06/05/2026
I've been asked to do a post about handling young horses, so this is my take on it.
Generally, they arrive one of two ways:
• Overconfident, defiant, over-desensitised, disrespectful, over-handled without boundaries.
Or:
• Lacking confidence, super sensitive, reserved, afraid, and under-handled.
If I had to choose between the two, I’ll choose the under-handled horse — and this is why. 👇
When a horse has had minimal handling, they are like a blank piece of paper. I am able to write the script on how they perceive life and create a black-and-white understanding with minimal pressure. The reason for this is because they have zero preconceived idea of what pressure means.
This is how confidence is created:
Consistently getting the answer right.
Boundaries are set, leadership is accepted with next to zero resistance. Move their feet a little, teach them to yield to pressure, and boom — they are like butter.
But why is that?
Because they are biologically wired to fit into a herd hierarchy, and you are simulating exactly what a herd leader would do in the wild. A young horse does not influence the decisions of the herd.
So let’s talk about the opposite.
When a horse has been handled incorrectly, it creates a false sense of herd dynamics. Every time they push into you, encroach on your space, or you move for them, you are telling them they are the leader of the herd.
It’s like letting a child make major decisions in your family. They have no life experience, so why would you allow that?
Now the other aspect of this is over-desensitisation.
When horses have been taught to ignore pressure, the amount required to create a response becomes exponentially higher. And remember — you cannot quit the exercise until you get a response, or you are simply confirming to them that pressure means nothing.
The reason this is worse is because the amount of pressure and abruptness required for a response can also trigger fear.
This entire process reduces confidence because they are constantly getting it wrong… until it’s right.
I spent the last week with this cute little 7month old filly. All up, probably 1.5hrs of training total. She was completely unhandled. This was my process:
1. Desensitise her to my presence.
Get as close as possible without her moving, and simply stand there until she regulated. Then leave her alone for a while and repeat it. After 4–5 repetitions, it went from 10 metres away to about half a metre that she could tolerate.
2. Rope her and desensitise her to my touch.
The reason for roping her was so I could add light pressure when she wanted to leave. This allowed me to release her back to me.
3. Slip on a halter and ask her to move her front feet, then ask her to step forward.
4. Teach her to yield her hindquarters and forequarters.
5. Teach her to regulate with a little sound and more touch over her body.
6. Teach her to catch me.
With each session and progression, a previous step was removed until it got down to the final three.
The final three are where your 2-year-old should be when it is sent away to be started:
• Yields from pressure
• Understands how to regulate with low stimulus
• Wants to catch you
Give me your thoughts 👇 I love this little filly.
