Starting two year olds is actually my favorite part of the whole gig. I rarely keep one past their third birthday. Because I'm a nonpro, I can do it a little differently than a professional trainer would...

I usually get my yearlings up during the late summer of their yearling year. All I do is tie them and groom them, then leave them tied while I'm riding the two year old.
As soon as I can, I start saddling them and just letting them soak in the saddle while I'm riding the two year old. Couple weeks of that and I can start putting a little weight in a stirrup. That increases gradually until I can swing a leg over, usually about midfall. Very, very slow program.
For a couple of weeks, I'll get up there and just sit. 'Bout winter, we get in a small pen and have a first ride. First ride rarely lasts more than 3 minutes. With just a halter and lead rope on, I pull them around and get a few steps to the left and a few steps to the right, then get off. Each day progressively increases, but very, very slowly. Takes a long time before I am riding them for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Takes a little while before I am actually riding them for that long. I rarely ever have one give me any trouble this way.
Novelty is often what is frightening for the twos, and there is usually not much of anything novel in this program. All of the introductions to new things in my program are done so slowly and incrementally that the biggest shock to the colt is the day he is saddled. Everything else is pretty much just building a tiny little bit on what we did the day and week before. If he never gets scared, he usually doesn't give me any trouble.

--Jared Melton

We follow a similar program to Jared's. Right now (end of October), the yearlings have all been tied, groomed, clipped and taught ground work in the round pen.



They've felt the weight of a saddle on them, and one of them has actually been round penned under saddle. I've had my weight on them (bareback, lying across their backs while someone holds their heads and if they don't object, leads them a few steps) and this will continue probably until next month or so.



By the end of December, all 3 of them will have had a rider in the saddle for a few minutes at a time, and they'll be ready for their training to start by the end of January, beginning of February.



--Joy Frannicola

I similar to Jared except before I get on them, I ground drive them. First in the round pen, then all over the property.
BARBARA HARTWIG
SOUTHERNHART RANCH
http://www.southernhartranch.com/

Since I ride and work alone with the horses most of the time, I have to be very careful about never scaring them. So I start really early.

It begins when they are weaned. I may do things differently than most folks, I dont handle my foals until I am ready to wean. I put the mare and foal in adjoining stalls, and when I can safely get a halter on the foal without it being a big fuss, I leave the halter and a long lead rope on them. This is done in a stall that is as safe as I can get it, no protruding object for a halter to get hung on. With this method, the foals halter break themselves.

Then I gradually start tying them up, rubbing them, hobble breaking, and it goes on like that doing different stuff with them until they are comfortable with me.

Over the next 2 years, I teach them to lunge in the round pen, saddle them, drive them under saddle, do anything at all I can to get them used to things they will have to put up with later in life. As soon as I feel the horse is not going to become goofy,(and that's the key part with me, if I think they're going to be stupid, I take as long as I need), I will start putting my foot in a stirrup, then putting weight on a stirrup, then raising up over the horse, lean over them get them used to seeing me on both sides. Then when I am ready to sit on the horse, I usually have someone hold them, then lead me around just letting the horse get used to carrying weight, moving my arms around, legs, touching them.

Basically, if you've taught the horse they have nothing to fear from
you, everything from here on out, is pretty easy. Oh, I also pony them on trail rides, take them to local shows, ropings, cuttings, barrel races, whatever I can find to expose them to all kinds of stuff. I'll take them and if nothing else I'll tie them up somewhere, or at the trailer, and let them stand. Lots of standing tied at home also, that's a good patience builder for a colt.

As a matter of fact, when I took my 4yo, who I didnt start until she was 3 because she got hurt, to a local show, she was the better behaved of the two I brought, one of which is my older gelding that I show. Thats basically how I do it, and Im sure I am making mistakes along the way, that someone more experienced can point out. Which btw, I would appreciate.. :)

--Lisa P.

Randle Tune's horses top many NRHA sales. Tracey Cason, who's started many of these top propsects, talks about her program for 2 year olds.

Less is better

Prospects that haven't been handled a lot are easier to work with. They won't want to get too close to you or push into your space. They're also likely to pay attention to you.

Turn out is best

Even when a horse is in training, it';s good to turn him out. That way, you don't have to spend time riding the fresh out. You can also identify the dominant horse in a herd, which will be helpful when you start training.

When to start?

For some that are physically mature, training may start in October or November of the yearling year. Typically, these colts will be turned out over the winter months; however, most are ready to start in January or February of their 2-year-old year.

First lessons

Colts first learn to walk, trot (in response to a cluck), and lope (in response to a kiss), and stop (in response to "whoa") in the round pen, without saddle or bridle. An average session lasts about 20 minutes.

Then, the colt learns to stand still while a lead rope is tossed over and around him: later, he won't be startled by sudden movement around him.

A colt needs to maintain space between himself and his handler: If he gets too close, try raising your hands and, if necessary, bumping his face. He should learn to move away as soon as you put your hands up. You don't want a colt to become head shy, so spend time during each session rubbing his face and ears.

Responding to pressure

Still in the round pen, teach a horse to respond to pressure. With halter and lead rope, bring his nose toward you as you push on his rib cage. Every time he moves, release the pressure. This way, he'l learn to give his face and move his hips in response to pressure. Ask him to back up by pushing on the halter and his chest. With repetition, he'll get softer and easier every day.

Be dominant

Instead of working slowly and quietly around a young horse, keep your movements animated. He'll get used to it.

First saddling

Generally, having a cinch tightened around the belly is the most upsetting part of saddling: get him used to the feel of a rope being pulled around his belly.

With the saddle in place, get a colt accustomed to more movement: move the stirrups and fenders around, and pull the saddle from side to side.

Getting on

Again, get the colt used to movement: with your foot in the stirrup, pull on the saddle horn and bump him in the ribs: when he stands still and puts up with this, it's time to get on, riding with just the saddle and halter and lead rope in the round pen. Reestablish the giving-to-pressure work that you started on the ground, moving his face from side to side with pressure from the lead rope and asking him to move his hip with your legs as he walks forward. Keep this work slow and low key: you don't want him to think he has to move quickly.