TrainingBWR Training Methods: We introduce all of our horses to a variety of objects and situations on a daily basis in a progressive, safe manner. The goal is to increase their self confidence and trust in their handlers, laying a solid foundation for trail, arena, or show work later in life. All horses in training at Black Wolf Ranch are introduced to as many stimuli as possible. This includes machinery, barking dogs, llamas and cattle, ropes, tarps, bridges, poles, blankets, saddles and pads, bouncing and rolling balls, plastic bags, cones, water, noisy objects dragging behind them, and more. We introduce them to these items safely using natural horsemanship methods; they are never forced or abused. All horses are started using extensive ground work, including but not limited to: · Learning to stand quietly tied. · Being alone away from other horses or with horses being worked near by. · Learning to accept various noisy objects both touching them and moving near them. · Learning to lead, lunge, ground drive at a walk / trot / canter, changing directions and halting easily. · Working over and around obstacles such as poles, water, cones. · Learning to give into light pressure applied on the ground, or while under saddle, including work on lateral flexion, sidepassing, and pivoting.
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Foals: Foals are imprinted at birth and handled from day one. We halter and lead them within the first 24-48 hours, and we rub them all over teaching them quickly that humans are part of their world and to be accepted and respected. We teach foals good manners such as standing quietly for grooming, allowing us to touch them all over including their ears and mouth, and to accept ropes touching them. They learn to be caught, haltered, and lead quietly in and out of their paddock or stalls. We discourage bad manners such as biting or kicking towards humans. |
Yearlings: Yearlings will continue their ground training. We teach them to stand tied, stand for the farrier (and other routine work) and to be bathed. We begin teaching them to lunge at a walk, change directions, and learn some ground obstacles such as tarps, poles, and cones. We teach lunging in both the round pen and out in the open. Yearlings learn to work freely on voice command and to respond to the use of aids such as a dressage whip or rope. They also learn how to respond to their handler’s body movement to perform transitions or directional changes. We teach yearlings to have respect for but no fear of any training aids used by the trainer. |
Two-Year-Olds and Up (Including Older Horses with Previously Limited Handling): We introduce two-year-olds and green (mature) horses to ground driving and work on two lines, both inside and outside of the round pen. We start them in a bosal or sidepull and may graduate them to a snaffle bit. They learn to be comfortable with blankets, saddle pads and light saddles. Eventually they are worked in the round pen completely tacked up. We start them very quietly, from the time they are first cinched up and mounted/ridden, to avoid any bucking. Later, we teach them pony work with an experienced horse and start them on trail rides and ring work. |
