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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
 
Location: Durango CO | How do you guys start your Colts with no round pen? I have a 100×125 arena. I love round pens because I like the security and control. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Clinton Anderson has this detailed in his colt breaking dvd that I think would serve the best. Having said that, I would buy a round pen, it is so much easier and safer.
Edited by Tdove 2016-06-22 4:34 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 111
| I've only ever had a round pen to start one colt.
I don't have an arena right now either. I either just use a big pen for the first few rides and then haul to an enclosed local arena. It's much easier with a round pen, but it can be done without.
I'd say the key is having your colt totally broke to ground work and having them good to haul and tie, and then it makes it all a lot easier. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
 
| I pony them off of another horse for awhile, in an arena. Eventually, I get the guts to tell him to hand me the leadrope. I still want an outrider for awhile until I have enough confidence in the colt. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
Location: Loco,Ok | Square pen works fine.Used them for yesrs Drove colts and rode them.No problems |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I did it for a couple of years. The roundpen is certainly easier, only in that it's less ground to cover for you, but it can be done.
Nothing changed with my ground work, it's just all done on a lunge line obviously. The first time saddled, I unclipped the lead rope and just turned them loose in the arena. Ran them around a little bit, let them get the silliness out, then lead rope goes back on from there on out, continue forward with ground work. First ride I always had someone there helping me, but I still do that even with the roundpen.
I think my biggest struggle was always in that first few days of ground work. Teaching them to respect the pressure of the lead rope, even when in motion. Once they have it down pat that their perimeter is the end of that rope it got easier. That's something they never have to learn in a roundpen, where there's a tangible perimeter. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | BamaCanChaser - 2016-06-22 3:52 PM I did it for a couple of years. The roundpen is certainly easier, only in that it's less ground to cover for you, but it can be done. Nothing changed with my ground work, it's just all done on a lunge line obviously. The first time saddled, I unclipped the lead rope and just turned them loose in the arena. Ran them around a little bit, let them get the silliness out, then lead rope goes back on from there on out, continue forward with ground work. First ride I always had someone there helping me, but I still do that even with the roundpen. I think my biggest struggle was always in that first few days of ground work. Teaching them to respect the pressure of the lead rope, even when in motion. Once they have it down pat that their perimeter is the end of that rope it got easier. That's something they never have to learn in a roundpen, where there's a tangible perimeter.
Very good point. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | I started my current 3 with no round pen, a worked up area out in the pasture...just did a lot more ground work first as far as giving to pressure, forehand and rearhand pivots from the ground. Also ponied them with me on rides down the creek at first with a bareback pad then saddled. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Back in my younger days I didnt have a round pen, just got them broke to respect you on the ground, then saddle broke them, drove them for awhile, lunge them to help with leads, pony off another horse for a few weeks, then start putting weight in stirrup for a few days, step up on them in a easy way do this for a few days, then I would have someone pony me for a few more days more, if I didnt have someone to pony me I would use my good broke horse to help me with my babys. I didnt have the use of round pens so would just use my bigger pens for their first rides. I had lots of open fields to ride my babys in. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | Thanks everyone! Without an arena do you find they have more forward motion to them? I hypothesize that it would and that cld be a benefit. |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| I have never had the luxury of starting one in a round pen. But, it has never really been an issue either. I just get more of a work out running around all over the place.
Anyways, I do a lot of lunging for respect, work on touching the horse everywhere. When the horse pulls on me on the line I try (key word try as it is a good work out and I am not as smooth as I wish I was) to run up and get the horse to cross up under themselves (get the inside leg to cross over the opposite leg), then change direction. This helps with rhythm, control, balance, and respect. I normally work my 3 year old first with the saddle then let her stand tied with a bridle on over her training halter while I work the others. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I've started a few without a round pen, its not as nice but they do end up more respectful to your lead rope or lunge line because they just plain have to. I had a colt that was super flighty and I was a bit worried about so I actually put his first few rides on him in an oversized roping box at our local arena, I just swung a panel shut in front of the heel side which was pretty big and did it there. When you really do need an enclosed space you find yourself getting very creative. |
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| Lil_Pony35 - 2016-06-22 2:49 PM
How do you guys start your Colts with no round pen? I have a 100×125 arena. I love round pens because I like the security and control.
You have more than I ever had growing up and spent 50 years without a round pen after growing up. ... glad you were honest with your comment ... most people would not admit to their lack of confidence ... while training their horse to be fence dependent ...
The trick is to keep your shoulder while facing the direction horse is going .. between horses shoulder and flank area ... there is almost no stopping one if you get out of position and horse runs straight away from you .. got it?? lol
If you are worried about a colt running to a square corner, freezing up and going into a hysterical panic ..... put you a panel across each corner of your arena or build your next pen with angled corners.
You have a very good place to teach and break it to ride ... there is too much dependency on a round pen by people that feel safer inside a small space ..
WITHOUT A ROUND PEN
First you have to gentle down the colt to where he does not object to anything you do .. if you have a crazy one ... be crazier than they are .. shout, scream, dance up and down, run at them etc all while keeping them within 15 feet and teaching them to give to face pressure with the rope attached to a halter while wearing your training bit to get used to it in their mouth .. they learn quickly there is no pain nor intention of hurting them ..
Introduce them to being saddled and wearing a saddle with both cinches in proper positions as early as possible .. not wearing a saddle is a waste of time since you have to go thru everything again if you wait till later to saddle one.
I used a worn out lariat to allow room for any antic me or my colt wanted to do to each other.
Including rope broke which is tossing a soft rope all over and around him, twirling the end while standing and throwing it around him... never whip one with any type of rope you are using for training or lead ropes .. .. move him and do it all over again on both sides until he ignores you ..if he is cranky .. back that sonofagun to Dallas and back.... you don't care which direction just back him up ......backing straight will be demanded later on .... at breaking time this was just a refresher from being halter and rope broke the year before.
Once you get them settled in ... and giving to halter pressure .. keep in mind this colt has been carrying a bit in their mouth while training and standing tied while you train another or work around the barn for hours while wearing a saddle too .. replace rope with a driving rein to one side of bit and make sure you have a bit hobble on the bit so you don't seesaw it in and out of his mouth ...
Now is the time to teach him a one rein stop or turnaround .. no hurry let him figure it out as you move and flutter which ever driving rein is the direction to go ..
Backing up is totally foreign to a horse.. leave the halter on ... it has to be taught by his rider while on the ground with driving reins to give to his mouth vs the bridge of his nose using a halter. I have kept both rope and reins on to alternate with if colt is hard headed. .. When switching to using the bit for ground commands .. soft hands and learning not to pull but to flutter your fingers to get the action you are wanting... includes backing up to giving head to pressure and not have a runaway or a stargazer.
Shake rattle and roll the saddle after saddling, slap it, bang the stirrups and then do the same crazy things while saddling him ... .. just keep the saddle in place .. never let him know he can unsaddle himself .. lol
Once he is saddle and ground calm ... time for the snubbing horse ... mount up as if you are not expecting trouble to let him see you in the saddle and takeoff across the pasture .. everywhere colt wants to go .. you ask him to go the other direction or do turnarounds if he gets rowdy and strung out .. just keep moving in bigger or smaller circles .. if you stop he will try to crawl into the saddle with you .. lol
First part of mounting is to get him used to seeing you above himself ... a good solid snubbing horse is a handy thing to have ... now you do what you did on the ground .. slap, bang, shake rattle and roll his saddle... use feet hands and work him to take the fresh off ... now put foot in saddle seat and put some weight on him ... do same in a stirrup. ...
Part of first mounting is to get him used to your body weight... I don't care where you are in the pasture get off snubbing horse and keep a couple of turns around the horn .. now work your weight in both stirrups ... jump up and lay on saddle .. you can even slide feet across his rump and end up laying while hanging on the other side ... just aggravate the crap out of him on both sides by position the snubbing horse .. you can even ease over and sit on the colt ... lol
Now ride in 20 directions back to the barn ponying colt on both sides of your snubbing horse ... with intention of tiring colt for his first solo mounting ...
Take your time but be confident and no pussyfooting around ... always expect your horse to accept what you are doing ... if you think he is going to buck ... he will ... main item is keep him from ducking his head ... keeping a normal head area/position does not require you to nag at him ... by having a death grip on the reins .. lol
You are the trainer so decide how many times you need to do the things above before moving on to the next phase ..
again.. use common sense .. no nagging on one item ... if horse knows how to do three things and the 3rd is sloppy ... do 1-2-3 and move on to 4 ... you can repeat all 4 as a session several times and watch colt get better each time and then add #5 ... by repeating 1 thru 5-6-7-8-9-10 things as a session everyone gets better at each one ...
Each day do all 5 or 10 items in the same order so horse will settle into a routine .. like riding a greeny .. stop in the same place and let him anticipate it .. you will teach him different in the future ...
ONE THING IS A MUST ... on any horse except a bulldogger ... teach your horse to stop on voice and rein and weight position .. once he gets decent at it ... start teaching him to stop like a calf roping horse .. when he feels weight in either stirrup and voice command and less to no weight in seat of saddle .. teach him to stop and even get off of him and relax for awhile ... mount up and repeat this anywhere and anytime .......... this may save your life if you get hung up in a stirrup etc etc ...
FYI: Even though I now have a round pen ... I never let one free style in the pen .. they always have a longe' line on and once they give to the head ... I take them out in the pasture to work them in both directions etc etc.... TRAINING WITH NO ROUND PEN works when you are at an event and want to loosen him up and no round pen is available ........... hand, body language and a soft direct command should get you the right responses .... you can tell the caliber of trainer by the shouting and screaming going on .... not necessary ... horse can see and hear a 100 times better than a human ... lol
HAVE FUN WITH THIS poor boy way of doing things ... broke a lot of tuff cold backed/sided, natural buckers .... hancock, drifter and waggoner ranch horses this way and am still alive ... gimpy but still alive .. lol ...
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| ok i am totally different we started them in the mud of creeks or rivers and ponds ponyied down double then slip over on them after a couple days the worst was over
course this was 50 years ago but i still would do that way |
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