Franklin Levinson's
Horse Help Center
Professional support for you and your horse!
Handling Stud Colts Under Saddle
Hi Franklin,
Please help. I feel that I am good working with horses. Kind but demand respect. I owned a 5 y/o stud last year and made it just fine, but got an offer I couldn't refuse on him, so now I've got a stud colt I've raised since a weanling and he's now comming two. He knows his manners, but this spring his hormones have really kicked in (which I've expected). I've started riding him in the round pen and he does good, but the thing I'm concerned with is when we get around other horses. I want him to keep his attention on me and not blow me off when we see other horses. I also want this on the ground as well. I don't plan to breed him this year so to keep his priorities straight. Also is there a way to keep the nickers to a minimum???
Thank you very much. ~Heather~
Hi Heather,
Get great with him on the ground skills. Do a lot more on the ground than you think you need to. The more playing successfully on the ground the better. Get very good at hind-quarter and shoulder out (front end) yields in particular. When riding emphasize leg yields with a lot of reward for the horse trying to comply. As he may not understand it all quickly, rewarding his every little effort is essential. Once he gets very good at leg yields, especially the hind quarter and shoulder yields you can use these 'tools' to keep his attention back on you the instant he gets distracted. Let me know how it all goes and good luck.
Sincerely, Franklin