Develop at His Own Pace

Every horse is different. Don’t let the pressure of getting ready for a particular event cause you to push your horse past what he’s capable of doing.

- BUD LYON, WITH NICHOLE CHIRICO

When it comes to competition, some people purchase prospects with the goal of competing in certain age events with them. For example, the National Reining Horse Association has an event for 3-year-old horses that’s considered to be one of the top reining competitions in the country. So it’s very common for people to look at yearling and 2-year-old prospects with the goal of competing at that event.

However, it’s also important to let your horse develop at his own pace. While he might be showing potential early in his life, it’s never a good idea to try to push him past what he’s physically and mentally capable of doing so you can compete at an event.

Understand Your Horse

Just like people, each horse learns differently. You need to study how your horse reacts to certain things in order to be successful with training him. Does he need more repetition on certain maneuvers? Or does he pick up on stuff quickly and try to take advantage of you? You need to be able to tailor your training program to your horse.