Do you want to know how to train a filly?
Training a filly can be fun and easy if you know what you're doing. Here are some tips and pointers that will help you on the road to success training your equine. A filly is a young female horse. It is still too young to be called a mare, so the accepted definition of a filly is a female horse which is under the age of four. Some would categorize a filly under the age of five as it is widely accepted in the UK.
In the equine world, filly training should start early but must be done gradually. It should also be taken into consideration that horses are a lot like humans in many respects. Every horse has its own personality and will adapt differently to training. There is also interplay between the owner's personality and the animal's. There are many ways and varied opinions on how to train horses but there are fundamental principles and guidelines to follow whenever you deal with your equine.
Fillies, by nature, are not as dominant as colts. They may be a bit more submissive than males. Generally, colts are physically stronger in comparison to fillies. This is the conventional thinking. However, it is not surprising to see filly outrace a colt. Some would say, "A good horse is a good horse. It won't matter if it's a filly or a colt." This may change upon maturity however. A mare is known for her sass, while a gelding is known for his level head and mellow nature. This is true a majority of the time.
Training either a colt or a filly is basically the same.
Here are some guidelines and filly training tips that you may follow:
- Be sensitive of your filly
You must learn the signs that your filly is showing if she is uncomfortable with the circumstances. Training can be tiring and stressful for the animal and will not be as effective if there is added stress present. Even with your strong bond and trust, there are just times that your filly is not in the mood for further training.
It is very important to be sensitive and you must be able to read the signs. The signs can vary but some of the typical ones are: ear flattening, balking, biting, kicking, bolting, striking, running backwards instead of going forwards, teeth grinding, loss of focus etc. If your filly is displaying these signs, she's already overloaded and needs to wind down.
Because they are still young and relatively untrained, they more expressive with their discomfort and disapproval. Trained adults are more dignified in their actions and will sometimes refrain from behaving badly.
- Fillies have short attention spans
Fillies are young and impressionable. They may absorb training like a sponge but they easily get distracted and may sometimes forget what you taught them. Naturally, young horses have very short attention spans and they do not want, nor benefit from long training sessions. Training fillies should be short and sweet. Therefore, you must carefully plan your training methods so you can have the best returns for your efforts.
- Be a trustworthy leader
No matter what kind of training you are trying to do with your filly, always show that you are a trustworthy master. Just like their attention spans, they can lose trust easily.
Adult horses are more forgiving because they are probably already trained and conditioned. They also know their job and are happy to make human-given jobs their life's purpose. However, it will take years of trust-building to accomplish this. Fillies should be subjected to a fair, firm, and consistent training, and don't forget to have fun!
In the equine world, filly training should start early but must be done gradually. It should also be taken into consideration that horses are a lot like humans in many respects. Every horse has its own personality and will adapt differently to training. There is also interplay between the owner's personality and the animal's. There are many ways and varied opinions on how to train horses but there are fundamental principles and guidelines to follow whenever you deal with your equine.
Fillies, by nature, are not as dominant as colts. They may be a bit more submissive than males. Generally, colts are physically stronger in comparison to fillies. This is the conventional thinking. However, it is not surprising to see filly outrace a colt. Some would say, "A good horse is a good horse. It won't matter if it's a filly or a colt." This may change upon maturity however. A mare is known for her sass, while a gelding is known for his level head and mellow nature. This is true a majority of the time.
Training either a colt or a filly is basically the same.
Here are some guidelines and filly training tips that you may follow:
- Be sensitive of your filly
You must learn the signs that your filly is showing if she is uncomfortable with the circumstances. Training can be tiring and stressful for the animal and will not be as effective if there is added stress present. Even with your strong bond and trust, there are just times that your filly is not in the mood for further training.
It is very important to be sensitive and you must be able to read the signs. The signs can vary but some of the typical ones are: ear flattening, balking, biting, kicking, bolting, striking, running backwards instead of going forwards, teeth grinding, loss of focus etc. If your filly is displaying these signs, she's already overloaded and needs to wind down.
Because they are still young and relatively untrained, they more expressive with their discomfort and disapproval. Trained adults are more dignified in their actions and will sometimes refrain from behaving badly.
- Fillies have short attention spans
Fillies are young and impressionable. They may absorb training like a sponge but they easily get distracted and may sometimes forget what you taught them. Naturally, young horses have very short attention spans and they do not want, nor benefit from long training sessions. Training fillies should be short and sweet. Therefore, you must carefully plan your training methods so you can have the best returns for your efforts.
- Be a trustworthy leader
No matter what kind of training you are trying to do with your filly, always show that you are a trustworthy master. Just like their attention spans, they can lose trust easily.
Adult horses are more forgiving because they are probably already trained and conditioned. They also know their job and are happy to make human-given jobs their life's purpose. However, it will take years of trust-building to accomplish this. Fillies should be subjected to a fair, firm, and consistent training, and don't forget to have fun!