Slowing down

There is a great push in horses being started so early and so quickly, I just don’t see the point. Not for us “average” horse owners, which are the majority of horsemen, but get the minority of the press. We read about the big names and fancy trainers of the high dollar horses – cutting and reigning prospects and race horses – and for them, time is money. Lots of money. They’ll start them young, show them young… and finish them (off) young.

For most of us, our horse will not be over the hill at five. We’ve retired horse at 25, 30, and much older. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be turned out to pasture and forgotten when I’m older. I want a point to every day. As long as they are physically fit (and a horse that is not excessively pushed in his or her early years certainly is more likely to remain fit longer), let them work! It’s the best way to keep them fit.

I’m all for imprint work on foals and working with weanlings and yearlings. I want my horses to be able to be safely handled any time necessary – for doctoring, leading, moving pastures, trimming - and this works well for me. Low impact ground training is great, but I don’t need them working on the trail at two. We know what this can do to their joints. Why would I ruin them because I’m in a rush?

Likewise with pushing the starting age limits, so I don’t understand the philosophy of colt starting that requires it all be done in day or two. (An interesting note here is how well this can be done, as publicly displayed in the Road to the Horse Competitions, without obvious stress to the horse – yet interesting to note too how many of these trainers choose to take their time in training when not in the competition – teach over a months time what they are given three hours to accomplish for “show.”) But is this quick, rushed, pushed method usually the best option for the horse? Or is it done (a) for show; or (b) for the convenience of the human: get it done quickly, and we can “break” 400 colts a year?

There are many teachers and trainers that swear by the method in which the saddle is put on the horse, strapped on tight, then the horse is “allowed” to buck to “get it out of his system.” On the other hand, there are the teachers that make more sense to me, and I bet give the horse a lot less stress, who suggest that maybe we can introduce things a little more slowly, and have our goal be to NOT make the horse so stressed he feels he needs to buck. Yes, this method takes much more time and patience, and doesn’t work if you want to get the big numbers “broke.” But I think for the majority of horse owners, we don’t have that many horses to work with, we do have time, and we do have (or are working on) patience. And our goal is to teach our horse the best way we can with the less stress possible for both horse and rider.

I’ve tried the fast and furious method, and spent a year re-teaching some of the problems created by the stress of the rapid fire method. I have no doubt it works for some. But find out what works best for you, and what works best for your horses. And work towards the long term goal of a healthy horse, and a healthy relationship.