Horse Training Techniques

Training your horse is as vital as ensuring that your children obtain a solid education. Horse training has little to do with what you tell your horse to do; it's more connected with the rider himself learning about safety and technique. The horse and its rider work in tandem to create a language for communication.

  1. Water

    • Horses that have not been trained to do a water crossing often have a fear of water. Leading by example is an effective way to train your horse to overcome its fear. Have another person walk her trained horse through a puddle, and make sure your horse sees this so it can see there is nothing to fear. Usually, your horse will simply follow suit because of the herd mentality aspect. To get a horse to cross bigger challenges, such as a creek or shallow river, lead it through those bodies of water, but slowly. If possible, have it follow another horse. Take the time to allow your horse to lower its head and look at the creek or shallow river, so that it can fully inspect the obstacle and see nothing is threatening. Also cross the creek or shallow river by yourself so you can show your horse there is nothing to fear. This exercise builds trust in your horse. As a result, it will be more likely to follow you across future bodies of water that you encounter during riding.

    Leading the Horse

    • Training your horse to lead relates more to safety than it does to convenience or just for show. The right positioning is vital in training your horse to lead. Stand off to one side when leading your horse, just in case it decides to charge through you. Keep one foot of distance between your hand and the horse's shoulder when you lead it. Allow your horse some slack in the line; this works to show that you have trust in it.

    Confrontation

    • Training your horse successfully involves making it confront certain things that spook it or otherwise give it trouble. The opposite is avoidance, which you do not want to do. Confrontation involves desensitizing your horse to what it fears. For instance, if your horse is afraid of cars honking their horns, be sure to gently honk a horn next to the horse until it learns not to be afraid. If you let your horse avoid its fears by not exposing it to them, the problem will just reappear in the future.

    Rewards

    • Rewarding your horse is a needed part of the training process. Rewards are a tool of positive reinforcement that allow your horse to comprehend when it has completed a job properly. Not only will it understand that it should keep up its performance, but it will also be more content with the training process. There is a controversy with how to proceed with rewarding horses; some trainers believe in rewarding horses with treats during the training, while others think a training ring is no place for treats because of the encouragement of bad habits of expectation.