# Training tips for a new Dutch Warmblood horse (very green)



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

You bought a pricey green horse, so what are your plans for him? We can't help you much without knowing what discipline you're trying to persue, though my first piece of advice would be to get a trainer. Even the best riders work with coaches, and if you're serious about bringing this horse along up through the levels of riding you'll need an instructor to help you out.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Do you have a coach?
My first horse was a green TB mare when I was 11. I'm positive the only reason I lived through it and didn't ruin her was 100% due to my instructor.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Agree, get a coach. 
Take your time don't rush I to anything. I got my first horse who was. 6 year old paint mare and green as a lime when I was 10! With the right help, paitaince and positive based work you should have a nice horse. Remember it takes a full year to really get to know any new horse and get a bind going strong. He's young and a warmblood. Make sure you attacking your in charge and keep things simple. Never stop with the basic ground work. Doing stretches with treats will help him keep his body loose, take him on trail walks to get him out and about. 

We will be able to better help guide your start with him with we had more information. What has he already done. What do you want to do with him. What type of place do you have him at, barn with arena? Pictures of him will help for sure and one question, you did get a PPE right?

Good luck and have fun and hope to see many pictures of him soon!!!
What's his name?!??!


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## HippoLogic (Mar 9, 2012)

Hmm, if a Dutch warmblood is already 8 years old AND green I can hear some alarmbells go off! I would defenitely start with a lot of groundwork, work-in-hand, long reining etc.


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## Ashsunnyeventer (Aug 17, 2012)

I'm 14 (riding for 8 years- like you) and just bought a 4yo TB mare- chesnut I might add. I know what you mean when you say people don't think you have enough experience to train a horse... I have weekly lessons with my trainer, but I'm doing all of the work myself. My mare was a nervous wreck when we got her 3 weeks ago and so for a week and a half I just lunged her around different parts of the farm to get her used to it. I also started clicker training her to gain her trust, and I found out that she is super smart! 

Any advice you get about what to do when you're riding really depends on what he's scared of and how he reacts to it. I acn tell you that respect in the saddle starts with respect on the ground, so be firm in making him behave as far as ground manners go. I am not a huge fan of Parelli (I don't diagree with it, but it's just not my thing), but there is something that they do with ropes and bending(not sire what it's called) and I think that is a great exersize... Here's a video because it's kind of hard to explain. The thing I'm talking about starts at around 7 minutes 



I like to do that with my horses because it teaches them about bending and giving to pressure which made riding my mare a lot easier


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Wow you are a lucky girl, getting a $10,000 Dutch at 13 years old. I was still riding my scrubby little welsh mare around at Pony Club and after having ridden since I was 4 years old, I finally managed to get enough money together to purchase two well bred, good quality hanoverian geldings in my 20's. 
I hope you are VERY nice to your parents!!!!

In regards to training, well, as you said, you are experienced enough to train him - so shouldn't you know what you need to do? 

Go and get yourself a good coach to guide you through. That is too expensive a horse to go diving in blindly. Your question is far to broad to be answered on a message board, you need someone on the ground to help you, if you were truely experienced enough ot do this alone, your questions would be very specific to a certain aspect of training.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

No 13 year old is experienced enough to train any horse on their own. Period - full stop, finito done and dusted.
Eight years is nothing in learning about horses and as you have an older and no doubt very sensible horse those years of riding have taught you a lot but not how to train a green horse.

In my book you would probably be an advanced novice or starter intermediate rider, as I said, eight years is _nothing._


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Good post, Foxhunter. She needs a qualified instructor, period 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Being in my early 20s and having been riding/training my entire life I finally got my first horse - an unbroke Canadian. I quickly realized how much I didn't know. I, like you, was determined to do it all myself. Due to that my horse's progress has been Very slow - but honestly my education about horses and training has progressed in leaps and bounds. 

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn how to train a horse. Take the opportunity, do it all yourself, *But!!* Have help! No one is too good for help. Have a trainer tell you and explain to you how to train this horse, don't just obey their orders blindly, research every step of the training project and find out Every option of how to train each step and decide each step which sounds right for you and your horse. This way you learn a number of training styles and will know how to handle similar situations. This way you'll also not have to fear of making mistakes you need to spend months un-training. This way you can be a well rounded future trainer.

You're a very lucky girl to have this opportunity so young, use it to your advantage.

Also AshSunnyEventer: Major props for trying clicker training, I've just started learning about it with my pony - we'll see how it goes


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## Ashsunnyeventer (Aug 17, 2012)

I found that clicker training wasn't hard to teach at all. My 15 year old TB who is a super slow learner (you literally have to re-teach him things every time you ride because he forgets) figured out what the click meant in less then a week and then I also used a target. Whenever he touched the target I clicked and he got a treat  This is super helpful to teach other tricks too.. Good luck with your pony PunksTank


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## HippoLogic (Mar 9, 2012)

finn113 said:


> I am 13 years old, which I know this thread is going to have a lot of *contraversy* over my age but.....


Is this real? TS only has 1 post, and has not reacted. She seems to know what she is doing (see bold word in post).:hide:


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

why is an 8yo very green ?


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## Schulzs89 (Jul 10, 2012)

Get an instructor coach to work with you. If this is the first or second horse you are training then you will need guidance if you want a good end result. You will probably still be doing most of the work but you need guidance if you have to ask. And it has nothing to do with your age, a forty year old with e years riding experience would still need help, because riding broke horses and training green horses are two different things  best of luck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

HippoLogic said:


> Is this real? TS only has 1 post, and has not reacted. She seems to know what she is doing (see bold word in post).:hide:


I don't understand what this post means, What does TS mean? And I'm not sure whether you are trying to insult me, or compliment me? And yes I know I spelled the word in bold wrong, I forgot about it.
Sorry if I took this the wrong way, but I don't understand what you're saying :shock::-(


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

Thank you to everyone who posted a reply!
Ok I understand that I didn't ask a very specific question, but I will answer all of your questions. 
1. Yes I have an instructor, I may have 8 years of experience but I 100% agree that that is not nearly enough experience to train Finn, I'm going to have multiple training rides, and lessons with him soo00 yes, I do have help.
2. I'm a hunter jumper so therefore I'm..... improving Finns ability to jump. I understand that I didn't put near enough information in my thread, but Finn has wonderful gaits, and can jump beautifully! What I mean by "green" for Finn is that he has the stereotypical green aspects to him such as: can get fast, so I have to do small checks with him, but not jerky checks, more just like pulling back and then when he slows and becomes relaxed I release and as a reward give him his head. He also, just as any green horse does, gets destracted, so I was taught to shift in your seat, or lightly jiggle the reins so he knows we are going to do something next, and to get his attention. Lastly, and probably the most common green characteristic: curling under the bit. This is probably the biggest problem but can easily be fixed with the proper training and time. For now, depending on what gait I'm in, I will lightly raise both my hands up so he will raise his head up. That the basic concept of what I do, I know that it gets a little bit more complex than that, but that's just what I'm working on at the moment.
3. He is going to be boarded at the barn I ride at, it has a huge outdoor jumping arena and 4 pastures I believe. 
4. If you would like to see a video of him go to youtube and type in: t1mmycak3s finnagin and it should come up, if not then just type t1mmycak3s and go to my channel and I have all my videos at the bottom and finnagin will be there along with some other videos of me riding other horses, but those are older and I have gotten a lot better since then.
5. I will be riding 3 to 5 times a week which includes: lessons,and individual riding, and I will also be paying for 1 to 2 training rides a week.
6. The reason for this thread was just for getting some suggestions on different excersises on and off the ground that you think I should consider or try.

I'm sorry if I came across as immature and unexperienced, I was kind of in a rush when I posted the thread, and I forgot to post some VERY important information that I hopefully have answered above. Thank you for taking time to read and reply to my posts and thread. Any other questions regarding myself or Finn I will be more than happy to answer. Thank you again!


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

Foxhunter said:


> No 13 year old is experienced enough to train any horse on their own. Period - full stop, finito done and dusted.
> Eight years is nothing in learning about horses and as you have an older and no doubt very sensible horse those years of riding have taught you a lot but not how to train a green horse.
> 
> In my book you would probably be an advanced novice or starter intermediate rider, as I said, eight years is _nothing._


I 100% agree with you that 8 years of riding is nothing, but I am only 13, so for 13 years old I think 8 years of riding is pretty good, but I do have help. If you read my lastest post for this thread then there should be quite an amount of extra information that wasn't in my original thread.


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## Ashsunnyeventer (Aug 17, 2012)

My mare avoids contact just like yours- by curling under. I try to avoid pulling up with both hands because I was taught that using both hands for a command just gets you fighting with the horse. I learned that on my older gelding, who pulls soooo much so it might not be the same for your horse. What I usually do is just do a little half halt or upward half halt with my outside rein- also I put more leg on when I do this and she stops.


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

Ashsunnyeventer said:


> My mare avoids contact just like yours- by curling under. I try to avoid pulling up with both hands because I was taught that using both hands for a command just gets you fighting with the horse. I learned that on my older gelding, who pulls soooo much so it might not be the same for your horse. What I usually do is just do a little half halt or upward half halt with my outside rein- also I put more leg on when I do this and she stops.


Thanks for the tip! Finnagin isn't much of a puller so that's just what his owner told me to do. lol But I will definitely try this. Also, since you seem like a nice, but informative person, could you check out my other thread "how to teach an unexperienced horse to lunge" and by unexperienced I mean unexperienced when it comes to lunging. You could really help, especially since I know where to start and kinda what to do, but I thought some helpful suggestions, and opinions from professionals couldn't hurt


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

As for curling under the bit - I find a number of horses do this when there is too much contact - if he's young and has a soft mouth to have constant nagging contact to him means keep bending because you're not releasing pressure. He sounds like he's trying to do the right thing. Encourage him to stretch out into the bit by making them a bit longer and jiggling them gently, get him to ride into his bridle. Ride him more from your seat picking him up and pushing him into his bridle rather than pulling his head up and forcing him to curl up more. 

Could you post some pics of him doing this? I think I'm referring to the correct thing, when you say curling his head in do you mean going behind the vertical, right?


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

PunksTank said:


> As for curling under the bit - I find a number of horses do this when there is too much contact - if he's young and has a soft mouth to have constant nagging contact to him means keep bending because you're not releasing pressure. He sounds like he's trying to do the right thing. Encourage him to stretch out into the bit by making them a bit longer and jiggling them gently, get him to ride into his bridle. Ride him more from your seat picking him up and pushing him into his bridle rather than pulling his head up and forcing him to curl up more.
> 
> Could you post some pics of him doing this? I think I'm referring to the correct thing, when you say curling his head in do you mean going behind the vertical, right?


Ummm.... I can't post any pictures because like I said, I'm not 100% sure I've gotten him yet. And I'm not sure I was pulling on him, because his owner said that when he does that she just gently pulls his up not yanks it up, and so I did what she told me and she said I did it right. And since I'm only 13 I do have 8 years of experience but I've never had to deal with a really green horse, but I like a challenge..anyway I have no idea what you mean by going behind the vertical. And I can't post any pics of him because I'm in a different state until the end of the summer :/ but if you go to youtube and type in t1mmycak3s finnagin it should come up, but only on a computer it won't work on an ipad or iphone. He might have been doing it there but I'm not sure, I haven't really looked at it for a while. Sorry


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

I just want to clarify that when I talked about Finn curling under the bit, and I said that I raised my hands lightly to pull his head up lightly, that doesn't mean I yanked his head up. His owner told me that when he starts curling under just to raise both hands up a little and keep them up or just raise one at a time, and that's what I did and she said I did correctly. I don't want to have people under the impression that I yank his head up, because I don't. Just wanted to clear that up.  Thank you to everyone who replied!!!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I'll just pop my head back in and reiterate that you really need to find yourself a trainer. Your posts show your lack of experience which is understandable being only 13 years of age. 
Get a good coach to teach you what to do. Behind the vertical is quite a simple concept, plainly, the horse ducks behind the contact of the bit, so that instead of his head being just in front of 90 degrees to the ground, it is behind 90 degrees, hence the curling neck. 
This is something that is highly undesirable, as the horse's training progresses this will increase in severity unless something is done to resolve it early. 

A trainer will be able to do this with you.


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

Kayty said:


> I'll just pop my head back in and reiterate that you really need to find yourself a trainer. Your posts show your lack of experience which is understandable being only 13 years of age.
> Get a good coach to teach you what to do. Behind the vertical is quite a simple concept, plainly, the horse ducks behind the contact of the bit, so that instead of his head being just in front of 90 degrees to the ground, it is behind 90 degrees, hence the curling neck.
> This is something that is highly undesirable, as the horse's training progresses this will increase in severity unless something is done to resolve it early.
> 
> A trainer will be able to do this with you.


Thank you for your comment. And yes, I do have a trainer


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

In that case, can you not ask your trainer for help?
As I said in my first response, this question is far too broad to gain assistance with on an online forum, particularly when we are unable to see what exactly is going on with this horse.


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

Kayty said:


> In that case, can you not ask your trainer for help?
> As I said in my first response, this question is far too broad to gain assistance with on an online forum, particularly when we are unable to see what exactly is going on with this horse.


 yes i was planning to have her help. i just can't right now because i am in a different state until the end of the summer :/ but i am going to definitely have her help, im going to board him at my barn where i take regular lessons and im going to ride 3-5 times which includes lessons, training rides, and individual riding. But im probably going to start out with ground work which is why im going to do some lungeing(which I looked up the spelling and it can be spelled longeing or lungeing...weird but whatever lol) exercises (with my instructors guidance) to gain his trust,patience,stability,flexibility,ground manners, ect.... So yes I am planning to have my trainers help through every step of the way.


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

Thanks to everyone who replied!!!


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## Amore (Jul 12, 2012)

At 12 I purchased a 4yo Dutch warmblood gelding. I never had any issues training him, but I did have a weekly lesson with my instructor and he often went of for training with professionals. One exercise that really helped him was: beginning on 20m circle then slowly leg yielding him onto a 5m circle.  good luck!


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## Ashsunnyeventer (Aug 17, 2012)

What Amore said, but then you can also start at a 5m circle and leg yield into a 20m circle. When you get good at that, try counter bending and it gets harder.


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

thank you, I will definitely try those


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I'm just going to chime in and say that spiraling in and out on a circle is a great exercise to improve bend and flexibility, but you must be sure your horse has good balance before asking him to maintain a gait on that small of a circle. I recently read something from an ancient Practical Horseman that said that the difference between a 20m circle and a 10m circle doesn't require a lot more strength, just a lot of balance.


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## finn113 (Aug 21, 2012)

equiniphile said:


> I'm just going to chime in and say that spiraling in and out on a circle is a great exercise to improve bend and flexibility, but you must be sure your horse has good balance before asking him to maintain a gait on that small of a circle. I recently read something from an ancient Practical Horseman that said that the difference between a 20m circle and a 10m circle doesn't require a lot more strength, just a lot of balance.


Ok, thanks for the tip


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