breaking to plow and wagon

let’s see…

but how do horses learn?

They connect action and reaction, read body language, body posture, voice. The respond to praise, treats and pain.

when do you start training them?

you should start halter training with foals very young. I did so at about 8 weeks of age, in combination with the mother and other training steps (being handled, taking up the foot, etc.). Reinforcement of that basic training after weaning with 6 months, now including tying (shouldn’t be done before because of possible injuries to the neck) and more extensive halter and leading training. Introducing to cars, tractors, other equipment, different situations.

Letting them think and grow for a year or two. With horses, longer periods of not training, just letting them be horse in a group, have the benefit that the taining will “sink in”, if it was understood correctly before.

Advanced leading, ground-driving, maybe longing at around age 2,5 years. If you want to plow and pull, ground driving should be done extensively. In a pen, around obstacles, outside, later with a load to pull and voice commands as well.

what degree of understanding the horse’s natural behavior must i have before i start breaking(ugh ugly word, i prefer train) the horse to plow?

You should keep in mind that a horse will first run and then look if spooked. They have good side and rear vision, remember details (also in their environment) and apparently process fast movement as little flashes of light in their brains.

what are guidelines for training of horses?

Patience, time, conistency

how do you train them, step-by step?

yes!

how do you teach him the commands?

Ask an action, combine with command, repeat, repeat, repeat – don’t forget lots of praise.

how do i make the horse cooperate without using excessive physical force? how do i show the horse i’m the dominant person? what to do if it refuses to cooperate?

oh, that’s a whole sack of worms. If you train them young they most likely won’t challenge you because they learned that you are stronger.

Dominance: don’t allow it to overrun you. You go first through doors and small spaces, horse follows (you can establish it working in front of you later). Asking the horse to back up establishes dominance. Being a competent and trusted leader, does so, too. Don’t misuse the trust placed in you by endangering the horse.

Depending on your position in relation to the horse you can excert dominance:

you in front = you control movement and speed – very dominant
horse beside you = that’s the position a foal would have beside the mother – trust building
horse slightly in front of you (one head length ore one neck length) = builds confidence in the horse, will become more independent
you beside the horse at a position near its flanks = a stallion would position himself there to move a mare. A position of high dominance because you ask for movement AWAY from you
you behind the horse = the horse is independent, lots of trust between you, because you could chase or attack and the horse could run or kick

do they tend to get bored and hard headed from too much repetition? mules do.

Well, their concentration will give out.