When Can You Start Training the Young Horse?

This is a question with widespread disagreement, and the approach often becomes a bit black-and-white, but in my mind, it doesn’t have to be either/or. Additionally, it has a lot to do with culture (within the horse world). In other parts of the world (I have the most experience in the USA and Australia), it is natural to start training as early as the foal stage, and often, it’s simply a lack of time that prevents it from happening. However, in our part of the world, it is customary to begin training when the horse is 3 or 4 years old.

I also think it's important to define the word “training.” I often experience that the word training gets associated with riding, but in reality, training = learning, and learning can be anything from teaching the horse to lead and not just follow, learning to wear a halter, to loading in a trailer, having a farrier, and so on.

There is so much a horse needs to learn, and in my opinion, it is a disservice to the horse to wait until it’s 3. Just like with children, we start teaching them early on how to behave toward others, what’s “right and wrong,” and prepare them for adult life. If they only start learning this as teenagers, and have been left to figure things out with other young ones, their view of the world might be very different from reality. And as most people know, it’s much harder to unlearn something and then relearn it properly than it is to learn the right thing from the start.

In my mind, it makes no sense to not teach horses what we expect of them from the start, in small steps, so the process of becoming a well-balanced and happy horse is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

What Can a Horse Learn Before Under-Saddle Training?

You have to remember that the horse doesn't know our purpose. For us, the goal is often to have a good riding horse. In the horse’s mind, a rider is no more difficult than loading into a trailer. But we are more vulnerable when the horse is learning to be comfortable with a rider compared to when it’s learning to load in a trailer. This is often where it can make or break the horse, because our dreams, goals, and fears come into play.

The horse is a whole being, and if you want a "easy-going" horse, it often takes many hours behind the scenes. First and foremost, the horse needs to learn the right mindset for working or doing something that feels difficult or unnatural for it. It starts from being able to touch it all over its body, putting on a halter, learning to move away from pressure, following lead ropes, focusing (for longer and longer periods), standing tied, being alone, loading into a trailer, having the farrier, learning body control, getting used to new places, and learning to wear a blanket, saddle, bridle, etc., and understanding these things, among many others we often take for granted.

Instead of waiting until the horse is 3, we can spread this learning out over the first 3 years. This way, you also avoid big conflicts, stress, or dangerous situations because everything comes gradually, and the horse learns how to "swim" before being thrown into the deep end.

It’s important to understand that I don’t mean the horse should be trained hard when it's young (which isn’t necessary when you spread things out over time), and you need to keep its body in mind, but you can achieve a lot with 15-minute sessions here and there, focusing on teaching the horse something new or taking the time to address problems as they arise, rather than waiting for the issue to grow into a real conflict. Teaching the horse body control from a young age is like sending a child to gymnastics—it’s healthy for the body in the right amounts, and you can address imbalances and other challenges from the start, rather than letting them persist until the horse is ready to be ridden, and then facing a much larger project. A horse with good body control, for example, often has an easier time with trailers and the farrier because it has better balance.

The focus should always be on preparing the horse for success.

Training a horse from a young age in small amounts doesn’t exclude the horse from playing with others, growing, and relaxing. That should be part of every young horse's upbringing and shouldn’t stop just because the horse gets older.

By spending time with the horse from the start, you also create a better bond and cooperation, and it becomes a fun and rewarding process if you remember to appreciate the progress that happens along the way. It’s not necessarily a 100% smooth path, just like it’s not with children. Rules aren’t necessarily fun at first, just like candy is often more enjoyable than vegetables, but they are necessary. Rules bring calmness and security, and it’s easiest to develop when you feel safe. Therefore, it’s also important to remember that there should be room for mistakes as long as the horse is trying, because just because it tries doesn’t mean it gets everything right the first time (just like us). But it makes the learning process easier and more fun when the willingness and desire to try are present.