How To Give Your Yearling A Head Start On Becoming A Great Riding Horse

If you're in the process of raising a yearling colt or a filly, you're probably happily looking forward to enjoying many pleasant horseback rides after your horse is older -- and you're undoubtedly feeling a little impatient for the time when you can start training your yearling to be a saddle horse, but that's going to have to wait until its back is strong enough to hold your weight, which should happen around the age of two. 

Although many people simply leave their colts and fillies in the pasture until they're about two years old, there are plenty of things that you can and should be doing right now that will make this training much easier for both you and your yearling when the time comes. Following are just two of the many ways you can help prepare your yearling for the training it will need to become a great riding horse. 

Introduce Your Yearling to the Halter

Professional trainers prepare horses for wearing actual bridles with a bit by getting them used to wearing a halter. The first time you put a halter on your yearling, it should only be left on for about five or ten minutes. Repeat this daily for longer periods of time until the horse is completely used to wearing it -- this can take anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending on the temperament of your horse. 

After your horse is thoroughly acclimated to the halter, you can begin teaching it leading skills -- simply clip a lead line onto the halter and train your horse to follow as you lead. As with getting the horse used to the halter, keep these sessions short at first, increasing the time a little every day or so until the horse

Brush Your Yearling Several Times Per Week

Using a good horse curry brush on your yearly several times per week -- or even every day, if time permits -- has a variety of benefits.It will get the horse used to your presence, and because horses enjoy being groomed if it's done properly, your yearling will learn to associate you with pleasant experiences. Also, grooming your horse on a regular basis lets you catch any wounds or skin conditions while they are still in the early stages, which will make them much easier to deal with as well as save you money on vet bills. 

Contact a company like Hands On Gloves for more information and assistance.