If you want to train your horse, you need to catch its attention. Horses hate human presence; they instantly feel threatened when humans are around. You see, they are the prey while the humans are the predators. It’s a natural instinct for horses to evade humans. Catching their attention is of great importance to the success of the horse training program.
There are three lessons to learn to catch the attention of the horse.
Recognition
Recognition is easily achieved once the horse recognizes the signal given by the trainer. There are horses that hardly recognize the presence of humans even if they are already walking side by side. However, when you poke the horse, he instantly recognizes your presence and the situation changes. Here’s a fact – your horse’s attention is easily diverted to other things around him. It is vital that his attention is focused on you. Recognition is very imperative if you want to get to the next level.
Respond
The more the horse recognizes your presence, the better he will respond to your signals. When you’re riding, you hardly care about what your horse thinks. All you care about is for your horse to respond to all your signals properly.
However, as a trainer or horse owner, you also need to give your horse a break. Once in a while, you should take your horse for a trail ride. Just let him explore the outdoors. Bond with your horse and by doing so, you’re also reminding him that you’re his friend.
Control
When you’ve finally caught the attention of your horse and he responds accordingly to all your signals, it only means that you’re in control. You should never allow your horse to control the ride; otherwise, you will be putting yourself in danger. Make it a point that your horse pays close attention to you and that he gives the appropriate response.
Some horse owners tend to offer treats just to catch their horse. At times, you may be able to get the attention of your horse by offering treats but this is not true all the time. To be a better trainer, you need to understand the horse’s language. You must earn his respect, trust, and leadership.
Try to observe how each horse communicate with others in the herd. They communicate through body language. As a rider and a trainer, you should know how to use your body language to converse with your horse. You must be confident of what you’re doing. With confidence, strength, and proper body language, you can get your horse to obey you. Gaining trust is vital for an ideal horse-trainer relationship.
Catching your horse is just the beginning. All the hard work starts from that point. A horse that pays attention to its owner or rider can give you a safe ride.
You can find horse training videos that can teach you the proper techniques in catching a horse. There are helpful exercises that you can learn to achieve the three factors – recognition, respond, and control.
Always keep in mind that controlling your horse is a way to ensure your safety. You can train your horse much better if you’re in control of the ride and the situation. You must dominate your horse but make sure that you do it humanely. Don’t be cruel to your horse.