5 ways to improve your relationship with your horse
these 5 ways to improve your relationship with your horse will greatly improve your bond with your horse,
but to truly have a deep connection with your horse you may need to change the entire way you look at your horse.
so ask yourself if you want your horse to be a best friend that is allowed to communicate their feelings or do you want them to be a robot that does whatever you ask whether they like it or not.
most horses don’t have bad habits but, if we don’t listen to their smaller signals they will do dangerous things like bite, buck, and kick because if a horse is comfortable in their mind and body and they know what you want they will be happy to work with you.
horses are often misunderstood, they are not plotting against you to try and make you angry. they’re not like people who hold grudges and try and offend you.
changing your mindset is hard and it will take time and practice so don’t get discouraged if it does not work the first day, honestly if you try to change your mindset
it might feel worse the first few times you work with your horse, but trust me it’s worth it.
if you want to improve your relationship with your horse you have come to the right place.
1. Spend time with them without expecting them to do anything.
just go into the field with your horse and spend some time with them or take them into an arena and just chill with them, they will probably want to explore rather than be with you for the first couple of times,
but be patient with them eventually they will come hang out with you. you also give them things to play with such as a horse ball or trap just observe them, they might not be who you thought they were,
I always thought my horse was not playful until I gave her a ball and just let her do her thing without asking anything of her, and it turned out she was playful and curious.
If you spend time with your horse in the field they will be more likely to want to be with you because they don’t have new places to explore.
We can learn a lot just by observing our horses in different situations.
2. Give Them Scratches.
you can give your horse scratches while you are spending time with them.
try and find their favorite spot most horses have one, my horse’s favorite spot is on her belly.
you might think this is very useless and it’s only to make your horse like you while it will do that, it also helps you to learn to communicate with each other,
if you listen they will tell you where they want to be scratched, and they will also tell you where not to scratch.
3. Let Them Talk.
Horses will start bucking, biting, and kicking if you don’t listen to their small signs, bucking does not start as a bad habit although it can turn into one.
If you let them talk, horses will also tell you if they are uncomfortable or in pain.
and a good friend will also listen as much as they talk, so if you let your horse talk they will be more likely to look at you as a friend also making them a more confident horse.
4. Don’t Punish Them.
horse don’t understand punishment and it will most likely just make them scared and tense, don’t get me wrong not punishing your horse does not mean you should never use a whip or reinforce what you are asking your horse to do.
not punishing your horse means don’t get mad and reactive towards your horse, your horse can feel your energy and mental state,
and you can do the same thing to your horse with a different energy and it will have a different meaning to your horse.
training your horse with fear will give you results but you won’t be able to take them as far and it will ruin your relationship with them.
horse training is just as much about becoming a better person as it is teaching your horse, if you let them they will teach you a lot about yourself.
5. Graze Them On A Lead
this will teach them that they don’t have to work every time they are with you which will make you seem more like a friend than just a master that makes them work all the time.
hand grazing your can greatly improve your relationship with your horses.
just take your horse out and hand graze them for a few minutes you can even do this after a ride.
Can we just take a moment and appreciate these amazing animals!
I hope these tips and wish you the best relationship with your horse!
