Young Horse Handling Often times, the importance of teaching horses at a young age is missed or overlooked.  Teaching weanlings and yearlings a solid base will help them to be confident and safe as adult horses.  Young horses and their owners benefit from the horse knowing how to lead, pick up feet and learn to balance their weight, stand tied, trailer load,  leave the herd or stable mates quietly and confidently, back with a soft feel, learn to be bathed and fly sprayed, move the hind quarters and front end smoothly, and be prepared for saddling.  It is much easier on the horse to teach these things when they are young and are learning about life.  These skills are the beginnings of a solid foundation that will last a lifetime.

Colt Starting Starting a colt is a continuation of young horse handling.  The skills the horse learns as a weanling and yearling are carried forward to saddle training and each step builds on the previous one.  A colt is usually started between two and three years depending on physical and mental maturity.  Horses will learn to be saddled, stand quietly for mounting, walk, trot and canter with a rider, and bend to a stop.  Many will learn to pull a tarp, walk over a bridge, go over small jumps and cross water. Owners are often concerned about the health of their growing horse and care is taken to work within the horse's physical and mental ability.  All horses are watched closely for signs of physical and mental stress, and training schedules are dependent on the horse's ability level.

Re-starting the Older Horse Re-starting can mean a variety of things depending on horse and rider.  Usually, re-starting consists of teaching the horse to improve on "holes" in their foundation training.  The time it takes to re-start a horse can vary considerably based on the horse's age, behavior(s) and previous training.  A consultation is required for re-starts to determine a plan and goals for horse and rider.

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