Colton's Training Plan

Here's my list of things to do with Colton in the near future. This is mainly just to keep me on track as a reminder of what I'm supposed to be doing, since I did start this blog as a training journal.

He's been pretty good lately. I haven't done a whole lot with him yet, but he's fine with me tossing a saddle blanket all over him, putting pressure around his middle as if he was wearing a girth and getting rubbed with a plastic bag. He's learned to yeild his hind quarters and shoulders to me as well as drop his head to pressure on the poll. He is leading well, still somewhat uncomfortable with trotting next to me, but it's coming along.

• Worming: practice with applesauce and syringe
• Need new rope halter (in blue!)
• Put surcingle on him
• Continue to work on lowering head command
• Bridling: practice putting bridle on and reward for it
• Once comfortable with the bridle, work on bending and giving to the bit in hand
• Round pen/Lungeing (need to pull weeds out of round pen!)
• Play with throwing on saddle
• Getting him comfortable with me jumping off & on bareback
• Even more desensitizing

Then what comes next is riding! I'd also like to teach him to ground drive and I plan on asking my aunt if she has a smaller sized harness (not a draft one!) and possibly a 2-wheeled cart that I can use to start him on driving. Fun, fun, fun. Have I mentioned that I love starting young horses? I love it :)