Trisha wren ~ Connect With Your Horse

You’re having some kind of problem with your horse, and it seems like he either just doesn’t understand what you’re asking him to do, or is deliberately misunderstanding you. Maybe you have an idea that he’s trying to tell you something, but just have no clue what it is. You’re getting frustrated, and are fast approaching a stalemate. Sound familiar?

Is it possible that your horse might be trying to tell you something, and if so, what will your response be? Is your relationship with your horse an equal partnership, or are you the boss? Does he get any say in decisions which affect him, or do you expect him to go along unquestioningly with the decisions you make for him? Perhaps you let him have a say or make decisions in some circumstances, eg when hacking you let him pick the direction, or decide where to put his feet when the terrain is tricky. But if he really doesn’t want to go in a certain direction, or maybe doesn’t even want to leave his field or buddies today, do you take that opinion into account, or over-rule it without thought?

If you really want to improve your relationship with your horse, it pays to give him some say. Now, obviously if he never wants to do a certain thing then you may have an entirely different problem! But, if it’s something he’s generally okay with, at the very first sign of an issue stop and think about what’s going on. He may be trying to tell you he just doesn’t feel like it today, that he’s sore, or scared. It’s our responsibility to try to do the right thing for our horse, and if that means changing your plan midstream, so be it. Have you ever had someone insist you do something you really didn’t want to do? I bet you didn’t enjoy it much, and it probably coloured your feelings about that person. The added benefit of allowing your horse to make choices is that when you really do need him to do a certain thing he’ll be much more likely to try for you. If you always say ‘No’ to him, you’ll eat away at any inclination he has to try, or to be interested.

So, first things first; pay attention to your horse’s body language, his moods, likes and dislikes. As soon as you get the feeling your horse is trying to tell you something – usually because he acts differently than you expected under the circumstances – stop for a second and think about what that might be. Re-evaluate your plan for the day if necessary, and spend time on what your horse is telling you he needs help with, rather that forging on and ignoring his opinion. Often when a horse balks at something he is actually trying to tell you that that is the area he needs to work on. For instance, if your plan was to go for a trail ride or do some schooling in the arena but all of a sudden your horse doesn’t want to be caught or leave his buddies, then maybe what you need to work on today is catching, and forget the rest. If you go ahead with your original plan, not only will you be likely to have the catching problem again next time but probably you won’t achieve what you were aiming for in your ride anyway, because you aren’t listening to your horse. If your horse seems worried about something, like a certain spot on the trail, work where he is comfortable and gradually expand into the more difficult area, retreating before he gets worried again, rather than getting big, telling him he’s being silly, and forcing him on. Take the time that it takes and work with him, rather than against him.

Obviously there are times (the vet or farrier is coming for instance) where you need to just get the job done, but if you pay attention to your horse’s opinions the rest of the time you should find that he’ll be happy to go along with yours when you need him to.

Trisha