Colt Starting Series; Step 1

Posted in: Featured, Horse Training

Colt starting is the first step in any horse’s journey. Whether you are working with a two year old or an untouched five year old horse there are always a few basics I like to follow with starting a colt. I will begin by saying there is no “ONE WAY” to get a colt started under saddle, this is simply my process and I hope you can take what you love and apply it to your program and leave what doesn’t fit for you. 

Step one: ground work.

GROUND WORK, GROUND WORK, GROUND WORK. There is nothing negative I can say about working a colt in the round pen or simply in a halter and lead rope. This is always my first move with a new colt. We have a round pen set up for all our colts, but I will talk you through not having a round pen or even some other set ups I have loved from other trainers.

Round pen. The set up I prefer is very simple, a large round pen, decent ground, lead rope, halter and a flag. Let’s assume the colt you are working with is already halter broke, which makes these first few steps even easier! Starting with a loose colt, I like to move the colt around me in a few circles, using the flag and getting a feel for what type of horse this will be. Is the colt looking towards me? Is he putting his butt towards me? Running with his nose to the outside of the pen? Nickering for some friends or focusing on me? Is the colt running laps with ease or does he need to be pushed? All these ideas can be observed very quickly and tell you how to proceed with training.  The goal by the end of this session is to get the colt entirely focused on and respecting you as the trainer and starting to “face up.”

To have a colt face up to you, means the colt willingly turns his head in towards and even will come into the center with you, following your lead. Very much so like a dance; as you move your feet your colt should mimic, coming towards you when you walk away and leaving your space when asked. This is something I will work on until the colt is very hooked on, making it easy to catch the colt and start working on other maneuvers and softness. If your colt is really resisting you, I like to keep their feet moving and keep switching directions of movement. The only release should come when they face into you. Also, I never let the colt bring his butt towards you, even when switching directions. Always step in front of the colt’s shoulders and push that eye away from you so that he always moves his front feet in and then switches direction. This will encourage them facing up and hooking on. If they do happen to put their butt towards you, make them work. I immediately would draw them towards me and switch the direction back and forth until they consistently are facing in to make that direction change.

If you do not have a round pen, I like to work these same exercises at the end of a long lead line and rope halter, this will help you get a good feel. This is not the most ideal way to work a colt because they may drag you around and you may have to work longer to really make this a soft transition. The other option I have liked is taking a rope and tying it to a rafter in a barn, then attaching a lead line to this rope, high enough the colt won’t ever step on it but long enough to work the colt around you. This forces the colt  to always turn back towards you and is very handy in cases of older horses or really disrespectful horses without being super aggressive or hard on the colt himself. 

After this exercise feels really solid and the colt really wants to be with you, you are ready to move on! I usually let the colt have the rest of day one off and move on the next day. Young colts seem to do better with “mind breaks,” allowing them to soak in all the information being thrown at them; this will benefit you and your colt in the long run! 

Part two coming!

Posted in: Featured, Horse Training


About Anna Foulger

Hey there! My name is Anna Foulger, I am a young mom of soon to be two; a toddler daughter and little boy on the way! Me and my husband ranch in Eastern Montana with his family and we love every minute! My background is in...

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