While some problem horses may need the help of a professional trainer to get rid of bad habits and rectify unsafe situations, there is no reason why a reasonably competent and experienced horse owner cannot train their own horse.  Training your own horse can seem like a challenge at first, but with patience, knowledge and hard work it can be done.

Of course training any horse also requires the right equipment to get the job done, and there are a number of must have pieces of equipment that should be part of every well stocked tack trunk.  These items, taken together, provide a basic tool kit for horse training, and it is important to gather these must have items before getting started.

There are of course plenty of tack items individual horse owners will want to add to this list, in order to address specific situations or specific training needs, but the list of basic equipment for training any horse includes:

• A high quality cotton lead rope with a strong brass hook – The lead rope, along with the halter, is the most basic of horse equipment, but it is important to choose a lead rope of sufficient length and quality.  Many trainers use lead ropes between 15 feet and 18 feet in length, and it may be a good idea to invest in a 20 foot lead rope as well.  A long lead rope like this provides the trainer with the slack needed to easily lunge the horse for short periods, as well as to perform various exercises while leading the horse.
• A good quality rope halter -  These halters go by many different names depending on the region of the country or part of the world, but no matter what they are called they are essential equipment for training any horse.  Whether they are called cowboy halters, shipping halters or training halters, a rope halter is designed to provide more effective and more precise control than a flat nylon halter.  While nylon halters are fine for turnout in the pasture, training is best done in a rope halter.  The thinner diameter of the rope halter provides for more pressure, and more control, an important consideration when working with a 1,000 pound animal.
• A lunge line – Round pen work is well known as one of the most effective ways to train any young horse, but a lunge line can provide all the benefits of round pen work without the hassle or expense of building a separate structure.  It is important to buy a lunge line that is soft and comfortable, and of sufficient length that the horse can work easily at all three gaits.
• A lunge whip – The lunge whip is designed to provide the encouragement the horse will need to move on the lunge line at a walk, trot and canter, and to prevent him from stopping and facing the trainer.  The purpose of the whip is not to punish the horse, but to direct him and keep him focused.  A quick snap of the lunge whip is all many horses need to refocus their energies and focus on the job they are being asked to do.

There are of course countless additions to this list, depending on the nature of the work and the nature of horse being asked to perform that work.  It is important for any horse owner interested in training his or her own horse to carefully evaluate both their goals and their level of experience.  This type of evaluation will allow the budding horse trainer to gather a list of necessary equipment and to have it on hand before training begins.  The time to get that new training device is not in the middle of a training session; it is important to have everything you need to complete the job on hand before work begins.