“Our distrust is very expensive.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The foundation of trust between horse and rider is the elimination of fear.

The foundation of trust between horse and rider is the elimination of fear. As long as you or your horse are fearful of certain activities or experiences, it will be almost impossible to reach higher levels of communication and achievement. Of course, eliminating fear completely is a long process that might take years to accomplish.

Face Your Fear

The best way to build trust between horse and rider is to face your fears head-on. As long as you avoid the things that scare you, the fear of the unknown will continue to restrict your progress.

Many horses are anxious about crossing bridges or stepping into water. They don’t like unfamiliar sensations around their hooves, and they don’t trust you enough to believe that you won’t allow harm to come to them. If your horse suffers from that fear, face unfamiliar territory head-on.

A simple way to do this is to spread a blue tarp on the ground in the arena, securing the edges with rocks or cinder blocks so that it doesn’t blow away or spook your horse. Chances are, if your horse is afraid of water or unfamiliar footing, he will shy or try to back away. Lead by example. Show your horse that you are not afraid of the tarp by stepping on it yourself and coaxing him forward until he is willing to smell it.

Another way to build trust between horse and rider is to place yourselves in uncomfortable or unfamiliar positions. Many horseback riding instructors, for example, encourage their riders to do mounted exercises. This not only builds trust, but also confidence.

Try New Things Daily

With each positive experience your horse has, the more he will begin to trust you. Building trust between horse and rider requires new experiences as often as possible to show your horse that you won’t hurt him.

If your horse is afraid of water on his face, cup your hand over the stream coming from the hose and let it dribble over your horse’s face while bathing him. Rub his forehead, jaw, nose and ears to show him that it can be enjoyable. Likewise, if your horse is fearful of clippers, turn them on every day and rub them over his cheeks and neck without the blade. Show him that the clippers aren’t something to fear and that it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Once a horse realizes that you, as the rider, can make everything positive, new things will cease to produce a fearful response.

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Building trust between horse and rider can take years, but this doesn’t mean you can’t start today. Approach each new experience as partners, with the goal to make every experience as pleasant as possible. And make sure you don’t do anything to shatter that trust.

Trevor Ashcraft
AQHA Youth Intern