It is important to remember that not all horses are the same. Some horses you can get on and ride. Some are not trained which means you could be injured easily if you have little or no riding experience. The easiest kind of horses to ride are typically older horses. This is because they have been ridden the most and will be the most forgiving of mistakes that a beginning rider will make. The younger horses will normally be the hardest to ride unless they have been thoroughly broke.
Mistake #3 Not Riding A Horse Enough
New horse owners often experience problems with horses not because the horse suddenly went bad, but because the new owners dont ride their horses enough. The best thing you can do to have a good horse is to ride it and ride it and ride it. Riding him just once every couple weeks is not enough.
Mistake #2 Thinking A Problem With The Horse Is Always The Horses Fault
Although a horse may have a few problems, they are generally a result of the horses owner. There are rarely horse problems it is often more likely there are problem riders. For instance, if you have trouble getting your horse to ride away from home (this is called “Barn Sour”) its likely due to the fact that you dont have control over him. You can regain control with various techniques such as Doubling.
Mistake #1 Not Understanding How Horses Think
Horses do not think like dogs or cats. Horses are a prey animal this means they will run from scary things. They have thousands of years of the “flight instinct” built into their brains. To successfully train them takes a great deal of patience and understanding. You have to remember that they are naturally fearful and cynical animals.
Lets face it. Horses need to be understood if a horse owner wishes to be successful with his horse. The best thing new horse owners can do is learn how to ride properly, learn how horses think, learn what works when shaping a horses behavior, and understand that constantly riding a horse is just about the best thing you can do.
