How do you prevent mental overload in a young horse in training?
When a horse comes out of rearing and starts working, it brings a lot of changes. Not only because suddenly everything is expected of him, but also because the circumstances in which the animal lives change. The horse often spends fewer hours in the herd, sometimes in a stall at night, and comes into contact with people and 'strange' situations much more than before.
Behaviour
Magnesium
Stress
Vitamin E
6 October '22 • 4 min reading time
Most people know that in the training of a young horse, you should take it easy to allow the tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints to adapt to the work. Short training sessions and sufficient (active) rest days in between are important to start a horse in work properly.
Mental burden
Training a young horse is not only about physical challenges. There is also a lot happening mentally. It's like a toddler going to school for the first time, they receive a lot of impressions which can be exhausting. The horse often encounters different circumstances, such as standing individually in a box at night. He also encounters various strange situations with people, in an arena, or a lunging circle. It takes energy and time to process all these impressions. A horse can only learn if it has the time to mentally deal with its new life and get enough rest.
What is stressful?
How stressful the training of your young horse is depends on many factors. What is your horse used to? Has he just come out of rearing and literally 'never seen a human before'? Or has he been in a stable every winter, is familiar with the routine there, used to brushing, spraying legs, picking up hooves, and going to the farrier? Just those basic things make a world of difference for your young horse. Additionally, it depends on his character. Some horses handle change more easily than others. You can tell a lot about your horse's mental state from its behavior and facial expression. A horse that is friendly, alert, approaches you, and is curious about new objects is probably not mentally overloaded. A horse that keeps its back to you, has dull eyes, reacts fearfully, holds its head low, or has a poor appetite indicates that it's all a bit too much for him. If in doubt, give it an extra rest day, take a step back in training, and give your horse some extra time for free movement with other horses. Every horse benefits from social behavior and free movement in fresh air.
The perfect balance
Most horses have a great willingness to work with people. It's important to always cherish that. Make sure your horse remains curious and enjoys training. Don't train for too long and don't do the same thing too often. Try to vary, but without overwhelming your horse with constantly new challenges. For the same reason, only ask one question at a time. For example, the question to move forward. Only when that is successful, move on to the next question, such as riding a turn. Don't bombard your horse with a lot of aids at once. Reward your horse as soon as it tries to give the correct answer to your aid or question, with a scratch or with your voice. Try to ignore wrong answers as much as possible and in any case, do not get angry. Only in situations where dangerous situations may arise is it necessary to intervene firmly. Don't do this if your horse doesn't understand you, as it will only lead to fear and stress. Your horse won't learn anything and next time it will be even harder to get the result you want. The horse will shut down and become stressed.
Keep a close eye
Always keep a sharp eye on your young horse's training. Look at your horse closely every day. Does it look tired? Then do something different or nothing. Is the management in order? Does it get enough roughage, free movement, social contact? Does it still enjoy it or should you try something else? Is your horse physically okay? Always keep in mind that tension can also arise from pain. A horse that can relax in its body can also relax mentally. Groundwork can be an important tool in this regard.
Support in challenging times
It is inevitable that there will be moments in your horse's training that are more challenging than average. For example, when a rider mounts the horse for the first time. How well this goes largely depends on the preparation. Only if your horse remains relaxed during all the steps leading up to mounting, can you begin. But even if you have gone through that preparation well and always look closely at your horse, it may be useful to provide some extra support for certain situations. For example, with an herbal supplement against stress. This supplement does not sedate your horse, but can help it cope better with stressful situations. Common herbs that help with stress are, for example, passionflower and chamomile. In addition, make sure that a young horse always receives enough magnesium. This mineral is crucial for muscles, tendons, joints, and the nervous system. Because a young horse is still growing and has to process a lot mentally, its magnesium requirement is often higher. Dutch roughage often lacks sufficient magnesium. Therefore, it is almost always wise to supplement this. Additionally, to support the muscle development of your young horse, if it is not on grass, you can also give it vitamin E.
