Instructions
Be confidant. Confidence is absolutely key to having your horse respect you. Your body language while handling the horse has to establish that you are in charge. If your horse routinely nudges or bumps you out of its way, runs you over or generally does what it wants to regardless of what you are trying to do, you are not the dominant member of the partnership and chances are you are not sending a message of confidence and authority to the horse.
Exhibit authority. If your horse does not respect your authority, it does not respect you. Do not let the horse crowd you. Discipline it when it exhibits negative or undesirable behaviors. Often a harsh word or yell accompanied by the pop of a lead rope on the horse's shoulder or a quick tug or jerk on the halter will be enough to convey to the horse that it's behavior is not acceptable. For example, your horse is running you over going through gates. Tug firmly on the halter when the horse starts to rush forward. Say "no" loudly at the same time. If the behavior persists, make the horse go back through the gate repeatedly until it listens. This establishes the horse has to do what you want it to in order to get what it wants, in this case, to go through the gate.
Demonstrate consistency. Horses continually test one another in little ways, and if you are the dominant member in your relationship with your horse, you can expect it to test you too. Horses, much like small children, will see what they can get away with on a semi-regular basis. As the human, especially a human who is having problems getting the horse to respect you, the answer to the horse's testing what it can get away with should be 'nothing'. Do not let the horse violate your space. Correct it when it misbehaves, every single time.
Make the horse listen to you. Alpha horses make the less dominant horses in the herd obey them, either by herding them or by physical contact (the occasional bite or kick) and body language. As a human alpha horse, you need to make sure the horse does what you tell it to. If you want the horse to go, you have to keep after him until he goes, then reward him. Do not let him get away with only partially doing what you want or ignoring you. Some experts recommend using lunging and round pen work to establish dominance over the horse by directing the horse where to go and effectively herding it there.
How to Earn Respect From a Horse
Respect is an important part of the bond between horse and rider. Horses are herd animals, with one horse in the herd being the 'alpha', or dominant, animal. Even in a herd that has no stallion, for example a pasture full of mares or geldings at a boarding barn, some horses will emerge as being more dominant than others and exhibit a level of control over herd members, because that horse has the respect of the others. Developing a bond of respect with your horse takes time, training and consistency.