Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Training a young horse requires rigor, patience... and caution. Through her experience on the SHF circuit and in everyday life, Laetitia du Couëdic shares her best practices in horse safety, her use of theairbag in riding and her advice for young riders. A lucid and inspiring vision of working with young horses.
This year, Laetitia is working with the Corty stud to train two 6-year-old stallions, Jumpy du Corty and Joyaux du Corty. Two horses with very different profiles: one sensitive and impressive, the other small but fearless.
"With a horse like Jumpy, patience is the key, she confides. Joyaux, on the other hand, already displays a strong character and remarkable efficiency on the track.
She also rides Illico du Corty, 7 years old, a real crack who she prepares with simplicity so that he retains all his confidence and ease. And finally, a very personal horse: Qlassic Lil'Boy CH, the first foal of her mare Elisa.
"He's a very quick learner, and I love watching him click," she says.she stresses. Each of her young horses benefits from an adjusted program, with the aim of developing them without rushing them.
"The main mistakes in my opinion are haste and lack of structure." Laetitia stresses the importance of putting yourself in the horse's shoes, never assuming he "knows" what's going to happen, but always explaining clearly and consistently.
She also talks about her own apprenticeships: a difficult episode with the truck that left its mark on Qlassic Lil'Boy, a mistake she'll never make again.
"It took patience and calm for us to fix it."
If there's one habit Laetitia has adopted with no turning back, it's that of systematically wearing an airbag with young horses, especially when jumping.
"I remember very well the moment when it became non-negotiable", she says.she recalls.
A heavy fall in Oliva in 2023 had a profound effect on her, both physically and mentally. Since then, there's no question of riding without an airbag, especially in high-risk contexts.
To all riders new to young horses, Laetitia recommends :
"Patience, structure, precision. There will be more lows than highs. You can't do things alone; being well surrounded is essential."
She also stresses the importance of not projecting too many expectations onto the horse too early on, but of adapting, building a relationship and thinking long-term.
For this season, Laetitia's main aim is to help her horses progress at their own pace. Illico should continue to run fine events until October.
"I don't yet know if I'll be able to ride him at the Fontainebleau final, it will depend on my other horses. But I trust my team, we'll adapt."
His main objective? "To bring each horse to its best level, while respecting their rhythm. And keep in mind that with horses, you also have to know how to live from day to day."
For Swiss rider Laetitia du Couëdic, making progress with a young horse is above all about creating a solid, secure relationship.
Wearing the airbag, regularity, calm, a structured plan: her advice is invaluable for anyone wishing to combine performance and safety in training young horses.
