If you have not studied horse training in any detail you will need to be aware that the topic can be hard to make sense of. Even more perplexing is a horse with behavioural issues.This causes the owner to be frustrated and stressed. Many simply do not realise that the issue usually lies with the trainer and not the horse.

The initial process is attempting to decipher the horse’s behaviour. Most riders will have experienced at some point or another a horse becoming spooked. This means that the horse is agitated and nervous and frightened that something is going to “get him”. Every time the horse and rider go for a ride it is not a relaxing moment for either one of them.

Let’s assume the rider is causing the horse to spook, so we must find out how the rider is doing this. An inexperienced rider may not be aware that he is sitting tensely in the saddle. He may also be stiff and white knuckled from gripping the reins too tightly. The horse is able to sense these things and is capable of feeling the same tension or apprehension that the rider is feeling. A horse can get into the habit of feeling this way. This will make the horse’s spookiness also the rider’s spookiness because the rider and the horse are intensifying each other’s fears to the point where their anxieties will grow by leaps and bounds.

The rider must first take responsibilty for his actions and reasoning and then later in the horse. You must try and loosen up in the saddle. If you lighten up and have fun, the horse will recognise this and signal that he is aware of the change. Then you should talk to him to increase his confidence. The horse’s behaviour will swiftly alter resulting in a more relaxed horse to ride.

It is important to note that the rider is training the horse simply by riding it. Every time you interact with your animal you are teaching him. The horse will respond in accordance to the praise and encouragement that he is awarded. If the encouragement is consistent, the horse’s reaction will become a habit. If the stimulus is tense and agitated, it leads to fear and results in a spooky horse.

This is just an example of how you can be the reason for the horse’s poor and negative behaviour. Now this is not a hundred percent accurate but is a very good place to start. In many cases, it is where the issues began.

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