Horses have been Man’s favorite animal companion for a long time now. As any cowboy or horse enthusiast will be able to tell you, horses have deep emotions. Learning to pick up on those cues can give you a far greater appreciation of the horse itself, and it can give the horse more comfort around you. Bonding with your horse has a number of benefits. Bonding increases the feeling that both the rider and the horse have for each other, it also reduces the chance of bucking or unwanted reactions to threats, and it is very gratifying.
All these benefits considered, we thought that it might be wise to write an article on how best to bond with your horse. One of the best ways to have fun with your horse is to buy it new tack and equipment. And some of the best equipment around can be found at bell boots. Visit the link to find equine equipment at affordable prices that have been made with the utmost care and attention to detail.
One of the best ways to bond with your horse is to groom it. It has been said that horse pair bonds groom each other regularly. If we were to engage in a grooming activity with our horses, it is likely that they would appreciate it greatly. The grooming process doesn’t have to be strictly functional to remove dirt, it can even be a loving activity that we do to become closer to the horse by using a horse brush. The horse will generally want to groom you as well because that’s how they are as animals. You could allow this, but it tends to get messy, so we recommend hanging a towel over the rail of its stable pen and encouraging it to groom that instead.
You can also give it plenty of positive reinforcement. There is a very specific training called clicker training where positive behaviors are acknowledged by the sound of a clicker as well as a food treat. This is a fantastic way to train your horse for a variety of activities such as going for a walk, training, riding etc.
You may also want to go for a walk with the horse. This walk should not involve you riding it, instead, it will involve you walking alongside the horse and leading it into the meadows. This can be a great way for the horse to get used to your presence and vibe and vice versa. Walking also lets the horse enjoy itself outside of a strictutility-led, teaching style environment, you and the horse can have some bonding time and enjoy each other’s company. Alternatively, you can try to play with your horse by interacting with various objects or toys around the farm and perhaps running agility drills. Horse agility drills are where they really shine. Horses are bred to move extremely quickly, and they love to run so we recommend doing plenty of agility drills to keep their minds sharp and their bodies strong.
