How to Make a Better Relationship With Your Horse

The first step in building a better relationship with your horse is communication. Horses are herd animals, and need a defined hierarchy. Giving your horse a structured routine and establishing yourself as a fellow herd member will help build a trust bond between the two of you. Playing games with your horse will not only help to keep it stimulated and alert but also help to establish you as the leader in unusual situations. Spending as much time as possible grooming or working with your horse will help to establish you as a constant herd member and source of comfort and support. Ideally, try to be the only person that works with your horse on a daily basis.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Grooming equipment
  • Helmet
  • Longe line or rope
  • Safe, enclosed work area
  • Training equipment such as trotting poles, buckets or mounting block
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Instructions

    • 1

      Tie your horse up securely, and groom it thoroughly. Pay particular attention to the neck and withers (base of neck) area, as this is where a pair of horses will groom each other in the field. Your horse may decide to return the courtesy and groom you back; gently push its head away if it is being too rough. Work over the horse thoroughly, using a soft brush on sensitive areas such as the belly and inside of the back legs. Most horses will appreciate a gentle brushing of these itchy and hard-to-reach areas.

    • 2

      Halter your horse, take it into the arena and shut the gate. Up-clip the lead rope but leave the halter on, and use the coiled up longe line to send the horse away from you. Do not try to hit the horse, but flick the coiled line out towards its shoulders with a firm movement. The horse should move away from you. Keep your body language assertive, turn your shoulders squarely towards the horse and keep eye contact. As you are now acting like a predator, the horse should pick up speed and start to canter around the arena.

    • 3

      Watch your horse carefully until it starts to exhibit signs of submission. These include a lowering of the head, relaxation of the lower jaw and a pivoting of the inside ear towards you. When you see these signs, change your own body posture to one of welcome. Turn one shoulder towards the horse so that you are no longer facing it squarely, lower your eyes and stand still. The horse should come up to you and show acceptance, possibly by nudging you with its muzzle or by standing a couple of paces away with lowered head. Take a couple of firm steps backwards, and the horse should follow you as you are now acting as leader.

    • 4

      Lay out a series of exercises in the arena, if possible using objects that your horse hasn't seen before. These exercises could include a set of trotting poles laid in an S shape, three or four buckets set in a row and a small area sectioned off with more poles. Lead your horse through the S bend and in and out of the buckets, then take off the lead rope and ask it to follow you through the obstacles again loose. Lead the horse into the sectioned off area, drop the rope and ask it to stand still while you step outside the poles. Practicing these exercises and adding new ones every couple of weeks will deepen the trust relationship between you and your horse.