How to Approach Your Horse

Note: If you are inexperienced with horses, work with a horse expert. Don't approach an unfamiliar horse without asking its owner first. ^[1]

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   1
   Familiarize yourself with basic horse body language. It's very important to be able to tell the difference between a happy, inviting horse and an alarmed or frustrated one when you approach the animal. ^[2] Look for the following signs:

   • Comfortable signs (if you see these, proceed):

     Having relaxed, "soft" eyes that aren't staring at you

     Turning his head or front quarters toward you

     Licking his lips

     Ears pricked towards you. ^[3]

     Having a peaceful, relaxed overall body position

   • Uncomfortable signs (if you see these, back off and do not approach):

     Moving or running away from you as you approach

     Having intense, wide eyes or eyes that are staring at you ^[4]

     Pinning his ears (moving them back against his head) ^[5]

     Tense muscles ^[6]

     Bearing his teeth or trying to nip at you ^[7]

     Rearing up on his legs or kicking ^[8]

     Flicking tail repeatedly in aggressive fashion, often with back legs stomping.
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   2
   Always be aware of where the horses are. It takes only a moment for a horse to run up behind you and possibly rear up on you. Make sure you can see where the horses are and keep watch. Horses can get startled by almost anything. If a horse seems to be running towards you, to make sure you don't get trampled raise your arms to appear larger and say in firm calm, voice "whoa" or "get". This will help with getting the horse to head another direction.
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   3
   Create an inviting rather than demanding presence before you approach. With horse behavior, there is an idea of pressure and release. Horses are herd animals, and will most likely not stand in an area waiting for you to approach them. Simple things, such as making eye contact, is actually putting pressure on the horse, cueing him to move away from you.
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   4
   Approach the horse diagonally from the front whenever possible. The number one rule for approaching horses is to make sure that they know you're coming. This is easiest (by far) if you come at the horse from the front and slightly to the side (to avoid the blind spot right in front of it). If you can, approaching from the front-left of the horse is even better: many horses are trained specifically to work with humans on their left side and as a result are most comfortable with this.

   • It actually is a myth that horses prefer one side over the other. It is us humans that over the years have developed a habit of doing everything from the left, training and desensitizing to the left, but forgetting about the other side. A horse will approach one another in the wild without a care in the world about which side they are approaching. You do, though, want to make sure you are setting both you and the horse up for success.
   • Use a gentle, even walking pace. Try to stay relaxed, as horses are good at picking up on subtle signs of tenseness. Make no effort to hide yourself or the noise of your feet.
   • Don't stare the horse in the eyes. This can be interpreted as a threat. Instead, look at its knee as you approach.
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   5
   If you have to approach from the rear, approach at an angle. Note that this should be avoided by anyone but experienced trainers with knowledge of drive lines. Approaching a horse from a direction other than from the front isn't ideal — just like it can be uncomfortable for someone to approach you from the rear, this can be unsettling for the horse. To make the animal as comfortable as possible, come at the horse from an angle ( not from directly behind it). The wider the angle, the better: horses have monocular vision , which means they can use each eye separately to see you on their sides.

   • As mentioned above, the horse's left side is generally preferable to the right.
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   6
   Use your voice to let the horse know you're approaching. To first-time riders, hearing an experienced horse handler talk to her horse constantly can seem unusual. However, this serves an important purpose: it lets the horse know where the human is at all times. As you approach the horse, call to it at a gentle volume. You can say basically anything you want here as long as it's in a non-threatening, even tone, but most riders simply say things to the effect of, "Hey, horse, are you ready to ride?"

   • You should do this no matter what direction you approach the horse from, but it's even more crucial if you're forced to approach the horse from a direction besides the front. Since the horse may not see you right away, it's important to let it know you're coming with your voice.
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   7
   Let the horse smell you. Like dogs and many other animals, horses use their powerful sense of smell to identify other animals and detect threats. When you reach the horse, hold your hands out for it to smell. Don't thrust your hands right into its nose — instead, stand a step or two in front of it and gently move your hands (palms pointing down and held flat and open) to about a foot in front of it.

   • If the horse doesn't seem to want to smell your hands, don't continue to bother it. Instead, just withdraw your hands and continue to the next steps.
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   8
   Give the horse a small treat if you have one, and if you have permission from the horse's owner. This isn't required , but it's helpful for getting an unfamiliar horse to "warm up" to you. One of the greatest dietary dangers for horses is bloat, which can often become fatal, so it's good to err on the side of caution and check with the horse owner before offering their horse a treat.

   • Apples, carrots, and horse treats are all great options. ^[9]
   • Bloat can be created by several factors, some of which include even small amounts of foods that horse is not used to eating, foods that the horse could be allergic to, or, foods that are eaten at the wrong times. A few processed foods, or even some wild plants growing in the area, can be poisonous to horses too. Another consideration is that the owner may have the horse on a specialty diet or medications, and some treats can interfere with with absorption of certain medications or supplements. These are all good and valid reasons to check with the owner before giving their horses a treat.
   • Offer your treat to the horse by placing it in your palm, keeping your fingers completely flat. This keeps the horse from accidentally biting your fingers.
   • Let the horse take the treat from you. Don't insist on giving it the treat if it doesn't seem to want it.
   • Note that treats make some horses snappy - some will become rude very fast if they get treats for no reason, it has to be given immediately after a desirable behaviour AND accompanied by the verbal cue to eat it. It can also lead to horse's refusing to go with you unless you have a treat, not great.
   • Small amounts of many common fruits and vegetables make great treats for horses. For example, most horses will enjoy a carrot or a few apple slices. ^[10]
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   9
   Pet the horse. Before proceeding to whatever task you have planned for your horse, take the opportunity to show your affection and get it comfortable with you. Move to the horse's shoulder, talking to it as you do so. Make sure it can see you and that it is displaying soft, peaceful eyes. Gently nuzzle it around the neck, shoulder, and mane. You can move down the body to the rump once the horse is comfortable with you. Stay away from sensitive areas like the eyes, nose, and mouth.

   • Use a rubbing or a gentle scratching motion — never a slapping or patting motion, which most horses do not like.
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