HORSE AND RIDER RELATIONSHIP

Horses live in the wild like most animals and travel around in herds to protect each other from predators. When a horse is domesticated, it is hard for it to adjust quickly because of its wild nature. Some of them might even think of us humans as predators, which could be true. They are hunted for parts and horses have no problem remembering all the horrible experiences, such as being hunted, because they can store information for 10years or more. So bearing this in mind, new horse owners and trainers should expect them to act stubborn and seem brainless.

Horses can be tamed when they are understood and believe they can trust the trainer. How do you gain their trust? A trainer will need to build a strong relationship with the horse by being very patient, understanding and spend quality time together. You will find out at this time that our horse can be as loyal as other domestic animals.

When humans have that good bond with horses, it’s like an extension of their behaviour in the wild. Since they value their own horse relatives, they are open to new, non-threatening friends. Their excellent memory capacity which they use for problem solving strategies allows them to remember their human friends even after long separation.

However, when the horse-human bond is established, there is one thing a trainer or owner needs to consider when trying to make the relationship stable; dominance. To dominate, you need to act like the alpha horse. The alpha horse makes decisions, it decides when to eat, walk, play and rest. Also the foundation of you being the alpha is important as it is something they will use to recognise you. Therefore it would be good to be in your full riding gear; horse riding boots, clothing and riding helmet when you approach them in the barn. The trainer should then communicate with the horse verbally and non-verbally from the moment he or she walks the horse out of the stalls. Dominance can be maintained if you display gestures which the horse can relate to, such as the movement of different body parts from time to time. When you are assured the horse recognises your leadership, you can then start to spend time with it in the field. The more time you spend around the pasture with the horse, the quicker the horse will view you as a friend and in turn will make it easier for you to train it.

In summary, if you feel that you are struggling to connect with your horse, these are the questions that you should ask yourself:

·         Do you observe your horse?

·         Do you honestly understand what they do naturally?

·         Do you practice acting like your horse to break down the language barrier?

·         Do you stay patient and positive when things don’t go as planned?

·         Do you spend time with your horse?

·         Do you practice being gentle and reinforce good behaviour with your horse?

When all the above questions are answered with a ‘yes’, the bond between you and your horse will not only help the horse but it will also aid you when training and riding the horse through the development of trust and confidence with the horse.