Have you ever wondered what goes on during your horses "Basic Training"? Well, if you were in the military, it's is similar to the process there. You want to build a horse from the ground up the way you want him. The first thing I do is an evaluation. What does he know? What has the owner taught him, if anything? Does he have any bad habits? These are some of the questions that will need answering so that you can decide where to start. Basic training will entail all of the things needed to get a colt "started". It includes things like round penning for respect, lateral flexion, saddling, sacking out, and the first ride. There are many things that go into your horses basic training and not every horse or mule undergoes the exact same process. For example, Horse A may not need to learn to accept the saddle, while Horse B does. Basic training at its core means that you are giving the horse the basics of the education that he will need for you both to become part of the team that makes you both whole. Be aware though, that just because a horse is finished with his "basic" training, that does not make him anything near what I would call a "broke" or finished horse. Depending on the skill level of the rider, and what you are wanting out of your horse, he may need much more work. For example, in 30 days, you can expect a horse to turn left, right, start and stop and hold a gait. You can NOT however always expect one to neck rein, side pass, dance a jig, fly a kite or any other sort of advanced technique. These things quite simply take time. If there is one thing I've learned in my many years as a rider, it's that there are NO shortcuts in the equine world. Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT the FIRST time. Anyone who tells you different is selling a gimmick, NOT good training.
Brooks Gaited Horse Training
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