Your Horse - Your Partner

Getting along with a horse does not come automatically. There are some horses that, no matter what you do, you will never win them over. I know. I have had a few of those. But, for those horses that can become your friend, you have to remember he will also become your partner. You have to be partners in what you do as you are working together.

In order to achieve this partnership, you have to gain the horse's trust. That can take time especially if it is a horse you bought. When you buy a horse, he doesn't know you and you really don't know him yet. This is the time to start getting to know one another. You may ride differently than he is used to. You may use a lot of leg and this is a horse that doesn't like a lot of leg. Further, maybe your hands aren't as quiet as he would like. Give it time. You need to listen to what he is saying to you.

Horses speak to us in many different way when we ride them. Horses talk to us through body language. One way they communicate is with their ears. When a horse pins his ears back, you know there is something that is bothering him. It is your job to figure out what that is. It may not necessarily have anything to do with what your doing. It could be that another horse is too close to him or there is a fly on him. If it is something you have done, a horse will more than likely use his tail to tell you. If you kick a horse, and he starts swishing or spinning his tail, he's probably not liking the fact you kicked him. If you kick him and he bucks, that is another sign that he isn't liking it. You can't give into all of his signs. You hope, as your partnership goes on, that you will both give in a little bit until you are at a place where you've adjusted your riding to fit his style and he's adjusted some of his like and dislikes to fit your style.

One way to earn a horse's trust is in his stall. When you first get a horse, you have to start building a bond with him. Spend a lot of time in his stall talking to him and petting him and giving him a lot of treats. You also have to make sure he is comfortable. Make sure all the sheets and blankets you put on him fit and are clean. You don't want anything to rub on him that may bother him. Many times we will use blankets that have come from another horse, but they don't necessarily fit the new one. A blanket that is too small can pinch and rub and make him crabby for the day. That's one day lost in gaining trust.

As time goes on and you learn to listen and whisper to your horse as Monty Roberts says, you and he will develop a true partnership that should go on for many years to come. Always think of your horse as your dance partner. You will not be successful unless you move together.

by Nina Kraus - 10/03/08

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