by Lauren, age 11

According to Wikipedia, horse training refers to a wide variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by us. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities. Looking back in history, horses were trained for warfare, driving, plowing, etc. Today, most horse training is geared towards pleasure riding and equestrian sports. Horses are also trained for specialized jobs from movie stunt work to police and crowd control activities, circus entertainment, and equine-assisted psychotherapy.

There are many methods used to train horses, which can lead to abuse, neglect, violence, and inhumane activities. When training a horse we have to be gentle. If we are too firm with a horse just starting training, results could be very harmful.

When handling a horse in the training process, it is very necessary to be cautious and quiet. If you were a child, having no idea what was going on, would you want some person running up to you loudly and acting crazy? I know I wouldn’t! You could startle a horse, or really any animal, and that may disturb them. Once a horse has been very disturbed, you are not safe.

Training doesn’t happen in a blink of an eye — patience is the key. Just like you being raised as a child took time, and you learned from your mistakes. Horses aren’t always as dangerous as you think. You may hear some people call them “gentle giants.” There is no such thing has a “mean” horse, maybe down deep inside they are just scared or nervous. An important note when training a horse (or any pet really) is DON’T RUSH! Rushed training just ends up with a poor quality horse, and the skill of this horse isn’t going to gain you anything.

Be patient, and always end a training session on a good note. As an example, if you have been working a horse on the longe line for quite a while, and he listens to every signal you have given him, don’t keep pushing him! If you keep working him, he will get tired, and probably become irritated and confused. If you keep working him, he’ll think he hasn’t been doing anything right and will learn incorrectly.

But always remember to have fun when teaching. And having fun while teaching means both you and the horse are happy, safe and comfortable. Good luck!

SAFETY NOTE: Never attempt to train a horse if don’t have the proper experience working with horses. Always work with a professional to learn the proper techniques and (most importantly) precautions to assure you and the horse remain safe.

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