Q&A for How to Bond With Your Horse Using Natural Horsemanship

The simplest answer would be time. The more time you spend with the horse, the more trust that is able to develop. Much of that happens on the ground. So before even getting on the horse, establishing that trust is really valuable. There're different activities and fun games that you can do just interacting with your horse on the ground. In order the horse to trust you, it needs to have a sense that you're its leader.

Be patient and start by grooming, patting and petting him. You have to get the horse to trust you, then you can start bonding. Try not to yell or be loud around the horse as that will spook him.

Start by getting to know your horse. Take time to bond, learning your horse's body language and allowing your horse to learn to trust you. If you continue to have difficulty, you might benefit from the help of a professional trainer.

Make sure he respects you on the ground before you get on him. Ask him for a canter, if he does one or two strides without bucking, halt and untack him. Right there, he did what you want, so he gets a break. If he does start bucking, push him out of it, have 2 or 3 strides, walk, and when you are ready, try again. Do this until he does the first few strides without bucking, and as soon as he does, get off and untack him.

Try calling its name, clicking your tongue and just holding your hand in the pen and each time the horse comes, reward it with a treat.

Not necessarily. This likely means he's energetic, excited or impatient and wants to get moving.

I would do a lot of slow work. Just because he's bred to run barrels doesn't mean he's going to know what to do. It'd be like your dad being a race car driver and then expecting you to be one. Sure it's in your blood, but you don't have the first clue how to do it. Do a lot of slow work, walking, trotting and practice drills. If you just run all the time they get burned out and sour. Watch some instructional YouTube videos or read a book if you don't have a trainer available to help you.

Make sure your horse is not in pain, if they are, get them checked out by a vet. You can always use treats in moderation to reward her when she doesn't kick, it should help to break the habit.

Your horse is showing dominance. This behavior is unacceptable, and you should fix it yourself or get a trainer to help you.

Try getting to know them. Try to figure out what they have been trained in the past and start from there.

Use a long whip if you have one. Just use it to guide her - you don't have to actually spank her with it. If she still comes to you, put a plastic bag on the end of the whip and use it as a "flag" to keep her going. She will get the idea.

Practice having your horse stand next to the mounting block with you for a couple of seconds. Then, take him away and back around again. Wait longer and longer each time until they can stand for a couple of minutes. They might be afraid of the mounting block or of you getting on because they think something bad is going to happen. If you're slow with the process, they won't be so scared.

It depends. Unless you are very small and can't straddle a horse, I would go for a small older horse. Ponies can be very willful and difficult for a beginner rider.

You can always bring a crop or a dressage crop and tap their butt when they do that to reinforce that they need to listen. You could also bring treats to encourage your horse whenever they do run properly.

She could be trying to kick you. Bring a crop with you, and when she turns, tap her with it.

This could be a sign that the horse is not used to you being on its naked back. If you don't have some kind of control, you should not be trying this.

You can build a bond every weekend, so no worries!

He may be a bit head shy and doesn't like his face being touched. Check the wikiHow article Get a Head Shy Horse To Trust You for some tips that will help with this.

Try standing in front him and slowly backing up. If he follows you, that's a game! Try getting the horse toy balls too; these help the horse's fitness.

You should not capture wild horses as they are herd animals. Separating it from its herd will cause separation anxiety at best. A scared horse can easily hurt itself or the person trying to capture it. Go to a local barn and ask if you could pet some of their horses, that is the safest way to interact with horses.

Your horse thinks he can be the boss over you, so he is trying to take advantage of you. When he strikes out, slap his neck and firmly tell him no. Yanking on his halter is good, too.

If you have an older horse that you ride, I would pony them along with you while you ride. You can also use the riding horse to teach them and not wear yourself out.

The horse first must be trained so it won't run over him or do anything else. If the horse is gentle and calm, then yes, he can try to bond with it.

Keep the lead rope end handy. When you ask it to stand, brace yourself and pull on the halter. If your horse acts like it didn't hear you and keeps walking, walk up to it, slap its underbelly with the lead rope end and tell it to stand. If the horse does this again, reach up and slap the horse's neck.

Usually that means that you are being too hard with your hands and need to soften up a little. In other cases, this could mean that the bit is too hard/sensitive. My horse does this when I am holding the reins too tight and I'm not allowing her her face.

Take a few days off from riding just to work on the ground with him. Then, try riding again, but change up your arena using circles, figure 8s, pivots, etc.

It seems like you have an instant connection with your horse. What he's doing is lowering his head so you can reach it and pet him.

It's a sign of impatience for horses to paw the ground. If he is still young, he will get more patient as he gets older. If he is old then it's just his character, just as there are impatient human beings.

You could try standing in the paddock (if that's where they rider her), and if she acts out, walk up to her and give her a little smack. This will not hurt her too much, and she should start to understand that what she's doing is not acceptable.

You need to show him who is boss. Start by spending time with him if he's not to dangerous. If you don't have time/want to you can also hire a professional. Do lots of groundwork.