What To Do With One Year Olds

[GreenMountainMinis]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to minis and new to the board. I have a 4 year old mini and I've been working with him on trick training and he's doing really well but now I have two one year old minis and eventually hope to start driving with them. At the moment though I'm clicker training them and getting them used to being handled, groomed and all different sights and sounds. Is that enough training for their age? How much training to you give to young minis? Also, if anyone has any books to recommend about training minis, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Hi there,

Alot of people have their different opinions working with young horses, sometimes they think you shouldn't do much with them at all. I'm different. I work with them on pivioting, backing, lounging, roundpenning, leading, tying. All kinds of things. The most important thing is to not over do it. Literally I train yearlings maybe a lil over 2 weeks and they are done. Sure you can always go over it but I mostly put the training in for those 2 weeks, I also give them breaks every so often. Alot of the times they will remember their training, or if they need to go over it the next year it is not that hard to retrain them for it. I say the training they get when they are younger the easier they are to train once they are older for example driving. I do alot more groundwork with them at 2 years.

Good luck!

 

[targetsmom]

Welcome to the forum!

I think the main thing to remember with youngsters - of any type - is to not put too much stress on their minds or bodies (especially legs of horse). But it sounds like you are off of a great start with clicker training!

I happen to show on the Pinto circuit where they allow yearlings to show in halter obstacle (which they call trail in hand)so many of our minis were showing - and collecting national points - in this class as yearlings. Mostly walking over things (bridges, poles, tarps), trotting around things (cones, etc), over poles and elevated poles, backing, sidepassing, walking through gates, etc. Some of the hardest things are to get them to trot over poles (especially elevated poles) without jumping or cantering or hitting them. Some people were really surprised that we were very successful at this with a yearling stallion, who was still doing great the next year when we started using him for breeding. But it was also great to have something to do with them at this age and I think great preparation for later driving and jumping. If you are interested in driving, check out the driving forum on here.

As far as books are concerned, check out the ones at Small Horse Press: www.smallhorse.com

 

[Mominis]

Our yearling, Armani, is just being a baby (and waiting to be a gelding). He is groomed, handled, and we are teaching him the basics of moving his hindquarters and forehand on cue. He's also learning to back smoothy.

He has learned to stand quietly and be rubbed with all sorts of strange things including plastic bags, whips, lines, and sprays all over his body and legs. He has learned to walk over the bridge, stand on the mats, and step over poles on the ground one at a time. He gets to watch Shake, the two year old, work in the adjacent round pen and Armani grazes smugly while he watches because I think he knows Shake is on a diet. lol

Hope this gives you a couple of ideas. I think the thing I would suggest most is to let him watch you work your older horse. I swear they learn a lot by watching.

 

[AnnaC]

I would be reluctant to do more than you are doing right now! As you have two of them they will be getting all the exercise they need by playing together. Give them the time and space to race and chase about together, then just spend your time with them doing 'ground work' (as you are). Lots of handling, learning to move 'away' when asked, to stand still when asked, going for lead walks to see different sights etc. If you are intending to clip them in the future, then get them use to the buzz of the clippers, even pretending to clip them to get them used to the feeling of the vibration. There is so much you can do with yearlings - fun things to keep their interest and help them learn to be unafraid, but I would not be lunging them or round penning them at this age - I would be too worried about causing problems with their joints sometime in the future.

Anna

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Moderation is the key when training yearlings to the roundpen or lounging. If you do it like for shows to condition them all the time with lounging or roundpenning then yes I can see it causing damage. But I don't see how it hurst them to learn how to do it for just a couple of lessons. Not had 1 issue with horses legs doing it this way.