Infractions can't be tolerated. The nibbling of today can become the bite of tomorrow. No one who's been really bitten by a horse will ever forget it.
One spring in a mountain camp, I took around a sack of pellets to the picketed horses, spilling out a generous ration on the ground for each. I fed a friend's mare, then walked over toward Major to give him his share, when suddenly something grabbed the triceps of my left arm with alligator force. I yelled and flailed out with my other arm until the force let go of me. The mare had seen me head for another horse with the feed sack and had taken issue. My upper arm turned black and hurt for weeks.
Similarly, pawing the air with forefeet may be cute in a newborn foal, but deadly in a yearling. Turning his rear end toward you with ears laid back is antisocial behavior, and the youngster might just as well learn as much early in the game.
Take a page from the book of successful classroom teachers. It's better to be tough early on so that you can be a nice guy later than to attempt to reverse the process. Discipline invoked late in the game, when an animal isn't used to it, is likely to be resented.
And that's the reason many trainers dislike backyard foals. Even the slightest imposition of discipline, such as a cue to move forward, is likely to be resented by such colts. If you plan to eventually train your horse under saddle, make it easy for yourself by being a strong leader from the very beginning.
You can start building your ultimate trail horse long before saddle training begins. Expose your foal to as many stimuli as possible. Teach him to lead, to stand tied, to walk into and out of trailers. Introduce him to your lawn mower and your bicycle, to the pop of a cap gun, and to plastic bags blowing in the wind. It's all money in the bank.
Training Under Saddle
For many years, even though I liked to fish, I avoided taking up fly fishing. So much had been written about the "Zen" of fly fishing, the mystique involved, the "matching the hatch" with just the right fly, the considerable skill involved in casting, that I just didn't think I'd be up to the task without spending half a lifetime learning.
Finally, a friend who was an accomplished fly fisherman told me, "Just do it." He gave me some pointers on technique and gear. I went down to a stream and promptly caught several fish for supper.
Anyone considering training a horse for the first time faces a similar dilemma. Yes, mastering the art and science of horse training can indeed require a lifetime. But knowing enough to do a fine job of training a saddle horse is within the reach of average individuals. It's not voodoo, transcendental meditation, or rocket science. If it were, our civilization wouldn't exist, for it was built by horses and horsemen, ordinary men and women who trained horses to perfect the tasks needed to raise food, build roads, and transport humans from one spot to another.
And, contrary to current belief, much of such training was based on beautiful, rewarding partnerships between humans and horses, not necessarily on harsh or cruel methods.
Actual methods are beyond the scope of this particular article, but here are three principles:
• Keep an open mind. Many training methods work. Beware of the instructor or clinician who tells you his or her way is the only way. Keep an open mind, and don't hesitate to question.
• Stay focused on your goal. Your goal is training the ultimate trail horse. Some of what's taught in various equine disciplines isn't really applicable. Having a horse that jumps well may be desirable, but you probably prefer that your trail horse step confidently over a log rather than jumping it. Many clinicians and teachers rarely ride outside arenas. Your trail partner is slated for a working life outside walls.
• Seek help. Seeking an experienced horseman to help you overcome trail-training hurdles isn't akin to admitting defeat. There will be setbacks. Retreat a few increments, and stay with it. But don't get injured just because your ego prevails rather than your common sense.
Is it worth it, this training from foaling to trail? For me, yes. And, if you choose to go that direction, I hope it'll be worth it for you, as well. Happy trails!
Dan Aadland (http://my.montana.net/draa) raises mountain bred Tennessee Walking Horses and gaited mules on his ranch in Montana. His most recent books are The Best of All Seasons, The Complete Trail Horse, and 101 Trail Riding Tips. Sketches from the Ranch: A Montana Memoir is now available in a new Bison Books edition.
