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Bringing on the Young Horse
With the ever escalating cost of buying a nice horse, more and more people are having to buy youngsters to produce themselves, in the hope they will turn out to be their ‘dream horse’ of tomorrow. Buying a young horse is easy, but bringing on that young horse and turning him or her into a well mannered and well educated ridden horse isn’t always a bed of roses, as most owners of young horses will tell you! Top dressage rider Carl Hester knows a thing or two about bringing on young horses and turning them into international superstars. Carl shares his top tips on what to look for in a young horse and gives some welcome advice on giving them the best start.
I prefer to get my horses as yearlings, partly because they are cheap and within my price range (even well-known dressage riders don’t have a bottomless pit of money in which to invest in horses!) and also because you have a blank canvas to work with, nobody else’s mistakes - that way you only have yourself to blame if things go wrong! You get to build a good rapport up with them through handling and groundwork, and I think this really pays dividends for a positive relationship in the saddle. I normally end up buying abroad because I have good contacts and the sort of bloodlines that I look for are out there. I do think that we also have some fantastic homebred horses and although they used to be few and far between, the UK breeding industry is beginning to produce more and more quality horses the more time goes on.
First and foremost, I always look for correct movement, an uphill way of going and a strong active hind leg. A good temperament is essential, but the colour really doesn’t bother me – I’ve had every colour, a good horse is a good horse, regardless of colour, it can be pink with polka dots, just as long as it meets the other criteria!
Once they reach four years old they will be regularly hacking them out and I will start working them in the school, building up to 20 minutes, ensuring that they have lots of variety in their school work plus lots of playtime for them in the field. All of my baby horses are out in the field either during the day or night, being brought in only to be ridden, groomed etc. I think it’s important for all horses, not just youngsters, to get some time out in the field, however much they might cost on paper. Often people can be overly precious about their horses and yes of course you have to be sensible and not for example, turn them out when it’s particularly slippery or icy, but at the end of the day, they don’t know they are worth a small fortune and need time out to kick their heels and relax just like us humans!
I think the biggest quality that you need to have, particularly with young ones, is patience! Often they will test you to the point where you feel like throwing in the towel then the next time they will try their hardest to please. The key to training all horses successfully is patience and perseverance. You must be consistent in all your training and ensure that they have plenty of variety and that you don’t push them too much at this age. Some horses, like children, take time to mature and it is up to you as the trainer to make decisions on when to ask and when to be content with what they have given you.
Young horses should also get to see a bit of life, so hacking him out, boxing him up and riding him around different show grounds all add up to life experience. If you are concerned about riding a young horse around a showground for the first time, find out from the organisers if you are allowed to lunge, so that you have this option. It’s better to be safe than sorry with a young often unpredictable horse! If you are at the level where you are now planning to compete your youngster, ensure you allow plenty of time to warm up and allow time to work through high spirits! I would also suggest that you practise loading and travelling short distances before you add to the mix the excitement of a competition at the other end of the journey.
Lose any “gadgets” knocking around your tack room, when it comes to schooling and general riding. As youngsters that can sometimes be a bit spooky, I ride with a running martingale, so I have something to hold onto if they whip round suddenly at a monster in the bushes! I also think quick release stirrups are also a good idea, should you part company with the horse. I tend to lunge only with side-reins and a roller and keep everything very uncomplicated and straight forward. I also like to introduce trotting poles for a bit of variety.
One thing that I always tell young horse owners is that they don’t need to be training with a top name at this stage, a good instructor with an understanding of bringing on young horses and their owners is worth his or her weight in gold, regardless of how many times their name does or does not appear in print! You want to get a trainer on board who doesn’t clock watch and works you and the horse as appropriately as possible in the time given. You don’t want someone who gives you training but when a problem or query arises won’t make time to help or assist you via the phone or take time out to assist in extra problem solving.
I also give the youngsters my own Net-Tex Carl Hester Joint and Muscle Supplement and where required, my Carl Hester Calmer, both of which can either be fed daily or via special one-off syringes.
Good luck with your young horse, bringing him or her on can be both rewarding and frustrating but the time, effort, constancy and understanding that you put into your groundwork today, will see you reap success in years to come.
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