In history, horses were trained for many purposes including war, transportation, agriculture work and sport. In modern days, the type of training has evolved, and horses are primarily trained specialized work, sporting activities and recreational activities. In fact, it is common to see horses in television and movies, as well as for use by police officers and in entertainment. Horses are also often trained for psychotherapy work.
Breaking horses has been surrounded with lots of controversy, especially with certain training techniques that are used. These techniques have been viewed as mean and inhumane by many people around the world. However, some methods have been considered humane and gentle.
What Are The Goals Of Horse Training?
There are a wide range of techniques and goals that are used during this training. These techniques are used in combination with basic training concepts that are common in general animal training. The primary beginning goal is to develop the horse so it is safe for the trainer to handle. The horse should also be able to perform a task that is beneficial during the initial training.
As a result, there are several factors that must be considered during training:
• Safety is of the utmost importance. A horse is a much larger and stronger animal than a cat or dog. The horse must be taught behaviors so it will not cause injury to humans.
• Horses do not think like humans. It is up to the trainer to use the appropriate training tools to lead the horse
• Horses are herd and pack animals. When properly trained, they will look to the human as a leader of the pack
Training Stages
It does not matter what the end goal of the training is, horses are usually predictable and go through a series of steps before they are considered “finished” or completely trained. A domesticated foal is generally handled by a human more than a foal born in the wild.
Although those who advocate the handling of foals as easier because it can lead to imprinting, critics believe it can be harmful to the horse later on.
Even though the foal is not old enough to ride, it can learn necessary skills that will be helpful when the training stage begins.
Once a horse is old enough to learn how to lead, it can be taught other tasks even though it cannot be ridden yet. This is known as ground training. There are some training schools that complete in-depth training work with these younger horses in order to prepare them for their first ride.
The age in which a horse is broken varies by discipline and breed. It is not uncommon for Thoroughbred horses to have a small rider on their back while they are still a yearling. On the other hand, a stock breed may not get their first ride until they are two.
The act of riding a horse for the first time is known by many names including horse breaking. Trainers use a variety of techniques to prepare a horse for a rider, a harness or a cart.
