Competitive riders and horses prepare through a training process that improves participation skills and showmanship. Horse racing competitions require participants to have a certain level of experience and knowledge. For this reason, horse trainers spend a lot of time and effort training their hose, preparing their horse, and participating in equestrian competitions and events. The training aspect of preparing a horse for showing can begin shortly thereafter. was born. The earliest possible, a horse trainer might begin training a newborn horse only after the horse has been weaned from its mother for a few days. Once this is accomplished, the horse trainer can begin to teach the horse what he needs to know so that he can compete in shows once he is ready enough. The horse first learns the basics, learns to understand when to stop, to leave when the rider clucks his tongue, and to trot alongside him. With this training, the youngest horse is allowed to start competing in official events at the age of 4 months. Once a horse has learned the basics, he is free to begin learning other skills; However, a horse should only learn one skill at a time to avoid overwhelming him with having to remember too many things. When training the horse new skills, it is best to keep in mind that horses learn best through reinforcement, which is the process of using rewards and punishments to help create a certain response or behavior. certain behavior. There are two ways to use reinforcement on a horse to make it obey: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding the horse with something ...... middle of paper ...... red if it regularly competes in competitions, in which case the rider will have to transport it in a horse trailer. Works Cited Draper, Judith, Debby Sly and Sarah Muir. Complete Book of Horses and Riding. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Inc., 2003. Print. Wright, Gordon. Learn to ride, hunt and show. New and rev. ed. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company. 1996. Print. Walker, Chuck. “Dressage Equipment – ​​Test Your Knowledge!.” https://www.usef.org/_IFrames/Licensedofficials/clinics.aspx. Np, and Web. March 11, 2014.ASPCA, “Training Your Horse.” http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/horse-behavior/training-your-horse. ASPCA, and Web. March 25, 2014. Cole, Deborah L. “The Basics of Horse Training Safety.” » http://www.esc.rutgers.edu/downloads/HORSERIDING.FACTSHEET.pdf. Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension, nd Web. March 31. 2014.