How to Get One's Horse to Trust and Respect One
Having a horse is a fantasy-come-true for many but with ownership comes the need to control your horse and instill trust and respect. Learning to understand your horse's body language and actions helps you correct a disrespectful horse.
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Instructions
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Imprint a newborn foal by touching, hugging and brushing from the moment of birth. Horse experts suggest immediate contact with the newborn to create a bond with humans. Continue the imprinting everyday as the foal grows.
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Control the time you and your horse spend together. This may not be possible at first if your horse is skittish and you've allowed a pattern of the horse disrespect but it should be the ultimate goal. Work with a horse in a small corral or a round pen.
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Instill respect by bonding if you have an older horse that exhibits aggression. Making sure you're in a safe position; rub the horse's nose, muzzle and neck, massaging and speaking the entire time. If the horse shows signs of stress, let it go elsewhere in the corral. When he settles down, calmly approach him and begin the bonding again. Repeat this step as often as you can.
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Keep a horse with a tendency to rear moving forward when you're riding. Rearing is usually a sign of disrespect to the rider but your horse can't rear when he's moving forward. If he stops and sets his haunches, click your tongue, lean forward and use your feet to kick his sides, encouraging him to keep going.
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Address fear issues by bringing the object of fear into the corral and leaving it for your horse to examine in his own time. As he realizes the item is not a horse-eating monster, he will calm down, allowing you to work with him.
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Spend as much time as possible with your horse to decrease his unease. Fear is the biggest factor in horse disrespect. The more you interact with him, the more comfortable he will become.
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Keep yourself safe. If your horse spins, facing his rear towards you, get out of the way. Likewise, if he holds his ears back against his head, he is exhibiting tension. Approach with caution.
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Tips & Warnings
Severe horse aggression should be addressed by a trained professional.
