Perhaps you grew up watching cowboys on TV, wishing that you could ride like them, but you don’t want to break the bank buying an expensive horse to do so.
If you’re interested in riding horses, it’s important to have control over them from the get-go, so they don’t throw you off and hurt you. These seven steps will help you gain that control over your horse, ensuring your safety as well as theirs.
After all, horses can be temperamental, and if they feel threatened or upset, they might just take off running. So follow these steps carefully to tame a horse successfully and build up trust between the two of you that will last for years to come.
Fortunately, it’s possible to find free or cheap horses to practice taming on in your area, and once you know how to tame a horse, it’s surprisingly simple. Here are seven steps you can use to easily tame a horse in your own backyard.
How to Tame a Horse in 7 Steps
When it comes to horse ownership, taming a horse is just the beginning—it’s far more important to have your horse trained so that you can safely ride it and bond with it as well.
This article will walk you through the 7 steps of taming a horse, ensuring you have the most loving experience possible with your beloved equine friend. Follow along and you’ll be riding in no time!
1) Step One: Choose the Right Horse
Before you can tame a horse, you need to make sure that the horse is right for your needs.
If you are looking for an animal with speed and agility, then you would want to look into purchasing one of the many breeds of horses such as Thoroughbreds.
However, if you are looking for an animal that can carry more weight or pull heavy loads then you might want to choose one of the draft breeds such as Percherons or Clydesdales. When selecting a horse, it is important to take note of its temperament because this will affect how easy they are to train and how likely it will be able to live happily in captivity.
For example, some breeds are known for being very energetic and excitable while others have calmer temperaments so make sure you find out about any personality traits before buying a new pet.
2) Step Two: Start with the Basics
To start with the basics, you will need feed, water, shelter, and hay for your horse. If you are going to be riding the horse, then you will need to purchase either an English or Western saddle.
You may also want a blanket for colder weather. Once these basics are taken care of, you can move on to training your horse. The first thing you should do is make sure that it has been given food and water before starting any exercise. While there are many ways to train a horse, the most common method is known as clicker training.
When done correctly, this form of animal training requires very little time and effort from humans, who essentially act as facilitators during the process instead of trainers. With some practice, clicker training provides a quick way to teach tricks such as walking backward and jumping over objects like tables or chairs.
3) Step Three: Build Trust
In order to build trust with your horse, you need to start by getting the animal used to your presence. This can be done by feeding, grooming, and touching the horse.
You should also try not to make sudden movements or noises around the animal, as this could scare it. Once you have built up some trust, you will need to approach your horse calmly and confidently in order for it to feel comfortable around you. Next, take hold of one of its reins and gently tug on it until the horse turns its head towards you.
When they are looking at you, stroke their face and nose using gentle motions. Repeat these steps until the horse is no longer pulling back when touched.
4) Step Four: Progress at the Right Pace
It may be tempting to try and progress too quickly, but horses have their own minds and will do what they want when they want. It is up to the rider to make sure that the horse understands that he or she is still in control.
This can be done by progressing at the right pace–not too fast, not too slow. When handling a horse, it is important to first learn how they are feeling. Are they anxious? Scared? Excited? The more we understand how a horse is feeling, the better we can handle them.
By reading body language and understanding if they are tired or overwhelmed, we can adjust accordingly and help them feel comfortable again.
5) Step Five: Be Consistent
It’s important for you to be consistent with your training. If you stop for even one day, it will be much harder for the horse to recall what it learned before. This can also create bad habits if the horse is allowed to have too many days off where they’re not taught anything new.
You should try and train your horse for at least five days a week, ideally every day, but at the very least twice per week. In order to keep your horse motivated, make sure that you reward them after completing each lesson so they know they’re doing something right.
The best way to reward them would be with a favorite treat or by giving them extra attention. By repeating these lessons over and over again, your horse will soon learn how to behave around humans because of consistency.
6) Step Six: Reward Good Behavior
When the horse does something you want, reward them with treats. This will teach them that good behavior is rewarded and that bad behavior is not.
You can also make it even more fun by teaching your horse some tricks! It’s an excellent way to build trust between you and your pet, as well as having tons of fun together. And, who knows? You might end up getting so skilled at training horses that you’ll end up at the Kentucky Derby one day. Wouldn’t that be awesome?!
I hope this blog post helped you learn how to tame a horse. Keep practicing and soon enough, you’ll have your very own sidekick.
7) Step Seven: Don’t Forget the Groundwork
You may have tamed the horse, but don’t forget the groundwork. Make sure you do your research on what type of environment they need, as well as how much time they will need to spend outside and what types of food are best for them.
Remember that horses require plenty of exercises, so make sure you plan out some activities with them to help keep their muscles from getting too tight or knotted. Don’t be surprised if it takes a long time before you fully master this skill – after all, we’re talking about an animal that’s about 1/2 ton (2 000 pounds)! But if it’s something you love doing and want to learn more about, then by all means get started!
Final Thoughts
Taming and riding a horse is not an easy task. The process can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never ridden before or have never been around horses much.
But with the right knowledge, patience, and understanding of the horse’s behavior and moods, you’ll soon find yourself on top of your own horse. Remember that every ride will vary due to terrain, weather conditions, and how tired the horse is. As always though, be aware of these factors while riding your new companion!
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