My Lil Tack Shop

"Basic Horse Training Aids To Help You Get

Started"

By Michael Paetzold

There are tools for every trade, and the right set

of horse training aids can make the difference

between success and frustration. Don’t be tempted

to skimp on this area of investment.

All horse training is serious business. The

average animal outweighs the trainer by an

impressive margin, and the horse training aids you

choose can help prevent serious injury.

-- Rope Halter

The most basic of horse training aids is the

halter and lead rope combination. A rope halter

will facilitate tying and leading, and works

better than a flat halter because it will prevent

leaning while at the same time being comfortable

for the horse. The halter is placed on the

animal’s head.

-- Lead Rope

The lead rope is attached to the halter and used

to direct or “steer” the horse. In many ways this

horse training aid is like a leash.

-- Longe Line

The term longeing refers to the set of training

skills used to teach a horse direction, posture,

and how to yield or move off pressure. And the

longe line is the training aid used to accomplish

this.

-- Progress String

In most cases, this horse training aid is a thin,

braided rope with an eye splice at one end and

leather “popper” at the other. This device is used

in many ways.

You can apply a progress string as a visual aid.

For instance, to let the horse know when he is in

your space.

Also you can use this tool to make physical

contact from the saddle. The progress string is

not heavy enough to cause a horse any pain, but

the popper end make s a distinct noise when

applied, and can work in place of a crop.

-- Large Rubber Ball

Perhaps a less traditional horse training aid is a

large rubber ball, like the kind you can buy at

any toy store. This aid is great for conditioning

the horse’s nerves.

You can roll the ball around in front of the

horse, and even roll it gently into the horse’s

legs. Also, while in the saddle, you can direct

the horse into the ball and gently guide the

animal to move the ball around with its legs.

This sort of training will help you desensitize

your horse to unexpected movement and objects,

thus decreasing the likelihood of getting spooked.

-- Plastic Tarp

Another tool for developing the horse’s courage, a

common plastic tarp is an inexpensive and

effective training aid. Start by laying the tarp

out in the training area and leading your horse

over it, or even asking the horse to walk over the

tarp on its own.

As you know, a tarp can get pretty noisy when

walked on. And it will create the illusion of

strange footing.

You could even slowly work into an exercise where

you place the tarp over your horse’s back,

possibly completely covering him or her with the

tarp. This not only develops the horses’ trust in

you, it also simulates noisy brush and other

riding situations and helps desensitize the horse

to such conditions.

This list of horse training aids will give you

plenty to work with in the beginning. Of course as

training progresses you will need more advanced

tools and tactics.

Source: www.isnare.com

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possible serious injury. My Lil Tack Shop &

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