Backing
An 8 week plan for happy and confident young
dressage horse.
Starting a young horse is a serious undertaking
and not one to be taken lightly. Every person who
starts a young horse should have a very simple
goal in mind, to create a solid foundation for
more advanced training with the least amount of
trauma for horse and rider.
There are countless dressage training books and
videos from experts around the world, but the
vast majority of them make the same assumption
and that is that your horse is already backed and
under saddle. The goal of this article is to help
you bridge that gap in a safe, kind, and effective
manner.
Now, I am also going to make an assumption. I
am going to assume that your horse is already
halter broke, leads, ties, grooms, picks up his
feet, trailers, and, in general, can be handled
from the ground safely. If this is not the case,
then please DO NOT proceed with this 8 week
plan until your horse can do all of the above
mentioned things easily. You have to crawl before you can walk...and walk before you run. It
is the same with horses and you will do far more
harm than good by skipping steps or trying to
speed things along.
Before we get going on Week One, I’d like to
take a moment to discuss something very important. Attitude. Your attitude. It is absolutely crucial
that you are confident in your riding and horse
handling skills before you start a young horse. A
green rider and a green horse are a disastrous
combination. It is also important that you care
about the horse. Even if it is not your horse or
you are getting it started before you sell it. You
still need to care about the horse and his future
8
as a riding horse and as a living being. When you
are starting a young horse, you are responsible
for creating his first impression of riding, training,
and many other things. These first impressions
will last a lifetime and cannot be undone. This
is a big responsibility, and a very important one.
How a horse is started can make a good horse
great or it can ruin a good horse just as easily.
It should also be noted that your horse needs
to be in good health and sound before you start
training. This means a quick check by the vet, a
visit from the farrier, and the equine dentist if his
teeth need to be done before you start putting
the bit in his mouth. If your horse is very thin or
fat, try getting him to a healthy weight by managing his diet before you start training.
Week One:
What You Need:
60’ Round Pen with safe fencing
Treats (small and easy to keep in your
pocket)
1 Full set of horse boots (front and rear)
Patience
Day 1:
Today we are going to get your horse familiar
with the round pen. Put his boots on, make sure
his hooves are picked, and then turn him loose in
the round pen. DO NOT leave him unattended. If
he just wants to hang out with you, then encourage him to explore the round pen on his own by