Teaching your horse to stand tied is an invaluable skill. Whether they are tied in their stall, to a fence, in cross ties, or from a hanging rope/patience pole - they should be able to quietly stand wherever you put them. I tie my horses up pretty much every day, whether they are being worked or not. It is a great way to get in a “training” session even if you don’t have time to ride them that day. So even if it’s just for 15-20 minutes while you do barn chores, make sure your horse is spending some time tied.
For me, a big part of a horse getting broke is being able to ride them off of my feet. This is something that take consistency over many training sessions (think months & years) to perfect. Whether the horse is young & just starting out or older but hasn’t been trained off of your feet, I start them out the same way. First, I just want them to understand that if I squeeze my calves that means to come back to me. In the beginning it may take more than a calf squeeze, you will probably use your feet/spurs to squeeze and then pull them to a stop with your hands. After repeating this exercise several times, your horse may start to slow down or even stop when you come in with your feet. As the horse progresses, I begin to get lighter with my cues while still expecting the same result. Now, this doesn’t mean that every time I close my legs I want my horse to stop, but they are starting to understand the concept of bringing their body back to me when I cue them with my legs. This is just the very beginning of their understanding of how to ride more off my leg cues, rather than everything coming from my hands.
I often get asked when is the right time to move a green horse to a different bridle or training aid. While this can be a tricky question, it really comes down to knowing your horse. Getting them comfortable at each stage of training can take a varying amount of time depending on the horse and sometimes it takes some trial and error to find out what they are ready for. In this video, I talk a bit about stepping your green horse up into a leverage bit for the first time from a snaffle. The first time I use a bit with leverage, I will usually start with something that is pretty mild so it isn’t too intimidating for them. I really like this “baby correction” that is shown in this video. It is very light weight, has a low port, and short shank so it is pretty soft on their mouth. The first time you put a leverage bit on your horse they will be introduced to new pressure points that the snaffle does not touch- the chin & the pole. It may take them a little bit of time to get used to this new feeling, so make sure to be patient and forgiving for the first couple rides. You will find out quickly if this is a transition that your horse is ready for- but more than likely if you have taught them how to be soft & accepting of pressure in a snaffle, then this shouldn’t be too big of a step for them. You might even find out that they like the correction better than a snaffle, so don’t be afraid to play around with bits to see what your horse likes best.