The First Three Months of Training

Here’s what Stacy Westfall recommends in terms of the total amount of time that should be dedicated to each step of training during those critical first three months:

1. Weeks one, two and three: A total of 15 to 20 hours of general groundwork.
2. Weeks four and five: Another 10 to 15 hours of working on introducing the bit, bridle and saddle, and continuing the general groundwork and ground-driving.
3. Week six: Five more hours of reviewing groundwork and beginning to get on and off, and then ride for a few minutes at a time.
4. Weeks seven through 12: These weeks involve a combination of reviewing everything learned so far. Initially, hour-long sessions may include five minutes of riding time, with the rest of the session focused on groundwork. Gradually, that changes to more time in the saddle and less time spent reviewing groundwork.

Back to Groundwork for Young Horses.