When training your show horse, you want it to go as smoothly as possible. The last thing you want during training is for your horse to get upset or feel uncomfortable — which, of course, can make training a great deal more difficult. Check out three tips to help you train your show horse.
1. Take Care of Your Horse’s Well-Being
You may think that a strenuous training program is the best way to train your show horse; however, this is likely to cause both of you to burn out quickly. It’s better to organize a training schedule that is realistic and takes into account the needs of your animal. This may entail having your horse practice a few skills as opposed to cramming multiple skills into a single training session.
Giving your horse breaks during training is also important to prevent both physical and mental exhaustion. Another important aspect of maintaining your animal’s well-being is finding the best horse insurance. Even the healthiest of horses can get injured or sick, so it is important to be prepared if this were to happen.
2. Get To Know Your Horse
It is important to get to know your horse and its current abilities. If you are working with a steed that has less experience, it will likely need additional patience and time to learn a new skill. Some horses are also more receptive to being trained than others. Breed, physical structure and personality can all influence your horse’s receptivity to being trained. Horses, like humans, are all different, and given these differences, you need to customize the training to fit your animal’s individual needs.
3. Be Aware of Tension and Anxiety in Your Body or Mind
When training your show horse, it is important to be aware of any tension or anxiety in your body or mind. If you are anxious when interacting with your horse, the animal may sense this. This can result in it being less responsive to your instructions. You want your whole body to be relaxed when you are riding. Before getting on your horse, you may want to do a full-body scan to assess if you are holding tension in any parts of your body.
Additionally, if you arrive at training with a great deal of emotional stress, your horse may also sense this. Before you get into the saddle, try to clear your mind. Stretching, doing breathing exercises or meditating can help to ease anxiety and tension.
To help your show horse reach its full potential, it is important to take care of its well-being, get to know its individual needs and be aware of any anxiety or body tension you may have. These training tips can make for enjoyable and successful training sessions.
