There are two primary concerns when developing a relationship with your horse: You must develop control of the horse, and the horse has to trust you. To develop control, start on the ground by making the horse back away from you, come to you, and move his shoulder and hip away when asked. You can do these things by using a small whip and tapping on the horse's chest, shoulder, or hip, depending on which way you want him to move. As soon as he moves, quit tapping and pet him. The horse will learn to move away without being afraid. As you get control on the ground, use the same technique while mounted to move the same body parts. When you can back the horse and move his shoulders or hip, you will be able to negotiate trail obstacles or teach various maneuvers as desired. Trust comes in the relationship when the horse knows you will not do anything to him or will stop correcting him as soon as he responds correctly. To help develop a bond and trust with the horse, spend time rubbing and petting the horse. Don't let the horse be disrespectful while you are petting him. Head shyness may be caused by previous experience, natural sensitivity, or lack of trust. In each case, try rubbing his face, lips, ears, etc. until he relaxes. If the behavior is extreme, you can use a whip or rope to swing around his head until he learns to accept it and relaxes. In this exercise, it is important to keep swinging until the horse stops. If you quit when he flees or tries to escape, he will be rewarded for fleeing. Always keep swinging until the horse stops. You may need to do this exercise in a stall initially.

Browse related Faqs by tag: horses