subject: Horse Training Books – When All Else Fails [print this page] If you're trying to train a horse you will find that there are as many ways and methods as there are professional trainers, and if you would rather read up on horse training books they can be found anywhere. However, there is some agreement on the basic methods on how to train a horse, and caring for the horse hoof problems that will face anyone who's responsible for the animal. Are you going to have to train a new foal for riding? Then you can read the following approach on the basic way to train a horse for riding.
Fitting the halter
The first thing that will have to be introduced to the horse is the halter. Putting a halter on the horse's head for the first time will not be easy since it's not going to settle well with the horse.After you are successful with getting the horse comfortable with the halter you may want to introduce them to grooming and a riding blanket on their back. The next phase of training will be in the round pen.
Trotting
The round pen is a circular pen that is used to train horses basic maneuvering skills. Teaching a horse how to trot and stop on command is one of the training measures conducted in the round pen. More verbal commands are taught such as turning and stopping will also have to be mastered. Teaching the horse to start, stop, turn, and back up will have to continue until the horse begins to respond to the commands. When you have achieved the results, attaching a lunge line to the halter will be the next step. A lunge rope is about 25 feet long, and you will need to wear gloves when working with the horse. This phase in the training uses the lunge line to guide the horse with a rope, along with using verbal commands.
Preparing for the saddle
The driving lessons can begin if a bond of trust exists between the horse and the trainer at this time. For the driving lessons, two 25' foot long ropes are attached to either side of the halter. This lesson prepares the horse for following the commands of the trainer who walks behind the horse, and helps guide the animal with the ropes. When you feel comfortable with the horse complying with your commands you can fine tune the maneuvers at the much larger corral.
Saddling
It will be time to saddle the horse when you are sure how the horse will behave to your commands. You will want to saddle the horse back at the round pen. Since the horse has never been saddled, don't be surprised if the horse resists letting you saddle it.The horse may resist you by running away from you, or bucking to avoid letting you put the saddle on. The saddling of the horse will take patience, and you will need to calm down the horse to accomplish the task. The horse will eventually realize that the saddle posses no threat to them and they will let you place the saddle on their back.
There are many horse training books that can aid you with more methods to training your new horse if you run into any problems. When you have learned how to train a horse you'll need to learn how to deal with the everyday problems such as horse hoof problems and ways to correct it.
