Horse Training Methods

A ‘spooky’ horse is sometimes labeled a problem horse but with training it is possible to get him over his fears. Have you ever been on the ground looking up at your horse and think “I need a bomb proof horse!”?

I have, it was my first horse and it was a slightly windy day when along came a plastic bag and blew right under her. Well, she shot straight up in the air and I was thrown so far out of the saddle that when I came down, she went one way and I went straight down to the ground.

The definition of Natural Horsemanship is the philosophy of working, riding and training a horse by appealing to their herd mentality and instincts in an easy and kind manner. This method has become very popular in the past two decades and has slowly replaced inhumane practices used in some methods of training. The ultimate goal is to have a calmer, happier and more willing equine partner. 

As you train your horse, it can be frustrating when you are not sure how to communicate to your horse what you are asking of him. I have been there many times in my 22 years of horse ownership and have searched for answers through the many trainers out there with all of their various horse training methods. 

Problem horse training is a matter of educating the owner to help them solve whatever problem they may be having with their horse. The reason the horse is having a problem is not because he was born that way or has decided to act that way to frustrate their owner.

Horses do not act mean or rude because they want to, they don’t think that way. They are only reacting to a situation in which they do not understand. It is the responsibility of the horse owner to learn how to get a positive reaction through their problem horse training by understanding how to communicate on a level the horse will understand.

Learning horse training tips to establish good ground manners can make all the difference in having a well-behaved horse and one that may be a problem. A common complaint among horse owners is the lack of ground manners and without them it can detract from the pleasure of horse ownership.

1. Walk Quietly – A horse should walk beside you calmly while paying attention to you at all times. When you ask your horse to back up, or step to the side he should do so willingly without any resistance. He shouldn’t pull you, drag you, hang back or push into you. Teaching your horse to lead properly is the basis for almost every other aspect of good manners.

When trailer training a horse the ideal situation would be to start them at a very young age so when they see a trailer it’s just a normal everyday event. Unfortunately not everyone has that luxury and usually gets a horse that has already had a bad experience with a trailer.

It usually means they have been forced into a trailer with an impatient owner or maybe tossed around during the drive and had to scramble to keep standing which made them fearful. There are some horses that just simply refuse to get in because they can. Whatever their past experience is, it doesn’t change the fact that they won’t get in.