Training Tip: Gaining a Horse’s Trust

Question: Have you ever had a horse come to you with trust issues about you getting on them? I’m working with a horse that doesn’t trust anyone getting up in the saddle. I guess the previous owner abused her. What can I do to gain her trust so that she knows that I’m not going to hurt her? – Heidi Durns

Answer: Yes, that is why, when we train horses in the Academy Horse program, we do nothing but groundwork with the horses for the first seven days. We work on the Fundamentals exercises, gaining the horse’s respect, which leads to trust. We treat every horse as if they are colts that have never been ridden.

The best thing you can do is forget your mare’s past and treat her as if you know nothing about her. Start her training over by following the exercises in the Fundamentals Series in order. All of the groundwork exercises will help you communicate with her in a manner she understands. You’ll notice that she’ll gain confidence in you and will look to you for leadership.

Along with the Fundamentals exercises, you can also practice Pick Me Up Off the Fence and the Jeffrey’s Method from the Colt Starting Series to further build her confidence about being ridden.

Once you’ve earned her respect and built her trust in you, she’ll gain confidence in your partnership. You’ll likely find that when you go to ride her, it’ll be a non-issue. Everything we do with our horses on the ground prepares them for being under saddle.

Looking for more training tips? Check out the No Worries Club. Have a training question? Send it to us at [email protected]