How to Track Your Horse's Training Progress: 3 Things to Write Down After Every Ride

By Jeremiah, Rafter J Horses

A young horse will tell you the same thing twenty times. You have to be writing it down to hear it.

Why you can't trust your memory

Some days a horse feels great. Some days it feels like you went backwards. If you're going off memory, you'll remember whichever one fits your mood that morning.

I see people stuck right there all the time. They've been "working on it" for months and can't tell you if it's getting better. Not because they're doing it wrong. Because they're going off a feeling.

"I don't trust my memory to tell me if a horse is getting better. I trust thirty days of honest notes."

The 3 things I write down after every ride

1. What I asked for

Be specific. Not "rode the colt." Write "stood quiet for saddling," "left the other horses at a trot," or "worked on the stop coming off the hill." If you can't name it, you can't build on it.

2. What the horse actually gave me

Did he understand it, or did he guess right once? There's a big difference, and it only shows up when you're honest on paper.

3. Where it got hard

The gate. The trailer. That one corner of the arena. Number three is the one most folks skip, and it's the one that moves a horse along. Sticky spots don't fix themselves. They just quietly stay in your horse until you name them.

Write the truth, not the highlight reel

Some days it's "he stood quiet for the farrier." Other days it's "rough one, back to square one on point 2." Both count. A bad day isn't a failure. It's information.

And here's what those notes buy you: if the same problem shows up two weeks running, you stop calling it a bad day. You can see it's a hole in the foundation, and you go fix that before you add anything new. Without notes, you'd keep calling it a bad day for another two months.

How to set up a 30-day training log

1. Score him first. Before your first session, go through the 10 signs your horse is ready and mark each one solid, getting there, or not yet. That's your Day 1 score.
2. Log every session. Pencil, pen, whatever's in your truck. Five quiet minutes counts.
3. Tie each session to one or two points. Progress you can't name is progress you can't build on.
4. When you're stuck, go to the fix before adding anything new.
5. Re-score on Day 30 the same honest way, and compare.

"I don't have time to write stuff down"

Fair. Me too. But this isn't paperwork. It's one line, thirty seconds after you unsaddle: what you worked on, what went well, what needs work.

One more thing. Week two is when most people quit logging. If you can get past week two, you'll have something most riders never have: proof.

Frequently asked questions

What should I write in a horse training log?

Three things after every session: what you asked for, what the horse actually gave you, and where it got hard. Add the date and which training point you worked on.

How do I know if my horse's training is actually working?

Score him on the same points at the start and again after 30 days, the same honest way. If the number moved, the work is working. If it didn't, your notes will show you where it's stuck.

How long should a training session be?

There's no magic number. Even five quiet minutes counts as a day you showed up. Consistency matters more than length.

Is a training log only for young horses?

No. It works for any horse you're bringing along or fixing a problem with, from a colt's first rides to an older horse that's gotten barn sour.

Jeremiah, Rafter J Horses

Jeremiah is a working cowboy on a cattle ranch with years in horse training and hoof care. He starts colts and shares the real days, good and bad, at @rafterjhorses.

For informational purposes only. Horse training involves inherent risks. Use sound judgment and seek qualified professional instruction when needed.