How to Calm Your Hot Horse
Expect your horse to be calm., Keep your horse before your leg., Be prepared to spend many hours training a hot horse., Don't push your horse.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Expect your horse to be calm.
Horses are herd animals, and a hot horse is sensitive to your moods and actions.
If you expect your horse to be tense and excited, he won't disappoint.
Tension in the handler results in tension for the horse.Every time you ride, take several deep breaths before getting on the horse.
Relax your shoulders, relax your face.
If you're still carrying tension from your day, your horse will pick up on it.
Before you mount, visualize how you'd like your ride to be.
Picture your horse remaining attentive, responsive, calm and confident.
Only speak to your horse in a relaxed voice.
If you use a tense, upset voice, your horse will respond with tension. -
Step 2: Keep your horse before your leg.
Your horse should respond immediately to light leg aids, or commands.
When your horse is behind the leg, he is not following your directive.
Instead, he is deciding for himself what he wants to do, when, and how much.
Teaching your horse to go forward with light command is essential to keeping your hot horse calm.
With a hot horse, the first thing to do is to discern the reason why he's behind the leg.Is your horse not responding to your aids because he's resisting them? If this is the case, change directions.
Don't insist that your horse do what you want.
Instead, request something different.
Do a simple ground exercise, such as walking backward.
Come back to the original directive when your horse is calmer.
If your horse is overly responsive to your aids, you may find yourself avoiding them.
Or, you may become fearful and tense when giving them.
Notice your own participation.
If your horse is overly responsive, practice slowing down. , While every horse is different, a hot horse will need extra work time.
Never rush or hurry a hot horse.
Your impatience can ruin hours of careful training.Giving your horse the time he needs with you or another trainer is probably the most important element of calming a hot horse.
Rushing your horse through exercises can result in your horse developing anxious, irritable or even dangerous behavior.
If you don't have the time to do all the necessary training yourself, consider hiring someone to work your horse for you. , When teaching something new, work slowly, making sure that each direction is clear and understood by your horse.
If your horse doesn't understand what you're asking, try asking for less.
Break your directive down into its most basic steps for teaching.
If you feel frustrated or anxious, it's best to remove yourself from the horse until you calm down.
By pressuring or pushing your horse to do something he doesn't want to do, you're reinforcing the cycle of resistance already found in a hot horse.
If you press them too soon, or if the horse really doesn't understand what you want, he can become rebellious, acting impulsively or headstrong. -
Step 3: Be prepared to spend many hours training a hot horse.
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Step 4: Don't push your horse.
Detailed Guide
Horses are herd animals, and a hot horse is sensitive to your moods and actions.
If you expect your horse to be tense and excited, he won't disappoint.
Tension in the handler results in tension for the horse.Every time you ride, take several deep breaths before getting on the horse.
Relax your shoulders, relax your face.
If you're still carrying tension from your day, your horse will pick up on it.
Before you mount, visualize how you'd like your ride to be.
Picture your horse remaining attentive, responsive, calm and confident.
Only speak to your horse in a relaxed voice.
If you use a tense, upset voice, your horse will respond with tension.
Your horse should respond immediately to light leg aids, or commands.
When your horse is behind the leg, he is not following your directive.
Instead, he is deciding for himself what he wants to do, when, and how much.
Teaching your horse to go forward with light command is essential to keeping your hot horse calm.
With a hot horse, the first thing to do is to discern the reason why he's behind the leg.Is your horse not responding to your aids because he's resisting them? If this is the case, change directions.
Don't insist that your horse do what you want.
Instead, request something different.
Do a simple ground exercise, such as walking backward.
Come back to the original directive when your horse is calmer.
If your horse is overly responsive to your aids, you may find yourself avoiding them.
Or, you may become fearful and tense when giving them.
Notice your own participation.
If your horse is overly responsive, practice slowing down. , While every horse is different, a hot horse will need extra work time.
Never rush or hurry a hot horse.
Your impatience can ruin hours of careful training.Giving your horse the time he needs with you or another trainer is probably the most important element of calming a hot horse.
Rushing your horse through exercises can result in your horse developing anxious, irritable or even dangerous behavior.
If you don't have the time to do all the necessary training yourself, consider hiring someone to work your horse for you. , When teaching something new, work slowly, making sure that each direction is clear and understood by your horse.
If your horse doesn't understand what you're asking, try asking for less.
Break your directive down into its most basic steps for teaching.
If you feel frustrated or anxious, it's best to remove yourself from the horse until you calm down.
By pressuring or pushing your horse to do something he doesn't want to do, you're reinforcing the cycle of resistance already found in a hot horse.
If you press them too soon, or if the horse really doesn't understand what you want, he can become rebellious, acting impulsively or headstrong.
About the Author
Isabella Reynolds
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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