Horse Lead Training

Horsemen often boast about their horses having ‘the feel’. What it’s all about anyway? You will find out later once you’ve learned about horse lead training.

Training your horse to wear a halter and the lead may take some time. Most horses don’t like human presence especially the older ones. Because of this, many people prefer to train young horses. Lead training is important and your horse should possess ‘the feel’. When your horse does not require any tugging on the lead and automatically follows you when you walk, then your horse has this trait. The rider and the horse should act simultaneously. Simple body language is enough for the horse to understand what you mean. A slight tug on the rope is enough to get your horse moving.

Perhaps you’ve already seen horse owners who constantly pull and tug the lead but their horse won’t budge. This means that the horse don’t possess the necessary quality. If you always pull and tug the lead, the tendency of the horse is to fight back or resent your presence.

The question now is – how can you lead train your horse?

Stand on the left side of your horse, near the neck area. Hold the rope and point to a certain direction. Your horse will be alerted of what’s going to happen next. Once you point to a certain direction, tap the rope, and step. This will prompt the horse to move because you’ve caught his attention. Walk a few steps and stop. Allow your horse to think about what happened. Repeat this procedure.

As you keep on repeating the same procedure, your horse will get used to it and you no longer need to tap the rope. When you point, your horse will automatically move.

This procedure should only be performed if the horse is already used to your presence. If you try this with a new horse, he might jump at you. Allow him to recognize your presence. Establish respect and trust first so that you can work smoothly together.

Your feelings are absorbed by the horse easily. Before you elicit a response from your horse, you should present the appropriate feeling. You should think of your wants and the response of your horse. With these things in mind, your horse can easily catch up on your thoughts.

Here’s a very good example. If you want your horse to turn left (assuming that you’re already riding your horse), you must think of it. Look to the left and move your body as if you’re turning to the left. When the horse feels your body movement, he will automatically turn to the direction you want even without tapping. You must possess confidence so that the horse can trust you. It’s natural for horses to respond negatively to unclear thoughts and it can be dangerous at times especially when you’re riding. You need to show firmness when you’re dealing with horses but you shouldn’t be cruel.

Being soft and careful when handling your horse is important. You can’t effectively train your horse if you’re afraid that it might kick you. Think positively and learn the language of your horse. This is the way to having ‘the feel’ of your horse. Some horses don’t possess this quality and they can be very hard to handle.

But don’t give up easily. If you know many horse training techniques, you can use them to your advantage.