Below is a description of some basic hand-on exercises which may be used when training your horse. It is important to get these exercises right first, as this is how you and the horse will become familiar with each other and build a trusting relationship. It is the groundwork that will pave the way for future training. Your horse needs to be taught how to respect your personal space bubble in the interests of safety.

To achieve success in horse training you will need to have patience, be persistent and give lots of positive reinforcement and praise to your horse. These are the 3 P’s of basic horse training that will serve you well no matter what level you are training or what you might be training for in the future.

1. Groom your horse. Grooming represents more than just a perfect first exercise for you and your horse. Your horse will get to know you during this quality time together, and vice verse. Brush his neck and back as you stand beside him. It is not unusual for the horse to bring his teeth around to you for a little love bite. Horses do this to each other, but may not do it to humans. You can discourage this easily enough by the wave of a hand or by pushing his head back to the straight position. It must be made clear from the beginning that this is not acceptable – particularly as a horse’s teeth are so big. Be calm and patient. He’ll soon understand and cooperate. Nothing will be gained from smacking, shouting or getting angry with your horse. That will set your trust level backwards.

2. Lead your horse. With the lead rope in your right hand, walk beside your horse on his left side while holding the rope just below his chin. Step forward and walk slowly. He should remain at your right side and never try to go ahead of you. If he does, walk around to your left in a circle. Do this as many times as necessary. Be persistent. By circling to your left you will stay just ahead of him as it should be. If, on the other hand, your horse doesn’t want to walk with you, stand slightly behind at his shoulder facing the same direction. While holding the rope close to his chin, push forward gently. His first step should elicit praise and positive reinforcement from yourself. When he starts to walk willingly, take your place slightly ahead of him and walk on. Never wrap the lead rope around any part of yourself – this is for your own safety. If the horse should suddenly bolt he will drag you along too and you will almost certainly be injured.

3. Lunge your horse.This exercise is fantastic and is used by every trainer and most horse owners I’ve ever known no matter what the horse’s function is. It will help you to get closer to saddle work by teaching the horse many of the skills, cues and commands he will need.

In a large open area (an arena works, too, if you don’t have a round enclosure) clip your horse to a lunge lead specifically for lunging. This will be a long rope – about ten metres – much longer than the rope you would use for leading. Clip the lead to the horse’s left halter side and hold the lead in your left hand. Face your horse’s left side to begin, whilst holding the lunge rope. Hold a lunge whip in your right hand which you’ll use to guide him along. Now step to your right sideways toward the rear of the horse while holding the whip out behind him. The natural reaction will be for the horse to step forward. Now let out the rope as you follow behind the horse to the left side, making a kissing sound as you do so. Soon that sound will come to mean “move forward” to your horse. Just hold the whip slightly behind the horse’s hindquarters as you are turning and the horse is moving in a circle around you. You do not use the whip for hitting. You just need to wave it a bit to get the horse’s attention.

Now, as he moves forward, you should move yourself slowly backwards, so that you come to the centre of your training circle. Stand in the middle and turn in a circle with the lunge line fully extended and the horse walking around you in a good circle. Watch your horse’s hip area as he’s going round.

Here you can teach him the “whoa” command. In a low, calm voice, say the word “whoooaa”. At the same time, step toward your horse’s head and repeat the word. Remember to give him lots of praise along with a bit of a neck rub when he stops. This positive reinforcement will help him to remember what to do next time.

Changing your position now will allow you to lunge your horse in an anti-clockwise manner. It’s done in the same way, but with the lead clipped to the right side of the halter and the lunge whip in the left hand.

These exercises are simple ways to get you started when traiing your horse. Bear in mind that a horse is a huge and powerful creature. This alone should be enough to remind you to have adequate horse insurance in place should either you or your equine be injured. Safety and trust is crucial to your success in training ventures and in all future activities. As well as a loyal friend, your horse is also an investment, so remember to protect that investment against theft, accident or misadventure by making sure you compare horse insurance policies to ensure you are getting the best level of cover for both of your needs.