Training Goals:

Before we begin training our Horse, We have to have a training plan in place in order to reach a specific goal. Loading the Horse onto a Trailer / Float is our goal in this example.

Firstly it is very important to be as specific as possible. In other words I want my Horse to walk calmly onto the trailer when I ask him to. I want him to stand there calmly without pulling on the rope when
I tie him up, I want him to remain calm during the transportation and then I want him to unload calmly and easily when I ask him to. This isn't an unreasonable thing to ask my Horse to do, even if he's
never even been handled before, but if you are not very specific with your goals, then the Horse will
not get a specific idea of what you are asking of him.

It is also very important to realise that teaching a Horse is much like teaching a child. Children don't always pay attention when you are talking to them, and they also find it easier if they learn little bits
at a time. They also learn quicker this way. For example, you never learnt to write the letter A in one movement. You started with one line and then added to it one line at a time. This is the same with Horses. With Horses we start at the beginning e.g. moving forward, and we don't move onto the next
part of our plan until this is learnt. Remember to be specific! We want to let the Horse know how far
he should move forward etc etc.

So, we know our goal. Now we have to break it up into easy to learn pieces.

To be able to trailer load the horse must:

•Lead well and follow my cues every time.
•Tie up and stand patiently without pulling.
•Trust that he is safe and remain calm during transport.

So now we have broken our main goal: loading onto a trailer, into 3 new goals. These goals are then broken up again and again until we have a long list of goals which make up our training plan. The speed at which my Horse learns and how well he learns, will depend on how specific I am and how many specific goals I have in my training plan.