In general, a horse's fidelity largely depends on the type of training or taming it receives. A horse that follows its lead out of respect is much more pleasant than a horse that follows its lead out of fear. Follow these tips to develop a bond of trust with your horse while taming it.
Step
Part 1 of 5: Starting Taming
Step 1. Earn the horse's trust
Having a personal relationship with a horse is a must in order to earn its trust, so you can train it in the future. Spend time with your horse every day, starting with approaching and grooming him. Grooming helps you connect with the horse and develop a bond between the two of you. Work with him in the fields, giving him time to develop confidence in yourself. Talk to him and calm him down if he is afraid of something.
- Horses are prey animals, so they are easily frightened. If your horse doesn't grow up around people, it may be afraid of people.
- If your horse is too young to train, immediately familiarize the horse with the presence of humans to gain his trust.
- You should spend a lot of time gaining the horse's trust before starting to train it.
Step 2. Practice safely
Horses are powerful animals that can cause a lot of damage. When training your horse, make sure you are safe yourself. Stay in an area where the horse can see you. If you have to move to an area out of sight, stroke the horse by its side so it knows where you're going.
- The best location for standing is to the left of the horse's body, at ear level, pointing at its head. This point is the easiest point for the horse to see you.
- Talk to your horse when you're out of sight. This helps him know where you are.
- Don't walk behind your horse. Don't even stand right in front of him.
- Do not kneel or sit around the horse. When you're working on the nails, bend over instead of crouching.
Step 3. Tame the horse step by step
Taming a horse is a slow process. You should familiarize yourself with each step before moving on to the next. When you train a horse, any new concepts you introduce should build on the previous concepts you have taught. Remember, make sure the horse does develop a habit, otherwise it won't really be trained.
- Do not ever give up. Some steps may be easier for your horse than others. Taming a horse requires a strong commitment.
- End each study session with success. Even if the progress is minimal, for example the horse finally lets you hold the collar close to its face, make sure you end the training session well.
Step 4. Never get mad at the horse
Never yell, hit, throw things at him, or act aggressively. This can frighten the horse and destroy its confidence in you. Talk to the horse in a calm, low voice.
If the horse disobeys, rebuke him calmly without showing aggression. Try using the "shh" sound to tell the horse that it is doing something wrong
Step 5. Reward the horse if he succeeds in something
Positive favors like this help train the horse to do what you want. This includes giving treats or petting them. You can also use negative reinforcements, including finger thrusts or whip tapping (if the horse isn't afraid of whips). You can also try gently tugging at him, patting him, or pressing his feet.
Never use negative favors in frightening or painful movements. Your movements should be consistent and steady, not sudden. Continue the negative assist step until the horse understands the error. Stop as soon as the horse does the right thing
Part 2 of 5: Familiarizing the Horse with Dumbbells
Step 1. Get the horse used to your hands
The first way to start dumbbell training is to familiarize your horse with having your hands near his head, ears and neck. Stay within sight of the horse so you don't scare him. Extend your hand slowly. If you do it too quickly, he may misinterpret your actions. Keep doing this until you can touch the horse.
- Make sure you give your horse a verbal compliment every time he makes an upgrade. This increase could be a hand getting closer to his face, or him letting you touch him for a few seconds.
- Reward the horse for every success he gets. Do this by giving him a snack.
Step 2. Familiarize the horse with dumbbells
Start by letting the horse see and smell the dumbbell in your hand. For the first few days, keep dumbbells nearby and let them see and smell and recognize that they are harmless. Then, start slowly placing the dumbbells over his nose and on his head. At first, you may be better off leaving the dumbbells unlocked. Once your horse gets used to this, you can lock the dumbbells behind their ears.
- You may need a few tries. Stay patient and calm and try to make a little progress every day.
- Leave the dumbbells in place for a few days after you've successfully put them on.
Step 3. Introduce the bridle to the horse
Start by introducing the bridle along with the dumbbells to the horse. Gently rub the bridle all over the horse's face. Try getting the horse to open its mouth to bite the reins. Be very gentle.
Step 4. Add the drill section
In addition to familiarizing your horse with dumbbells, you should also get used to using a drill. Gently introduce the drill in the horse's mouth. First of all, do this only for a few minutes. Develop the introductory stage by putting the drill in the mouth for a longer time.
Adding a layer of molasses can help make the horse more willing to put the drill in its mouth, as well as make the experience more enjoyable for the horse
Step 5. Put on the earplugs
Once the drill is in the horse's mouth and the horse doesn't struggle, place the earplugs over the horse's ears. Don't fasten the belt just yet.
Fasten this belt gradually. Remember, let the horse get used to the presence of the bridle on the head and ears first
Part 3 of 5: Teaching a Horse to Do the Lunge
Step 1. Understand how
Lunge, or training a horse on a leash, involves you leading the horse around the arena as you train it. While you are doing the process, which is called longing, use the largest circle. Hoops that are too small can hurt the horse's legs, ligaments, and tendons. Make sure the minimum diameter of your circle is at least 1.8 km.
When you start training your horse to lunge, don't take it longer than 10 minutes in each direction. Prepare your horse gradually for longer training sessions, as long periods of longing can be very taxing on the horse's body. Longing should only last for 15 to 20 minutes
Step 2. Train the horse from the bottom
Before attempting to ride him, you should try to familiarize him with you trying to ride him off the ground. Attach the lunge strap to the horse dumbbell.
Step 3. Make the lunge strap comfortable in the horse's mouth
If you hit the drill hard, the horse can become uncomfortable. Horses will be afraid to go long if they feel uncomfortable or sick.
Move the body with your horse to keep the lunge string taut enough. The horse will eventually accept this level of rope tension and walk in a circular motion to maintain it, instead of trying to push and pull it
Step 4. Do the longing exercise
Longing is the process of demonstrating leadership by training the horse in the arena. Take time at least once a day to long your horse. Use your body language to guide and accelerate the horse's run. Gradually increase the speed and intensity of the longing until the horse can fully caner while listening to your instructions.
- You can ask for help from people who are standing behind you or near you, while moving with you during the longing process. Whenever a horse tries to turn inward, have this person return the horse to its circle.
- Never touch the horse during the longing process; all instructions should be given through changes in energy and body position, or by swinging the end of your lunge string.
- Longing is an exercise of trust; each time the horse does as you command, take your eyes off its eyes and release the pressure.
Step 5. Train the horse to follow your commands
Teach the horse to walk right next to you, while leading it on the leash. As the horse moves in a circle around you, you must teach the command by voice. Introduce the horse to the words: "hold," "stand," "walk," and "back." Make sure you train your horse so that it understands the "hold" and "walk" commands before doing anything else. Then you can introduce him to faster movement commands, such as "trot."
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Try using the word "wait" instead of "hold".
The "wow" command is only for when riding, so the horse slows down
Step 6. Teach the horse to respect your personal space
The horse will test you as you train it by guiding it. He may try to push you off track, to show that he wants to lead. You must remain assertive and let him know that you are the leader. When the horse moves too close to you, press the horse's ribs at a distance of about 30 cm behind the shoulders. This is the point used by the leader of the herd to discipline members of the herd. The horse will move to the side and give you space.
Step 7. Teach the horse to respond to pressure
Horses must learn to respond to pressure on the dumbbells. Attach the guide harness to the dumbbells. Stand on the left side near the horse in parallel with the upright. Hold the rope a few inches below the clip. Pull the rope to the right, away from you, and the horse will follow the direction of the rope and turn its head to the right. Immediately relieve the pressure and use positive help.
- Alternatively, stand to the right of the horse. Pull the lead harness to the right to squeeze the horse. Horses will learn to turn their heads towards you with this command.
- Repeat the same way to turn the horse's head to the left. Do the same thing, except in the direction of withdrawal.
- Do the same for the forward and backward directions, applying pressure to the dumbbells in the same direction.
- Horses will learn to follow the pressure to relieve it.
Part 4 of 5: Familiarizing the Horse with the Saddle
Step 1. Introduce the saddle
The horse must get used to the weight and the sound of the saddle on its back. As with dumbbells and drills, take a few days to get used to the sound of the saddle, its smell, and its appearance.
Once the horse is used to the presence of the saddle, hold the saddle on the horse's back without touching it
Step 2. Place a saddle pad (if you ride British style) or a saddle blanket (if you ride Western style) on the horse
Once the horse is used to it, place a saddle pad/blanket on its back. Leave it for only a few minutes. Then, if the horse responds well, remove the saddle. Repeat several times. Do this on both sides so the horse gets used to the occasional saddle from different sides.
- If the horse becomes so frightened that it gets out of control, immediately lift the saddle pad/blanket and try again when he is less stressed.
- Whether it's Western or British riding style, if the horse saddle doesn't fit well, and you plan on showing off or want it to look 'more beautiful', you can introduce both, as the saddle covers give the horse a bit of comfort, while the saddle pads provide great comfort. more though not very pleasing to the eye. If the saddle is snug and fits the horse, the padding is optional.
Step 3. Place the saddle on the horse
Introduce the saddle slowly to the horse. Make sure the horse is soothed through talking and petting. Leave the saddle in place for a few minutes, then remove it. Do the installation of the saddle from both sides of the horse's body.
Make sure you remove any hair and tangles when getting your horse used to the saddle
Step 4. Tighten the horse's bridle
Do this very slowly. Tighten the reins a little bit each day, especially if the horse seems to get scared easily. If he gets too scared, stop and familiarize himself with the stake.
When the horse allows the bridle to be fully tightened, gently lean your body against its back
Step 5. Introduce and familiarize the horse with stirrups
Next, do the longing with the saddle attached and the stirrup lowered. This will help familiarize the horse with objects attached to its sides and legs. Begin also to place the leather back on the saddle.
Do it slowly. Introduce objects one by one. Let the horse's fear of an object subside before you introduce him to something new
Step 6. Do longing with a saddle
When the horse is able to saddle for a longer period of time, begin the process of longing around the ring with the saddle attached.
Part 5 of 5: Training a Horse to Ride
Step 1. Prepare the horse for you to ride
Up to this point, the horse may only ever look at you at eye level or below. Move the horse near the fence post. Climb the fence and stand at a point that is above the horse's head.
Step 2. Introduce the weight on the horse's back
Enlist the help of an experienced equestrian to help with this. First, raise the rider and have him lie down on the saddle. The rider must increase his weight little by little so that the horse is not frightened.
When the horse accepts this, pet him and give him a treat
Step 3. Get on the horse's back
The rider must place his left foot on the stirrup slowly and slowly. Keeping the weight on the horse's back, ask the rider to swing the right leg over the horse's back. Make sure the rider doesn't kick the horse. Then, the rider must put his right foot on the right stirrup.
Remind the rider to keep his body low because the horse will be afraid if he sees someone on his back. Ask the rider to hold the saddle firmly, but not grip the reins too tightly because pulling it off will scare the horse even more
Step 4. Guide the horse to walk slowly
With the rider on his back, lead the horse to walk slowly and gradually move away from him.
Have the rider hold the rope and start making gentle contact with the horse's mouth so the horse doesn't get scared. Ask the rider to walk the horse with verbal commands and small squeezes
Step 5. Try riding a horse
Once the horseman is experienced at riding it, you should try riding your own horse. Riding a horse in the first place can be very dangerous, and should not be done without the supervision of an experienced horse nurse or trainer. Ride the horse carefully and make sure you don't kick or pinch it. Let the horse go a few steps, stop it, then dismount.
- Increase your riding time in the saddle for a few weeks or months. Don't try to increase the speed until the horse is 100% used to walking with you sitting on its back.
- It may take you a year or more before you can do the trot and canter trick with your horse. Don't rush, because horses can become frightened or develop bad habits.
Tips
- Use one-word commands and keep the words the same so the horse doesn't get confused.
- Calm the horse if its ears move back or if it shows signs of fear.
- Each horse has a different taming time so it can tolerate the activity successfully. Study the clues your horse gives you so you know when he's reached his limit.
- Always warm up and cool down with the horse before and after a taming session.
- Before attempting a new task of taming a horse, practice or review the tasks the horse has learned and develop those tasks.
- Before you ride your horse, jump up and down next to him to make sure he doesn't freak out when you ride him. Once you've done this, tap the saddle a few times to let him know what's going to happen.
- If your horse seems afraid of an exercise, calm himself down and do another exercise he's accustomed to. Then, try again at a later date.
- Tell your horse who's boss. If he's angry, don't stop. Quitting will only make the horse think it can escape training.
- Know that it's almost impossible to tame a horse if you've never done it before. It is better to pay a horse trainer than to run the risk of being attacked and dying.
Warning
- Always be alert and pay attention to the horse's body language. If the horse moves his ears or front paws, calm himself. Or, give him a break. This may mean that he is tired and starting to become irritated, panicked, or confused. Remember, you need time, not force.
- Horses receive cues from your emotions and body language. If you are tense and anxious, the horse will too.
- Be careful around horses with their ears stuck. A horse with ears pointing back means it is listening to something behind it; but if these ears are pressed against his head, he is frustrated and ready to bite or scare the other party – either you or another horse.
- Horses are not ready to be ridden until they are 2 years old. If you start riding before, the horse can be injured for life.
