Does anybody have experience training draft horses specifically Shires to ride? His owner claims draft horses are much different and that they "have no fear" and something along the lines of you must sweet talk this horses to get him to do anything and lateral lounging and round pens would be useless. The way he wants me to ride this horse is get on him while someone ponies him around? I'm leaning toward treating him like any other horse with groundwork, lateral lounging, yields ect. Then just get on him in the round pen and get after it! What do ya'll think?

Do what you know. They are generally duller and slower so you may need to change your short term expectations And Spend More Time Getting Them To MOVE. But they will come along. I have a belgium/tb mare that a customer paid me to start and then gave her to me. You would be surprised at how well she can move around. And yes, I started her just like any other.

Agreed the horse is giant but I just can't imagine them having a brain that works in that much of a different way than a quarter horse .

Big Sky Shires Equine Services in Glendive, MT

(406) 687-8004. They also have a website. Very reputable and shires are their forte.

I've trained quite a few draft horses, and for the most part I use the same ground techniques I do for saddle horses, but with one big exception: I don't insist that the horse constantly turn and face me. With some of the harsher "natural horsemanship" techniques that punish a horse for turning its butt to you, you can develop a horse that's impossible to control from behind, a requirement of draft horses. Stopping with its side to me when I say "whoa," is adequate. I also ground drive with long reins a great deal, gradually adding a drag--but then, I do that with prospective saddle horses, too. --Dan Aadland

I've owned a few, including one extra nice specimen that I used primarily as a saddle horse. In training I find no practical difference and do not believe that they are one bit "duller" than other breeds. They are quicker, however, to accept their training which may lead to that belief. IMO, they make great mounts, tho not overly prone for performance uses. My son did barrels on one, (just 4-H stuff) and he usually finished in the middle of the pack, which was very surprising. 17-18 hands covers a lot of ground per step! I've not ever had one try to throw me, but from my experiences with friends they are certainly powerful in that department. A lot of rodeo broncs have some draft bred in, I'm told, for that power. The old saying is that if a QH kicks you, he breaks your leg, but if a draft kicks you, both you and the leg are found in the next county!

Wymple, don't take this personally, but they are called COLD-BLOODS, as opposed to HOT-BLOODS for a reason. You are correct about rodeo broncs. If you ever see the Calgary Stampede, you will see a pile of Clydesdales. Matter of fact, the rankest bucking problem horse I've ever had was very Clydesdalesque.

Not taken personally at all. It's an age old discussion. I do believe that on average, drafts are a bit easier to get along with. But I also believe that individual personalities are as varied as any breed, and I have seen some real ringers. I've always had a mixture oif breeds, mostly QH, Arabian, Belgians and Haflingers, The Belgians were always the Alpha horses.

never had anything to do with shires.

I have always had a team of Black Percheron & have broke allot of Percheron & Belgium horses for harness .
I do allot of ground work with them & just overall quieting & building confidence...hard to put it in words...but same thing i do with saddle horses.
then add harness & then long reining from behind & then dragging load & next step is team & stone boat then wagon so on.
once you get them driving good you can climb up on & ride anywhere U want.

we got a round pen for working & starting saddle horses. but I never use it with my draft horses

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