How to Ride a Disobedient Horse

Horses not only come in many varieties, but like people they also come with a very wide range of personalities. Some horses are docile while others are stubborn and require serious riding skills to handle them. In most cases the harder the horse is to handle, the more intelligent he is. When a horse is very smart, the rider must use her brain to anticipate his moves, ultimately to outsmart him, to earn respect and create a good ride.

Instructions

1. Lunge or give your horse some other form of controlled exercise before mounting him. Many times a disobedient horse can be much worse if he has been loose in the pasture with his friends or if he has a lot of pent-up energy. Working some of this excess energy out of his system makes for a safer and more controlled ride. The reason you should keep his exercise before a ride controlled is to communicate that you are in control both before and after you mount him. Another benefit of exercising him before riding is that you will be able to get a sense of what kind of mood he is currently in and what kind of behavior he is likely to display during your ride. Having this knowledge assists you in preparing for all the stunts the horse may try to pull on you.

2. Let your horse know exactly what is expected of him and that there will be consequences if he does not obey. This type of treatment toward a horse may sound rather harsh to some, though in reality it is not. Riding a horse is like teaching a child: You must be firm and clear until he carries out your command, which can be followed with rewards. As you ride, be clear with your hand signals and use a lot of leg. You don’t need to be aggressive unless your horse is misbehaving. As long as you are very clear and very firm in your riding, your horse should begin to listen. Be deliberate and apply force to your actions to let the animal know that you mean business.

3. Keep your horse’s brain occupied by keeping him thinking about what’s being asked of him. Some horses who are very difficult to ride are just very smart, and when they get bored they become crafty and take advantage of the rider. The more complicated you make your routine, the more control over your horse you will obtain. Circles and many other patterns are great things to do with your animal. Also, working off the rail and doing many different gaits (both collected, normal and extended) should work to give your horse and you a great workout and keep him from getting bored.

4. Anticipate your horse’s movements. As you ride, it’s very important that you never stop thinking because when you do is when your horse finds a way to take advantage of you. When you are on the horse, think about everything you want your horse to do, then make that happen before he has a chance to react. As you ask for something, think about what your horse may do as a reaction and be prepared to deal with this movement. Being able to do this makes it nearly impossible for your horse to have the chance to act inappropriately.

5. Ride through a problem when it arises. If your horse pulls something over on you, do not let it go. If you do not acknowledge that he misbehaved, then he will start to become more and more unmanageable. But you still don’t need to be extremely aggressive. In the scenario that your horse has acted up, be a little more firm and aggressive, but do not overreact. Ask for the same thing as you did when he acted up (a little variation is fine) and continue trying to get the result you want until it is achieved.

6. End your ride on a good note. Some days you and your horse are just not going to get along, and that’s okay. On days like this, you still want to find something good about your ride so that your horse knows you were in charge and you feel like you accomplished something. This same concept applies to when you’re having a good ride. If your horse is performing incredibly, don’t keep pushing him. Find a good stopping point and end the session on a good note when the ride has gone very well the same as if it was a challenging ride.

Tips & Warnings

• No matter how difficult your horse is being (unless it is beginning to get very dangerous), do not get off until you have his attention. If you get off before you have control, he will think he has won the battle and that you were too weak to handle him. If he ever gets this idea in his head, the problem can only get worse.

• If a disobedient horse begins to rear, you do need to get off unless he is beginning to be unsafe. But if a horse rears high enough, he could lose his balance and flip over on top of you, possibly causing serious injury.