Even if you are not the best rider in the world the one thing you can do to drastically improve your riding and relationship with your horse is to be consistent.

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Being consistent in the following ways will make you a better rider and your horse better behaved:

• Ride regularly
• Consistently try to do better
• Keep your hands soft
• Give clear signals
• Pick a direction and commit to it
• Pick an exercise and commit to it
• Have a plan before you get to the barn for what you will do with the horse

If a horse puts up a fight, he just found a hole in your riding. It’s more than likely rider error and not the horse.   Push through and get what you want accomplished.  Don’t give up and let the horse win, be it he wants to be lazy or turn the opposite direction of what you want.  Horses are lazy and if they think they have a chance of getting what they want they will put up a fight.  If you consistently don’t give up when they fight you, they will start to give in much quicker because it won’t be worth their energy to fight when they are not going to win anyway.  But you have to show them you won’t give up by not giving up consistently.

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When your horse won’t do something that you want him to do, keep your mouth quiet.  Don’t complain, whine, or try and have a conversation with the horse. The reason I say this is because all of the energy that you should be using with your body to move the horse forward will come out your mouth and be wasted.  You can say a simple word such as “walk”, but don’t start a conversation of useless words the horse does not understand anyway.  A horse certainly can understand the word “walk” but not, “Come on will you just walk already, come on, he won’t walk!  blah blah blah”.  Your energy will not be focused on the horse when you do this.  Concentrate quietly and focus on the desired result.

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If I drew a picture of what it looks like when a rider tries to reason with a horse by talking or complaining, the picture would be of a horse fighting a rider and the rider would have almost no energy radiating from his or her legs or hands they would be almost limp, and all the energy would all be radiating from the riders mouth floating up to the sky and never touching the horse.

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Of course technique is important, but that will come with time. Be consistent with what ability you do have and in no time you will be able to much more enjoy your horse.

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o

OfOO

Tags: horse psychology, horse training, Horseback Riding

4 Comments to Help Your Horse Do What YOU Want

photogchic
July 28, 2009

I think a good goal to have every time you leave the barn, is to leave with a better horse than you had when you arrived. All the things you listed to stay consistent make all the difference. Good reminders!

Tina
July 28, 2009

I loved the consistent list, I’ve never thought of it that way. I’m pretty much a beginner, and that will help me out tremendously.
You’re example with “walking” hit the nail on the head though with my new horse - what is the best way working with cues with a lazy horse? I don’t want to “nag”.
Keep the great articles coming….

Haygain
July 30, 2009

Thanks for the article Deanna. Some very useful tips. I certainly agree the key is consistency and showing the horse who’s boss!

Keep up the good work!

Victoria Wood
August 6, 2009

I just found your website and really enjoyed your comments on consisstency. I googled “when my horse goes the opposite of what I want” and you came up. I printed your list of consistency. Thank you and I will be checking back. I am taking lessons on my seven-year-old mare who has had a lot of training but I am a “one-year” riding student. Thanks for giving my realistic goals. I absolutely love spending time on my mare, so she gets riding almost every day.

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