At the Merry Band Farm, training starts the day a foal is born.

We handle them early and often. By the time a foal is weaned, it’s comfortable with a halter, leading, brushing, clipping, spraying and having its feet picked up. We also pony the weanlings. 

From there we move to ground work and basics like yielding the hind quarters and forequarters, flexing, lunging, and backing. Then we desensitize with plastic bags, tarps, etc.

As a long yearling we start with a light saddle and lots of ponying and more ground work.

Horses that we decide to keep into their second or third year move on to their first rides and continued training. We are firm believers that if this process is done right and the young horse is brought along properly they will not buck or be a problem on early rides. We also think that lots of trail rides and outside exposure is good for their overall development.

A man wearing cowboy attire, including a cowboy hat and plaid shirt, is placing a blanket on a horse in a fenced outdoor area.
A man wearing a cowboy hat and black t-shirt hugging a brown horse with a white stripe on its face, standing behind a wooden fence in a rural setting.
An elderly man wearing a straw cowboy hat and plaid shirt brushes a tan horse inside a wooden corral, with trees in the background.
A man wearing a cowboy hat, plaid shirt, and blue jeans holding a lunge line around a brown horse in an outdoor riding arena with a wooden fence.
A man wearing a straw cowboy hat, black t-shirt, and jeans is spraying water on a dark brown and white horse at a farm. The horse is standing on dirt ground with sparse grass, next to a wooden fence and red metal gate, with a barn and windmill in the
A man wearing a cowboy hat, plaid shirt, jeans, and gloves holding a lead rope attached to a small dark brown horse in a fenced outdoor area.
An elderly man on horseback, wearing a helmet and sunglasses, holding a dark rope, and a small brown and white foal standing nearby in a sandy enclosed area with a wooden fence and tall trees in the background.
A man wearing a cowboy hat and black shirt holding a horse by the lead rope in a sandy outdoor enclosure, with trees and a wooden fence in the background.
A man wearing a helmet and yellow gloves standing with two horses, one dark brown and one light brown, outside a barn on a sunny day.
A man wearing a straw cowboy hat, black t-shirt, and blue jeans is gently petting a brown and white horse in a sandy outdoor paddock with a wooden fence in the background.
A man riding a brown horse along a wooden fence while a woman in plaid shirt and rubber boots walks beside them on a sunny day with trees and open field in the background.
A woman is helping a child sit on a horse in an outdoor riding arena enclosed by a wooden fence, with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
A man wearing a cowboy hat and jeans is grooming a brown horse in an outdoor paddock with a sandy ground, wooden fencing, and green fields in the background.
A man riding a brown horse in a fenced outdoor area, guiding a small light-colored pony with a lead rope.
A man wearing a black helmet, plaid shirt, and jeans is riding a chestnut horse while another brown horse with a white stripe on its face stands beside him inside an outdoor riding arena with a wooden fence and green trees in the background.
A man in a gray shirt, beige shorts, and rubber boots is grooming a small brown horse in a stable with wood walls. The horse has a purple halter and is looking out from its stall.
A person wearing a helmet and sunglasses riding a horse in a sandy arena with a wooden fence and green trees in the background.
An older man standing in a sunny outdoor paddock, holding a small foal with a blue halter. The foal is black and tan with white markings on its face, and there is a larger horse's head visible on the right side of the image. Fences and trees are in t
A young woman in a gray T-shirt and jeans riding a gray horse on a dirt arena. She is wearing a black riding helmet, and the background includes green trees and a wooden fence.
A person riding a brown horse and a gray horse standing beside each other on a grassy path in a wooded area.
Two people riding horses in an outdoor riding arena with a wooden fence and green trees in the background.
A young woman riding a horse while a man in cowboy hat and plaid shirt holds the reins and pets the horse's head outdoors with a wooden fence and green trees in the background.
A gray horse with a saddle and gear standing on sandy ground in an outdoor paddock, surrounded by wooden fencing and tall trees under a blue sky.
A man wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses is training a horse in an outdoor riding arena with sandy ground. The man is holding a lunge line attached to the horse, which is in motion. The background consists of a wooden fence and a line of trees under
Man riding a horse on an outdoor riding arena, approaching a wooden platform with training equipment around.
A man wearing a helmet, sunglasses, and a plaid shirt riding a gray horse on a sandy outdoor riding arena with a wooden fence and green trees in the background.
A man riding a gray horse, wearing a helmet and checkered shirt, in an outdoor riding arena. The horse is stepping on a platform as part of a training activity.
An older man with a helmet and sunglasses riding a light brown horse on a riding platform in an outdoor arena.
An elderly man wearing a helmet, sunglasses, a plaid shirt, and jeans riding a gray horse in an outdoor riding arena.
Man wearing a helmet and plaid shirt riding a horse in an outdoor arena.
An older man riding a gray horse in an outdoor riding arena, wearing a helmet, sunglasses, a plaid shirt, and jeans.
An older man wearing a helmet, sunglasses, plaid shirt, and jeans rides a horse on a wooden platform in an outdoor riding arena surrounded by a fence and trees.
A man riding a horse standing on a wooden pallet in an outdoor riding arena, wearing a helmet, sunglasses, a plaid shirt, and jeans.
A man riding a gray horse in an outdoor riding arena, wearing a helmet and plaid shirt.
An elderly man wearing a black helmet, plaid shirt, and jeans rides a tan horse along a dirt path in front of a wooden building with a colorful geometric painting on the wall.