Does My Horse Like Me? Giving Horses Confidence and Security

Why Is the Horse's Trust in Me Important?

Trust is everything. Without the horse's trust, there is no partnership, no security and no motivated horse. The relationship of trust between human and horse is the basis for a harmonious partnership. But first you have to understand the horse's natural behavior.

It is in the horse's nature to seek security in the herd. This security means entrusting its life to the other horses. As a flight animal, the herd is essential for survival and so is the hierarchy that exists within the group. The horse will also seek this security in its relationship with humans. If it does not find its place in the team of two, it will lack a secure anchor and the confidence that the human can take good care of it. The result: an inharmonious relationship that is overshadowed by unrest and misunderstandings.

This becomes a problem, especially with insecure, low-ranking horses: if they don't have anyone to give them a sense of security, handling can quickly become dangerous. They will see for themselves where they are. The result can be anxious , unruly horses because there is no basis of safety and trust between humans and horses.

Without the horse's trust, there will be no partnership. A horse that does not trust its human will not get into the trailer, will not allow itself to be caught in the paddock, will run away in the field because it does not trust that its human has the situation under control. So it prefers to flee instead of seeking protection from its two-legged friend.

It doesn't always have to be an unknown situation in the field. It can also happen that your horse is so badly injured in an open stable that it can only be treated on site. It is not possible to get him into a box. In this case, your horse should trust you to watch over it while the vet sets up X-ray equipment and other aids around it.

Just as in nature, you cannot gain this trust by giving treats or petting. Nor will you gain the horse's trust by forcing it to submit through dominance. In both these ways, you have either gained the horse's attention in the short term or intimidated it. But you have not gained the horse's trust. Trust cannot be forced or blackmailed - it can only be won.

Signs That the Horse Trusts Me

Horses themselves perceive the smallest body signals, muscle tensions and moods of their counterpart. They react 1:1 to the body language of the other person - a signal is followed by a reaction. This takes place in small and large signs of body language, which also tell us whether the horse trusts us. However, these body signals must be placed in the context of the respective situation. After all, it is the circumstances that give the signals their true meaning. Whinnying at a human does not always mean that the horse is looking forward to being your partner. It can also mean that the horse is happy to finally be rescued from its boring paddock or unharmonious herd.

Horses show their trust in humans (and other horses) in a variety of ways through inner and outer connection. A very strong bond between humans and horses can be seen in the alignment of their heart and breathing rhythms. When horses interact with each other, one horse raises its head because it senses danger. The others do the same. If one of the horses sees that the danger has been averted and turns its attention back to grazing, the others will also lower their heads and continue eating.

A horse that trusts humans allows them to be close and can relax in their presence. Signs that the horse is relaxing can be:

• Lowered head
• (Half-)closed eyes
• Drooping lower lip
• Ears open to the front or to the side, still ears
• Yawning, licking, chewing
• Angled hind leg

It is therefore not uncomfortable when humans touch it everywhere and stroke it. The horse will willingly and happily go into the field with its human without needing the company of another horse. The horse masters overcoming new situations or potential dangers in the presence of its trusted person, such as walking over an echoing bridge, getting into the trailer or walking past a herd of cows. In decision-making situations, the horse will turn to its human for help.

Keep in mind that it always depends on the character and personality of the horse how strongly these and more signs of trust are shown. Introverted horses articulate themselves more subtly than extroverted horses and not all signs need to be present to prove that a trusting relationship exists between human and horse.

A distinction must also be made between the breeds and the age of the horses. Some horse breeds are said to have strong nerves. Life experience can also contribute to calmness, which is why these horses need to be given less security by humans. As a result, these horses may show less trust in humans.

How Do I Gain My Horse's Trust?

We have learned that horses naturally seek security in a herd. As humans, we have to give him this security in order to create a bond and a basis of trust. To achieve this, you first have to work on yourself, reflect on yourself and understand what makes a competent, fair herd leader that the horse will voluntarily and willingly join.

It is not about fighting and defending the position of power, but about competence. The herd leader is appointed, he does not give himself the title. And you have to convey this to the horse: You have to become the person whom the horse approves as its boss and whose competence is not questioned.

First Step in Gaining the Horse's Trust: Become a Competent Boss

Trust is particularly important in tricky situations where the horse would prefer to take flight. So you have to become the calming influence that acts as an anchor for the horse to cling to.

If you want your horse to see you as a leader, you need two basic things: Self-confidence and competence. Finding the balance can be difficult at first, as there is a fine line between overconfidence and self-doubt. You need both the feeling of self-confidence that you can do something and the ability (competence) that comes from experience. The self-confident feeling must be underpinned by knowledge and ability and this comes with time. You can't become a good herd leader overnight. With experience you acquire these qualities and the bond between horse and human grows.

You should also work on your own body language. The horse perceives the slightest muscle tension. This is because the energy you radiate is transferred to the horse. You need to train your body awareness and be self-reflective in order to radiate the self-confidence that an insecure horse needs.

Another important point when it comes to conveying safety is to keep an eye on your surroundings. The surroundings must be viewed through the eyes of an escape animal so that you can recognize possible dangers in front of the horse. Only then can you prepare for the horse's possible flight reaction and adopt a relaxed posture. This way, the horse will recognize that you have the situation under control and that there is no danger that would prompt it to flee.

‍Second Step in Gaining the Horse's Trust: Learning to Understand the Horse's Body Language

Not only is your own body language important, you also have to learn to understand and read the horse's body language. And this is where misunderstandings often arise between humans and horses, because the signals are misinterpreted by humans. Only those who read their horse correctly can respond to its sensitivities and accommodate it when it feels insecure.

Horses are very attentive to detail and read every single muscle tension in our bodies. If we want to be a trustworthy boss for them, we have to do the same as the horses and examine their bodies closely. Here, too, we need to relate the environment and the circumstances to the body signals. For example, a horse with drooping ears and half-closed eyes may be tired and dozing or, if it is in a training situation, may be shutting down due to excessive demands. If you want to gain your horse's trust, you have to learn to read the horse's body language.

Both steps - reflecting on yourself and reading the horse correctly - form the basis for a trusting relationship with the horse. It takes a lot of experience to grow. The long road is worth it when the horse hands over the leadership role to you because it knows it is in safe hands.

An Important Point When it Comes to Gaining the Horse's Trust: Set Clear Rules and Boundaries

Clear rules and boundaries give both parties security. This requires a good deal of discipline, which can be difficult for some horse owners, especially at the beginning. There is a certain dynamic between horses, which means that the lead mare does not always set the tone. Every now and then, a younger, lower-ranking horse will take the lead for the best grass for a short time. However, this does not make the young horse the leader. There are limits to this dynamic.

The same applies to the human-horse partnership: In certain situations, it can be good to cede the lead to the horse. For example, in the field, when you want to let the horse find the best route for itself. However, it is the human who sets the limits of this freedom of choice. And these must be clearly communicated to the horse if it starts to scratch them.

If the horse understands that these boundaries are fixed, that the rules are always the same and not vague, the positions in the partnership are clearly distributed. The horse knows its place and is happy to accept it. This is essential for a trusting relationship.

A good boss sets limits politely, but also praises a lot. Within the set limits, the horse has a say, which in turn expresses respect for the horse and thus promotes trust.

Training Suitable for Confidence Work with the Horse

Special techniques are not necessarily required to build trust in horses. It is much more the daily contact that is characterized by clear rules and mutual respect. Nevertheless, especially during the familiarization period after buying a horse, when the human-horse pair first has to get to know each other, a lot of ground work can help. It is the foundation for both trusting interaction and safe riding.

Furthermore, the basis of trust between human and horse can be achieved through the following exercises or forms of training:

• Lead training: let the horse run at the same height, stop, start, turn away without pulling on the rope. Who moves whom?
• Work in the round pen: For example Joinup or moving the horse without a lunge line
• Serenity training/ desensitization
• Going for a walk

Especially important is always LOTS of praise. To keep a horse motivated, it needs to know when it has done something right. Simply setting limits is not enough. Sooner or later, the horse will become frustrated and lose its enjoyment of humans. Goodbye trust. The reaction time must be taken into account when praising. Horses only associate signals with each other if they follow each other within three seconds. If the horse has done something right, praise must come immediately.

Reminder: Petting and treats do not create trust in the horse. However, when used correctly in training, they can intensify communication and reinforce a desired behavior. And better communication also strengthens the bond between human and horse. 

10 Tips for Gaining the Horse's Trust 

1. Body language is the key to trust: Guide the horse with an upright, relaxed posture and calm breathing. If you feel confident and self-assured, you will also show this in your confident demeanor, which is transferred to the horse.
2. Trust the horse: If you demand trust, you have to show trust yourself. Just as everyone in the herd has their task, the horse also has its task in the team. You just have to trust it to do this task well.
3. Keep an eye on the horse's personality: A good boss only asks his employees to do what they can do best in terms of their abilities and character. If you want to gain your horse's trust, you should therefore only ask your horse to do what it can do. How easily a horse subordinates itself to humans can also depend on its rank in the group of horses: lower-ranking horses may subordinate themselves more easily than higher-ranking horses.
4. Fair, clear and consistent: The horse must be able to rely on you to always react in the same way in the same situation.
5. Empathy and time: If you spend time with your horse, you show it respect and appreciation. The horse will also appreciate this. 
6. Quality time: The bond with the horse is strengthened when you encourage time together, for example when grazing or grooming. The horse then learns to relax around humans.
7. The right greeting: The bond begins when you arrive at the stable. If you greet the horse properly by holding out your hand for it to sniff, you strengthen the bond and establish a good basis of trust.
8. Mutual grooming: Horses cultivate their friendships by grooming each other. As a human, you can also strengthen this bond with your four-legged friend by stroking your horse's favorite spot.
9. Who moves whom? Both humans and horses have their own personal areas into which they only allow close friends to enter. If the horse pushes into the personal space of its two-legged friend without being asked, it will test its limits. Exercises on the lunge line help to position yourself as the boss of the horse: the horse should start using body signals before you take a step yourself. When changing hands through the center of the circle, you should defend your position, not evade it. This allows the horse to recognize who is in the leading position without using force or dominance in any way.
10. Accept the horse's no: Every now and then the horse wants to step out of the dialog or finds an exercise too unpleasant. Then you have to accept his no and move on to another exercise. This shows the horse that you know how to respond to its needs. The horse feels respected, which is a good basis for building trust.

Giving the Horse More Security and Confidence When Riding

Ground work is the basis before riding. You have already gained the horse's trust from the ground, now it's time to transfer this to the saddle.

Many horses also like to test the rider's competence under saddle. Or the horse is unsettled by an obstacle in the terrain and you now have to convey safety to it from the saddle. However, if you have already worked on yourself and can consciously use your body, you can also be the necessary calming influence for the horse in the saddle:

• The seat remains relaxed
• Sit deeply by relaxing your gluteal muscles. You sit in the horse, not on the horse.
• Legs remain loose and flexible
• The knees are not pressed together, the hands do not hold on to the reins
• Breathe deeply into your stomach.

If you are relaxed yourself, you can take away a large portion of the horse's fear and give it courage. A relaxed, relaxed seat gives the horse the confidence it expects from a leader, even in tricky situations. If you make yourself firm, you also make the horse firm and give it the signal to take off.

Christoph Hess explains in the following video how you can give your horse confidence in exciting situations, such as riding in front of spectators:

‍Giving confidence to unsurehorses on the course :

The insecurity of some horses is not only noticeable in the field, but especially on the course. This insecurity can have various causes: Perhaps an experienced show jumper has had a fall and has lost confidence in his own abilities. Or a young show jumper is still early in his training and still needs to gain experience in order to ride the course safely.

In the first case, it is important to find the reason for the sudden uncertainty. The reason could also be that the horse is in pain. Horses that have lost their self-confidence on the show jumping course should first be worked on in dressage until the rhythm, rhythm and rideability are right again. This is because deficiencies in dressage cannot be concealed in the show jumping course. Afterwards, ground poles and cavaletti can be added. Once the horse feels confident, the jumps can be made bigger.

A similar approach is taken when training young, inexperienced show jumpers. It is important that the horses learn to carry themselves through a good canter. The rider sets the direction and the pace, but the horse should have the heart for jumping. This is the only way to avoid accidents. Before the jumps are raised or even a higher class is entered, both rider and horse should be confident in the previous class. Routine creates safety.

Watch the following video to find out how you can give a young show jumper confidence at the jump:

‍
‍Horses rushing towards the jump can also be unsafe. They lack permeability. They take the wheel, so to speak, and want to tackle the jump without their rider. In this case, the horse should first be worked in a dressage manner, with the obstacles in sight, until it accepts all aids in a relaxed manner. The horse should not tense up at the sight of the obstacles or ignore the rider's aids. Once this phase is over, ground poles can be added first. You start slowly with trotting and later with cantering. In this way, you approach the right obstacles step by step.

It is also important that the rider himself does not think about jumping as long as the horse is being worked in a dressage manner. This is because thoughts are transferred to the basic tension in the body and ultimately to the horse. If you want to give your horse the confidence that you can guide it well through the course, you should work on your inner attitude.

Frequent refusal is also a sign of insecurity and a lack of trust in both oneself and the rider. Or the horse can be infected by the rider's insecurity. As in the cases described above, the demands must be reduced. With low obstacles and jumping gymnastics, horse and rider learn to assess their abilities and regain their self-confidence and self-assurance. With the routine of well-conquered jumps, self-confidence and security grow so that higher obstacles can gradually be approached.

The use of an experienced, confident lead horse can also be helpful.

To avoid damaging the horse's confidence even further, it is very important not to affect its insecurity. Instead, the horse should be praised lavishly after a jump.

A structured training plan helps to keep track of progress. It also gives the rider a sense of security. You can read more about training young horses and creating training plans in the corresponding articles.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Trust in the Horse

• Causing excessive demands on yourself and the horse
• Inconsistent behavior: Inaccurate body language and different signals for one and the same request confuse the horse and make it insecure.
• Look for the horse's fault first: Horses react 1:1 to the signals they receive. They reflect the human working with them. It would therefore be fatal for the bond between horse and human if the horse is punished for reacting correctly to a signal that the human has sent incorrectly.
• Use treats inflationarily: Using treats as a bribe to win the horse over is counterproductive. If you don't use treats in a targeted manner, you will develop into an automatic feeder in the eyes of the horse, but not into a respectable herd leader.
• Anger and outbursts of rage: A horse will not submit to a tyrant. If you punish your horse with exaggerated, uncontrolled and unspecific behavior, you destroy the bond with him.
• Dominance and submission: You may be able to intimidate the horse and force it to obey. But in a tricky situation, it is more likely to flee and leave its two-legged friend alone instead of standing by him. This is because dominance and submission do not build a bond between humans and horses.