What are some fun and beneficial things to do with my 2 year old thoroughbred?

I obviously don't want to ride him yet, but I want to do some fun learning and bonding things that aren't going to be harmful to him. Any suggestions? I already do tons of ground work with him but I mean other stuff that's fun for him and me and still learning experience.chicken tenders stfu . and yes he is halter broke he's a really good boy . just looking for stuff to do with him while he grows up !

people who ride horses are evil.... shame on you! horses are not toys!

DON'T LISTEN TO CHICKEN TENDERS. No way is it evil to ride horses, they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to.Anyway, if you want to do bonding things with him, you could do Join-up, its what Monty Roberts does.It depends if you've halter broken him or not.EDIT- And Jess is right, you could try lunging him.

Try lunging, but with mild tack, as in, a cavesson and lunge line, not bridle or anything else attached, possibly use a whip depending on how responsive this is. And then once good at that, try free schooling and then do a bit of join up. Join up is an especially incredible experience, because it shows how much of a bond you have with your horse. I hope that helps...Also try getting random obstacles for him to walk over, to increase confidence, like through small puddles, blue tarpaline and that x

Try teaching obedience in things such as moving over when told to. Introduce him to different things that are seen as hazards by horses (or demons) such as crackling plastic bags, leading him in and out of a maze of poles set up, let him see and hear and experience motor vehicles - start with a stationary one with the engine off, then the engine on and so on until the car can pass the horse in either direction without him batting and eyelid.Tapping a hammer on an old horse shoe placed over your horse's foot is an excellent preparation for when he will need shoes. Teach him about water - you can lead him in to streams or puddles and above all be patient and reward even slight progress enthusiastically! But preferably not with tit bits. Give him a scratch where he likes it, or whatever else you do to reward him. And do not be angry when he gets worried about things.You could also get him used to being bandaged or booted for use when you start to lunge him when he is older. There are lots of great things you can do to give him a good grounding. I do not know where you are but there are some police forces that divulge their training methods and they would be great to follow. I wish I had a youngster to train now! I am jealous. Happy 2011!

a lot of desensitizing exercises are fun and will make the horse much better when you ride them, they will be more calm and less likely to spook.. which will obviously prove helpful especially since he is a tb! a parelli natural horsemanship type thing would also prove beneficial! you cant ride him but theres nothing that says you cant take him to shows so he can get used to the atmosphere, that is very good for a youngster to experience. trailer rides.. grooming sessions, respect from the ground, fake vet,farrier, and dentist checks (you do them personally so the horse will be used to them) and even grooming sessions are really important(they teach respect, teach the horse that you will be invading their space, getting used to different pressures). ohhh bathing and clipping is also good. im assuming when you said ground training that you have already began lunging him with and without tack, just be weary of when you are applying tack if you have not done so yet you cannot just throw it on him.. you must slowly introduce tack and it may take a while before you can even get him to move out with it on.. this is a very important step in his development because he can learn many amazing things but will also be capable of picking up many negative habits if not started correctly.** i hope this all helps and i wish you the best of luck with him! i help to train some tb's at my stable.. like ex racehorses and these are some of the methods we use(: i ride a huge argentinian tb shes 23 and acts like a 4 year old, i love her(: **

WTF is wrong with you Chicken Tenders? Riding a horse is the most amazing experience ever, and both of my girls love to be ridden. So, if you don't like horses and riding, then just stay out of our way and keep your big mouth shut please. You come off as extremely offensive to those of us who ride and adore horses.As for fun things to do with your horse, my friend, I would try trick training. I just want to say that teaching your horse tricks is not only fun and rewarding, but it really opens up their minds and teaches them how to learn. Here are a few sites that tell you how to teach a few tricks.http://www.equusite.com/articles/trick/trickHome.shtmlhttp://ayersline.com/Saywut/articles/animals/tricks/tricks.htmhttp://horses.about.com/od/horsetraining/a/giveakiss.htmSomeone also mention monty robert's join up, and, aside from being a great training tool, this training method strengthens the bond between horse and rider/owner. Monty Robert's official site:http://www.montyroberts.com/Good luck with your little one, my friend, and, to chicken tenders, F.U!

Well my friend and I are working with her young tb (he's very nearly 3) and what he loves more than anything in the world is being led over jumps. When I say jumps I don't really mean jumps (that would be bad for his joints, don't worry I know this!) they're trotting poles really- under a foot high- but he adores it. And it is great for his confidence when he starts real jumping.. with any luck he'll see his first jump and be like 'yeah, been there done that ;)'He also loves to play follow the leader (obvious practical applications to that)And to go on walks out in-hand. We're lucky with where we're situated because there's no road to get onto our bridlepaths. He loves exploring new places and again, it's great practice for when he's older :)Hope this helped!

I have a youngster too..so i know how hard it is to find things to do with them! - You could try lunging your horse with/or without tack on - Try taking him for walks; good experience for when he is older - Bomb-proofing him - Putting a bridle/saddle on and off. - You could show him (in-hand) Just spending time with your horse will strengthen your bond with your horse.

Put on some long lines and teach him to drive. At this stage any thing he learns from the ground is a positive ! Enjoy this time and teach to anything BUT TRICKS which could get him killed or you or end up with some one shooting him for doing something YOU have taught him to do.

I'm not sure if you;ve heard of her, but Linda Tellington Jones has a few books out. One of the ones you might want to look into is called "The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book"This has massage strokes, "Playground" excercises, and troubleshooting for all horse problems. Some examples are:Clipper- Phobia treatmentHerdbound treatmentThe Promise Wrap and Promise RopeThe Story of ThorThe Fan, Cavaletti, and Pick- Up Sticks

Teach him to do tricks like give kisses, bow, smile, give hugs, shake hands etc.Play soccer with him :)Take him swimming.Lead him through town or other places where he can broaden his horizons.Can he float?