some of this with your young ones when they turn two. Oddly enough, driving isn't as much of a problem as longeing, because the horse is worked on long straight lines and gentle, wide turns, which is much less stressful to its legs than work on a circle.
I think you'll stay busy -- and keep those babies busy as well. Just remember to keep lessons short and friendly. These horses need to spend most of their time exercising themselves in their field. Short, friendly sessions will ensure that your horses will run TOWARD you, not away from you, when you walk into their field to get them for lessons.
None of this is a waste of time. I'm sure that people will point and stare and wonder (loudly) why you aren't RIDING those big strong horses yet -- just smile and keep on keeping on. You'll have happy, strong, educated young horses, and by the time you begin their actual longeing and eventual riding program, they'll behave as though NOTHING is new, and they knew everything all along. Then those same people will tell you "You're so lucky" -- and again, you can just SMILE.
Jessica
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