Training Tip: Avoid Overtraining Your Horse to Beat Burnout

Horses are individuals, and our job as trainers is to bring out the best in each horse. Every horse is going to have his own set of limitations, and we have to respect that.

Even though your horse might be a C- compared to Prada or my performance horses, that C- for that horse is his A+. You don’t expect your kids to learn at the same rate or receive the same grades. My parents didn’t, and thank goodness, because my sister was a lot better at school than I was. But while I struggled with schoolwork, I excelled in other areas where she wasn’t quite as proficient. The same is true of horses.

A draft horse that’s bred to pull heavy loads isn’t going to back up as energetically and lightly as a Quarter Horse—no matter who is training him. A big Warmblood isn’t going to have the same endurance as an Arabian bred to go miles and miles. A lanky Thoroughbred isn’t going to be able to get down and work cows like a Quarter Horse.

Recognize your horse’s individual limits and avoid overtraining him. If you keep drilling on the horse and putting pressure on him to improve, and he’s already at his best, you’ll frustrate and discourage him and risk him actually getting worse. If he knows he can’t win, he’ll stop putting in any effort at all.

You might say, “I totally get what you’re saying, Clinton, but how do I know if I’ve reached my horse’s ability?” Unfortunately, it takes experience to know when and how much you can and should push a horse. The more horses you work with, the more experience and knowledge you’ll gain.

Looking for more training tips? Check out the No Worries Club. Have a training question? Submit it on our website.