Placing your horse with a trainer may be good for your horse, but will the outcome be good for the both of you! You must select a trainer that will enhance your ability to work and learn together. In other words, make two good students that complement each other.

1. Goals for you and your horse: Explore your intentions. Do you wish to compete, or ride for pleasure? This will have a bearing on the amount of cost and type of trainer.
2. Age of your horse: Are you starting a young horse, or a fully trained horse? The age greatly affects the amount and type of training.
   You may want a trainer that is noted for starting young horses, as a specialty. Solid, gentle and trusting handling can produce a foundation for the lifetime of riding your horse. This cannot be stressed enough.
   If you have a fully trained horse and wish to enhance their training and uses, seek a trainer that will work with both of you. This way, you will learn to use the new tools they teach your horse. Consider that the age of your horse and training history will also have a bearing on the outcome. You must understand old issues your horse may have and use this as a guide to select a trainer.
3. Breed and desired use for your horse: This also has a bearing on the intended abilities you wish to enhance. Be sure you find a trainer that can bring out your horse’s talents, while staying within its individual ability. Pushing a horse beyond its limits can be easily done. It takes a good trainer to recognize what talent lies within each horse.
   It also takes an honest and open mind to accept a trainer’s evaluation of your horse and its ability. Don’t ever be discouraged and think your horse is not capable. Explore other uses and you may discover your horse’s true ability. In many cases, change is good for your horse, if you are not getting the desired results in a particular type of training.
4. Behavioral problems and bad habits: These can be tough issues and require a trainer with fair and good judgment. Finesse always wins over force. You can be tough and be fair with the treatment of a spoiled and ill-mannered horse. Common sense and good results are what you look for in a trainer.
   Also, be clear and break down the issue you have with your horse. Is it problems with ground manners? Ground manners directly relate to problems in the saddle. If your horse does not lead properly and be respectful of your space on the ground, then this directly translates to bad behavior while riding. Participation… is your horse willing and responsive to your commands? And, can you fine tune your commands into lightness of the request?
5. Trainer’s reputation and does your horse’s quality match the trainer? Word of mouth is your best type of recommendation. Fancy advertisements do not completely tell the story and characteristics of a trainer’s ability. Make sure you evaluate you horse honestly. Be sure that it has the quality to be recognized by the intended trainer. A trainer should be excited and interested in training your horse.
6. Communication: Be clear and set a time period for training. Preferably, 90 days. That way your trainer has a time structure to complete the training goal. Check regularly – verbally or in person, on the progress. I recommend ‘in person’ at regular intervals to monitor progress.
7. Finish with lessons for you and your horse: Be sure you have the tools to communicate with your horse, once your trainer has reached the training goal.

Remember that training should be a positive and growing experience in the partnership with your horse!

Jackie Brittain

Merriewold Morgans, Horse Trainer

At three months, your foal should be easy to handle and enjoyable.  Grooming is the best part of this work and will instill a life long partnership.  Simple tasks of cleaning the face are important.

Using a clean towel, wipe gently around the eyes and extremely softly around the nostrils.  Take care to move slowly around the face – moving only from the side and from below the eyes.

Also, use a finger and open the mouth from the side.  This will make acceptance of paste-worming and eventually the bit simpler.  It’s also good to look at the teeth to see if the bite is even.

Foot care is of the utmost importance to your foal’s correct growth. It is the one opportunity you have before joints become closed.  Your farrier should trim your foal as often as you trim the dam and if there is corrective trimming to be done, it may be necessary to do it on a three week schedule.

The corrective trimming may only involve a slight rasping of the inside, or outside, to correct a deviation in straightness.  This can go a long way to making a difference in the final growth outcome.

Touch is your best training at this point.  Make sure you can touch your foal gently around the ears and even rub them a bit with you fingers.  This is something foals recognize as soothing and can be a calming aid later in breaking.

Also, lift your foal’s tail.  It should be soft and relaxed. If there is tension in the tail, just wait and gently hold, until the foal’s tail relaxes.  This is a good exercise in relaxation and a good indication of the foal’s temperament.

Leading should be nicely advanced at this point and it should be easier to connect with your foal with body language.

Consistency is the key to a smooth relationship with your foal.  Introduce your foal to different people and their reaction may surprise you!

Jackie Brittain
Merriewold Morgans Trainer

Training should begin at foaling. The young foal is very easy to handle and you can instill a trusting relationship from the start. Working with foals is more for building confidence and only working for short periods of time.

The biggest caution in this procedure is to be in control of the mare when working with the foal. Mares in nature have very protective urges due to hormonal changes. You may think you know your mare but she can be very aggressive at this time.

Make your introduction to your foal gently and use their curiosity to your advantage. Once you can touch your foal and stroke it, as if you were lightly brushing, and move close to its side putting your right arm over its back and around its neck. You are in position to go for you first walk with your foal.

Have the mare led and stay close to her with the foal and off you go on your walk. It is very easy to bond with your foal during this exercise and it is important to stay calm and close to the foal in a reassuring manner.

This is a great lesson and expand the touch and stroking to down the legs and lift the legs as if to clean their hooves. You can also start with putting on a halter (preferably leather foal halter). Again stand next to you foals shoulder with your right arm over the back and around the neck.

Next bring the halter under the neck and up to the head placing the noseband from underneath the chin so as not to scare the foal. Going straight to the face from the front is quite frightening. The main lesson is to build confidence and trust by repeating your movements consistently and quietly and above all for very short sessions!

Jackie Brittain
Merriewold Morgans Trainer