Today's Training

I had this big, long post worked out last night and just not happy with it but I wanted to post something about training in a timely manner. Right at the end of last week, there were some posts about inexpensive training and what it takes to be a trainer.

In my never to be humble view, I have seen folks who don't know a whole lot about horses somehow or other get a lot out of their horses. Also, I've seen a lot of dumb clucks too hang out a shingle after they went to big name NH trainers clinic. Check http://www.horsecity.com/ and you'll see what I mean. Practically the blind leading the blind...

In my world, it takes at least 60-90 days to get a colt going nicely before you move on to more specialized training. 30 days will get you walk and trot and maybe a few lopes and a hay wagon turning system. 60 days will get you w/t/l and a decent stop. 90-120 days and you can make that horse start to shine. Now this is if you have a decent minded horse in the first place. Some colts are just dolts and just don't 'get it' for a while. Others will hop on to your training like a hen on a june bug. You fit your training to the horse but I do like to have a plan in place and follow it somewhat to see where I am and what I'm doing.

I don't hold with this getting on in 30 minutes and before you're done, you have that colt turning and stopping and all sorts of stuff. I prefer slower training and really making sure he understands it. I don't see the point.

In this economy though, people will find something new and push a horse to do something. I don't even understand the 'Rode to the Horse' competition. As if everyone could just do that. Maybe it's for ratings. Hopefully, it's for getting people more interested in horses and they'll want to buy more. I'm not sure.

Don't get me wrong, I've tried some if not most of the faster methods but the overall, long term just isn't as good, IMHO. I will look at new things all the time and even try them but have always gone back to tried and true. Classical/traditional training is here to stay and it's the best way to make a horse.

Check out Podjasky (The Complete Training of Horse and Rider(Alois Podjasky)) and The Art of Horsemanship (Xenophon) and anything by Sally Swift.