How to become your horse’s best friend
We all got into this sport because we love horses. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let’s see if we can make our inner children very happy, and look at some ways to bond with your horse and become best friends.
If you have a horse, you know that while some will cozy right up to you and be your best friend from day one, others take a while to warm up and build trust. It can be a long road to bonding. And sometimes events happen that make us lose our trust or begin to deteriorate our relationship to each other. Even a chaotic show schedule or getting caught up in work can make us feel like we’re drifting apart. That’s when we need to make some intentional time to work on our relationship and bond.
Here are some of my favorite ways to reignite the flame between you and your noble steed:
Just spend time together
This is by far the simplest one, and the one that often is forgotten when life gets busy. One of the best ways to bond with your horse is to just sit in their stall. Read a book, work on your computer, or scroll social media. Just do it with your horse instead of at home on the couch!
Have a “spa day”
If your horse likes to be groomed, have a super long grooming session less focused on getting clean and more focused on scratching all of your horse’s favorite places and making them feel special. Maybe even give your horse a massage, focusing on the places that your horse likes to be pet.
Play in turnout
When was the last time you played together? Bring your horse to a turnout and see if they’ll follow you around (use cookies if needed). Run, go over small obstacles like ground poles, and just sit together. See what your horse is interested in, what makes them perk up, and what they find amusing.
Practice clicker training or liberty work
This one takes a bit more consistency and work on your end, but can really be a great way to bond with your horse. Learn a bit about clicker training and liberty work, and just play with it in a light-hearted way. No agenda or long term goals needed. Of course, if your horse has bad habits that you want to fix with clicker training, more power to you!
Go for a (low key) adventure
If your horse likes to trail ride, go for a meander. Take your time, be less focused on the destination and more on the journey. If this stresses your horse out, maybe hold off on this one for now.
Take a long walk
Sometimes just going for a long walk with your horse is all you need. Just make sure you know what plants are poisonous before you go, and then see where you can go on foot. Stop and chat with friends, maybe do some safe grazing, and enjoy some beautiful views.
For more ideas on how to help a bored or lackluster horse, check out this post.
Happy trails, and don’t forget to hold your horse extra tight today.