I am looking at a very nice palomino foal. He will be 1 this May. How old should he be before I start training him for trail riding? When should I start? How much should it cost me? What do you recommend me doing? I have never trained a horse, but I do have a lot of experience with horses.

You can start training your horse at birth. When our foals are born, we put halters on them right away. You can practice leading them around, picking up there feet. Handling them is really important to build up trust. You can place light weight saddles on them as well. I don’t recommend trying to ride them until they are at least 2 years old, due to the fact if you are to heavy you could harm there growth plates. In the mean time you could do what is called ground training. You can find books on this at your local book store.

I’m considering buying a horse, but all the broke to ride ones advertised locally are either too much money or too old, I really want a Tennessee Walker, and have found a beautiful filly, but I would need a professional to break her. Does anybody know how much training I’m looking at and approx. how much it costs?

Training costs vary from trainer to trainer even within the same area. Some trainers combine training costs with board as a "package", some break it out as a separate cost from board.

To get a realistic answer to your question, you need to know how much training you will require: do you want your filly green-broke (i.e., an experienced rider could handle her but not an inexperienced rider)? Broke to the point where even a beginner could ride her? Do you want her trained for a specific show discipline?

Do you want to work with the filly as she’s being trained, and get lessons from the trainer? Or do you expect the trainer to do everything and at some point hand you off a trained horse?

Once you know what your expectations are, you need to start looking for trainers and talking to them. Some trainers aren’t interested in training horses they haven’t bought for the client themselves. Sad to say, some of these kinds of trainers will take your horse on and then try to talk you into letting them sell it, telling you that the horse isn’t suitable for you and they can find a better one for you. And of course they’re getting a commission on the sale of your horse and the purchase of the new horse.

You need to make sure that you are happy with the methods the trainer uses to train horses. You also need to pay attention to how well the trainer communicates with you and be comfortable with that. Some people are great at training horses but not so great at talking to horse owners. There can be a real disconnect.

In general, you’ll pay more for a trainer that has a good reputation that is widely known than for a trainer that is either just starting out or is only known in a very small area. You’ll also pay more for a trainer who has a showplace stable than someone whose facilities are more workmanlike.

You really need to talk to the trainers you’re considering and get their quote on training costs. It doesn’t do much good to have a trainer whose price you like but whose methods and results you don’t like.

Good luck!

Some ppl think im nuts but i think im capable. Really tho, how hard is it to train a young horse to ride, just basic stuff, trot, canter, maybe jumping. Im not ever gonna compete or anything. I just want a horse to work with and have as a partner to ride and have fun with. Im just debating on wether to get an older horse or go for the younger challenge. I have the time and im up to it tho ive never done it before.

well, the first thing i have to say is

1. a horse is a big responsibility, i recommend buying a older horse for your first horse(around 10-13) that has already been saddle trained. most people end up having a bad experience with their first horse because they get them young thinking they’ll have a partner for life and just can’t seen to train them.

2. if you do get any horse consult a local veterinarian or trainer first to get the their input about you owning a horse.

3. if you choose to buy a horse take a local veterinarian or trainer to greet the owner and see what the veterinarian/trainer thinks of the horse. have them examine the horse to see if its condition is exactly what the owner says it is.its better to buy a horse from a honest person.

4. if the owner claims the horse is saddle broken have the vet/trainer tack it up to see how it reacts to being tack up. have the owner mount the horse to see how the horse reacts to being ridden. watch how obedient and calm the horse is and how quick it can change its gaits.

5. have the vet/trainer mount and ride the horse to see in their own opinion how it reacts to the certain things he/she does.

6. it is wise to ask the owner to have a trial to see the horse in your own environment and if you really want and/or need this horse. try doing things yourself like tacking up, riding, and leading the horse around the barn under the vet/trainers guidence. if the owner refuses a trial then ask to lease the horse. if the owner still refuses, just drop the idea of getting the horse because theirs obiously something to hide.

7. make a date with your local vet and owner to take the horse to the vet for a pre-buy check up. if the horse is all good and you can afford the horse and its boarding, feed, vet bills, farrier bills, tack, and other nessisary tools, then buy the horse and have some fun!

What are some tools or equipment used in any kind of horse training with any type of horse?
I’m working on my senior project so I can pass high school and i’ve been lookin for days on the web for information on tools or equipment to train horses and i’m lookin for some people who are smart in this area to tell me of some tools or some equipment used to do any kind of training on horses!

In training a young filly it is common to use a bag of grain and kind of slap it across her back a few times. She is being taught discipline.

I’m about to finish "Storey’s Guide to Training Horses" by Heather Smith Thomas.

It was okay, but there are some holes in the information. And she is extremely repetitive in common sense advice. Is there anything you can recommend? I want a book by an author that KNOWS how a horse thinks and reacts. And, I don’t want a book that is primarily on training in different styles of riding. I’ll be starting my horse myself in all areas of training.
Thanks! *DVD recommendations welcome, too!*

Richard Shrake has a line of resistance free training and riding books that are awesome!! I really enjoyed them and learned a lot. He really helps you bond with your horse witch is a crucial step to training well I think!

I am interested in finding out what the process is for training a horse.

Really depends on what you want to train them for. Or do you mean how to saddle break a horse? Or there are jumpers, stock horses, trotters, racehorses, eventers, and dressage to name a few. You will have to be more specific with your question.