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Have you been interested in improving your horsemanship skills? Are you a natural-born horse lover but aren’t sure how to tame a horse naturally and make the horse feel safe and comfortable? The best natural horsemanship starts with patience.
Natural horsemanship won’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of effort and dedication to learn how to train a horse using the natural approach. Although this type of horse training requires much more out of the trainer than traditional training methods, it’s all worth it in the end.
When you train a horse using these methods, you create a bond between you and the animal that’ll never be broken. Are you ready to get started on your natural horsemanship journey? Continue reading below to learn how!
1. Understand Natural Horsemanship
The first thing you must do is understand what natural horsemanship is. Natural horsemanship is a training technique made up of several training methods. These methods are seen as a gentler and kinder approach to training a horse.
Natural horsemanship avoids any type of abusive training methods and focuses on understanding the horse’s natural behaviors and using that information to then train the horse. A trainer who uses these methods builds a strong connection and rapport with the horse.
2. Build Trust With the Horse
Before training the horse, pay close attention to how tame it is. Does the horse seem to trust people or react to people negatively? If there is any fear or mistrust towards humans, you’ll want to notice this now, before the training starts.
You should also understand the difference between fear of people and dislike of people. If the horse simply doesn’t like people, then it could be because the horse isn’t tamed yet and doesn’t view people as friends. One of the very first things you want to do is build a friendship and a sense of trust with the horse.
When the horse begins to trust you, you’ll see great success with your training.
3. Show the Horse You’re a Leader
Once you begin to build that trust with your horse, it’s then time to show your horse that you’re a respectable leader. You’ll need to show your horse strong leadership qualities that your horse would otherwise see in the leader of the herd.
Your horse should respect your personal space and also feel safe with you taking it away from the herd. It could be unsettling for a horse to be led away from the herd or its safe place. The horse might resist going with someone who hasn’t gained its trust yet.
When you gain that trust, you can lead your horse where ever you’d like without resistance.
4. Learn to Communicate Well
Trust, leadership, and friendship make up a strong foundation, but you also need to learn how to communicate well. Take the time to understand your horse and teach your horse how to understand you. Try to utilize intent-based communication with your horse when possible.
You’ll want to teach your horse the intent behind the different signals you give it. Your horse should eventually be able to read your body language and know what’s expected of it.
5. Practice Approach and Retreat
The approach and retreat method will help build confidence in your horse. This method gives your horse time to overcome its fears or anxiety. For example, if your horse is afraid of having the saddle placed on it, then you’ll want to help your horse get used to it.
Rather than simply throwing the saddle on the horse, place the saddle near the horse. Then, remove it from near the horse. Do this a few times to teach the horse that it’s safe.
Gradually place the saddle closer and closer to the horse until you’re finally able to place it on the horse. You can use this technique with several other situations as well.
6. Use the Pressure and Release Technique
The next method to try is the pressure and release method. This method will take great patience also but will work well for your horse. Here’s an example of how to use the pressure and release technique with your horse.
If your horse was hesitant to walk into the stable, then the last thing you’d want to do is force them in there. Instead, you’ll want to take hold of the rope and tightly grip it. Wait for the horse to take a step in the right direction and then release some of that pressure.
Do this again and again until the horse has entered the stable. There are many situations that you could use this method for as well.
7. Consider Rewards and Consequences
Rewards and consequences work well for horses also. When your horse does something you wanted it to do, then you can reward it with an apple or carrot. When your horse does something you’d rather it not do, such as step on your foot, you can use a stick to prod or push the horse quickly away to teach it that it didn’t make a good decision.
Both methods are accepted in natural horsemanship, but it’s best to focus more on rewarding good behavior and positive reinforcement.
8. Start by Training Yourself
Unless you have experience working with horses, no one will expect you to wake up in the morning and know how to properly train a horse. Not everyone has experience using natural methods either. Never feel discouraged if you need to receive some training yourself.
You can consider bringing your horse to professional trainers who have the experience needed to train a horse using natural horsemanship. You can then learn some of the best methods from the professionals, such as those at Liberty Horse Training as they work with your horse.
With Patience, You Can Achieve Natural Horsemanship
Natural horsemanship takes lots of time and patience. It won’t happen overnight, but if you understand it’s a process and take the time to put in the effort, you and your horse will reap all the many benefits.
Are you interested in other topics as helpful as this one? Be sure to check back here frequently for more.
