What age can you start training a young miniature

[carlenehorse]

I have a filly that is 5 months old and I am going to keep her and will train her to drive.

When do you start training her for the beginning training?

Lunging, accepting the bit and ground training.

Thanks

 

[Sunraye Miniatures]

Well right now if she doesn't know already, she needs to learn halter skills. Just some basic skills that can help her show in halter. That doesn't mean you will show her in halter, but its good for any horse to know. As a yearling I start doing some basic halter obstacle training and free lounge line round pen work. I do work with them on a lounge line as a yearling to respect the line but I don't do it that often, I save that for them as a 2yr old. Then when they turn 2 I start them driving by putting the harness on them and just grounddrive them. When winter hits thats when I start introducing them to the cart.

Thats what I do. Had great success with it. But thats just me. But as a yearling I wouldn't even worry about driving training yet.

 

[carlenehorse]

Thanks Nicole she has done her halter training but you can never go wrong to give these weanlings extra lessons in halter. LOL

It seems on some days that they forgot everything you taught them.

Gotta love the babies.

Carlene

 

[nootka]

It does depend on the horse, and what they've had previously.

I usually feel fine doing all that as a late yearling and/or early two year old provided the horse was with me from birth, and knows its ground manners very well, and I know it's background.

Sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of horse minds, and how they will sometimes need you to go back and go over a lesson they know very well to increase confidence and reinforce the training procedure before you move on to something a little more advanced or just different.

Just start out w/something you know that they know, and go from there. Take it slowly and you will quickly yourself get an idea of where they are at/what page and where to proceed.

I really don't do a LOT til they are two, though I did have one that I started as a late yearling, and he took it quite well, his son was just not ready mentally until he was a late two year old, for the same training (lungeing w/the voice commands, and learning how to ground drive w/the halter. I didn't even try the bit til he was a full three).

Good luck!

Liz M.

 

[carlenehorse]

Thank you Liz that was one of my concerns was the bit. I know that their teeth are still growing and caps will fall out so I didn't know if introducing her to young to the bit would do any damage to her teeth.

Can you tell me what age do they get their permanent teeth?

I have raised this filly from birth and have worked with her everyday so I know all of her good and bad habits. I have a small farm with just 5 miniatures so I know all of their habits.

Carlene

 

[Reble]

Can you tell me what age do they get their permanent teeth?

My vet told me 2 years old.

My Gelding was just turning 3 years old, and front tooth was loose and did get another one in.

Hurray, glad he was wrong that time. :aktion033:

 

[carlenehorse]

Thanks Reble for the information.

Carlene

 

[kdtexas]

Tooth Growth

All the baby teeth are replaced with permanent ones between the ages of 2-1/2 and 4-1/2 years old. From the age of 1 year and upwards, the young horse will also get 12 new additional cheek teeth, possibly also 4 canine teeth (mostly in stallions and geldings) and from 0-4 wolf teeth.

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This is from the Miniature horse information pages from the Lil Beginnings web site. Loads of useful information on it!