How to Train 2-Year-Old Horses

In many ways, training a 2-year-old horse is much easier and less complicated than trying to retrain an older animal. A young horse is essentially a blank slate, and the training you provide sets the tone for the rest of the animal's life. Laying the right foundation and building the right training platform can make all the difference in the world. Every horse learns at a different pace, and the key to successful training is to work with the abilities of that particular animal.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Lead rope
  • Lunge line
  • Saddle pad
  • Saddle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Assess the amount of ground work and preliminary training the horses have had in the past. The more ground work and consistent work the animals have had, the easier it will be to continue their training and work with them under saddle.

    • 2

      Place a halter on the horse, then attach a lead rope -- this should be soft and long enough to give you room to work with the animal. A 10- to 15-foot lead rope works fine for this purpose; it should also have a sturdy snap that will hold if the horse spooks or pulls unexpectedly.

    • 3

      Take the horse into a round pen, small corral, riding ring or other small confined space. Working the horse in a small area helps him to focus on the training and reduces distractions, since young horses are easily distracted by other horses, people and unfamiliar objects. The more you can focus the attention of the animal the better.

    • 4

      Ask the horse to move forward on the lunge line or lead rope, using your body language to point in the direction you want the horse to go and your voice to encourage the horse to move forward. Continue working with the horse until you can get him to move off with your voice and stop at your command. Establish a "whoa" cue by verbally asking the horse to stop and following up with a small tug on the lead rope if the horse does not respond. Some horses pick up the verbal "whoa" command almost immediately, while others require several weeks of training to stop consistently with a voice cue.

    • 5

      Stand the horse in the middle of the round pen or other training area and hold the lead rope loosely in one hand. With the other hand, gently rub the horse with an old saddle blanket to get him used to the feel of the object. Gently throw the saddle blanket over his back, then rub it along his neck and back over his hindquarters. Continue working with the horse until you can throw the saddle blanket up on to his back consistently without the horse moving or acting frightened.

    • 6

      Place an old saddle on the horse's back and tighten it just enough to keep it from sliding around while the horse moves. Move the horse around you with the saddle on his back to let him get used to walking with the saddle on his back. You can also remove the lead rope and let the horse move freely with the saddle on in a confined space. Just remain close by and be prepared to grab the horse and untack him if he panics or if the saddle begins to slide.

    • 7

      Tighten the saddle slightly, then move to the horse's side and gently put your foot in the stirrup. Apply a bit of pressure to the stirrup, but do not attempt to mount the horse just yet. Repeat this process, putting a bit more weight in the stirrup each time until the horse is accepting this with no issues. When the horse is easily accepting your weight in the stirrup, you can mount and sit lightly in the saddle. If you lack significant riding experience, it is best to have a more experienced friend, or a professional trainer, ride the horse first. You can continue the training under saddle with the aid of an experienced rider.