Teach your yearling to "set"

[luvmyracker]

How do you teach your yearling to stand square? I can get my mare to stand if I move her feet for her but as soon as I try to get her to stretch out for the bait she moves forward!

 

[Alex]

Hi!

Last spring I tought my yearling to set up. Did it all by clicker training. I started by making sure he was comfortable standing for long-short periods. I started slowley and step by step.

You can PM me with any questions.

 

[Jill]

What I've done is first teach them to stand still and what "woah" means. I practice with my young horses on the way to and from the round pen, but only for about 5 minutes at a time max. Once they learn woah, then I work with getting them to stretch and watch as they lean you can tell when they are just about to move that front leg. Tell them woah and maybe a jerk down (slight) on the rope. Keep the practice session w/ yearlings very short. They don't have much attention span before they are bored and you don't want them to feel sour about posing.

 

[Leeana]

Yearlings are easy

What i do is teach them to stand first and not move their feet unless i ask them to. I use a longer 6ft+ lead and i stand them and slowly back away, if they move or begin to take a step i yank the lead and flap my arm and stomp my feet. Eventually i want to be able to get all the way out on the lead without them moving and then go 180 degress or so around them.

Then i train them to set their back feet, and then i give a small yank on the halter so they feel pressure around the poll and ask them to step forward with their front feet. If they move their back feet when i am asking them to move the front feet, i back them up or yank the lead. When i get them set how i want them i then move in front of them and give a gentle yank on the lead so say "hey, im done ..dont move" ..just like in the beginning.

When i start asking them to work their neck an they see that treat infront of them (i teach them to work their neck after they are standing square fine), if the they start to lean or step forward to get the treat out infront of them i give them a gentle tap on the chest with my foot, hardly even a tap ...normally it more catches them off garde but i hardly even touch them and they learn not to lean into it and just to work the neck out.

How i do it

. I've found the shetlands are easier to train to stand / pose buuuuut thats just me