Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Approaching the Horse Safely
• Part 2 of 3: Performing Basic Operations
• Part 3 of 3: What to Avoid
• Tips
• Warnings

Horses are intelligent, hardworking animals and great companions. At the same time, it is very easy to forget that they still have large size and great strength, and therefore can be dangerous if frightened or provoked. However, by following some safety rules in dealing with a horse, you can effortlessly demonstrate your care and respect for this beautiful animal.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Approaching the Horse Safely

Note: If you have no previous experience with horses, work with a professional. Do not approach an unfamiliar horse without first asking permission from its owner.

1. 1 Learn the basics of horse body language. When approaching a horse, it is very important to be able to distinguish between the happy, open-minded mood of the animal and the agitated or upset state. Pay attention to the signs below.
   • Comfort signs (if you see them, then you can continue to approach):
     • a relaxed, soft gaze that does not look at you intently;
     • turning the head or front of the body in your direction;
     • licking lips;
     • ears facing in your direction;
     • peaceful, relaxed body posture.
   • Signs of an uncomfortable condition (if you see them, step back and don't come near):
     • pulling away or running away from you when you approach;
     • tense, dilated eyes with a gaze in your direction;
     • flattened ears (facing back);
     • exposure of teeth or attempts to bite;
     • rearing or kicking;
     • constant aggressive twitching of the tail, frequent strong tapping of the hind hooves.
2. 2 Always keep an eye on where the horse is. It only takes the horse a few seconds to run behind you and rears up. Therefore, you should definitely know where the horse is and keep a close eye on it. Anything can scare a horse. If the horse is running in your direction to avoid getting under his hooves, raise your hands up (this will make you seem bigger) and say "stop" or "whoa" in a firm, calm voice.This will help you redirect the horse in a different direction.
3. 3 Create an enticing, not demanding environment before you approach your horse. In the relationship of horses, there are concepts of pressure and freedom. Horses are herd animals and most likely won't wait for you to approach them. Simply making eye contact is already starting to put pressure on the horse, pushing it to run away from you.
4. 4 Whenever possible, try to approach the horse diagonally from the front. Rule number one when approaching a horse is the horse's awareness of your approach. This is most easily achieved (no doubt) by approaching the animal from the front and slightly from the side (to avoid the front blind spot). If you can, approach the horse. front left (this will be the best); in most cases, horses are taught to be handled on the left side by a person, so it usually becomes more comfortable for them.
   • It is a myth that horses prefer either side to communicate with humans. Exclusively humans have for years developed the habit of doing everything on the left side, training and desensitizing the horse on the left, but forgetting about the right side. In the wild, horses approach each other without paying attention to any side. For your mutual success with your horse, you will be better off working on both sides.
   • Use careful, even walking steps. Try to relax, as horses are very good at feeling subtle signs of tension. Do not try to hide or make your own footsteps silent.
   • Don't look the horse in the eye. This can be interpreted as a threat. Just look at the horse's knees as you approach.
5. 5 If you need to approach the horse from behind, do it at an angle. Note that this should only be done by experienced instructors who are familiar with the horse's signal lines. It is not recommended to approach the horse differently from the front. If to you someone came up from behind, you would feel discomfort, the same happens with the horse. Try to provide the animal as comfortable as possible by approaching it at an angle (a not directly behind). The larger the angle, the better. Horses monocular visionthat is, they see a separate side picture with each eye when you approach them.
   • As mentioned, it is better to approach the horse from the left than from the right.
6. 6 Use your voice to notify your horse when you are approaching. For beginners in horse riding, the constant conversation of an experienced instructor with his horse may seem strange. Nevertheless, it serves a very important purpose: it constantly informs the animal about where the person is. When you approach a horse, you should also talk to it affectionately. You can say whatever you want, but use an exceptionally peaceful, even tone of voice. However, most of the time riders say something like, "Hey horse, are you ready to ride?"
   • You should do this regardless of the direction you choose to approach the horse, but it becomes criticalif you are not approaching it from the front. Since the horse may not immediately notice you, it is very important to warn him of your approach by voice.
7. 7 Let the horse sniff you. Like dogs and many other animals, horses use their sense of smell to identify other creatures and threats. When approaching the horse, extend your arm forward so that it can sniff at it. You should not stick your hand directly into the horse's face, just stop a couple of steps away from it and gently reach out to the horse (open palm down), leaving a distance of about 30 cm between the hand and the horse's face.
   • If the horse will not show interest in sniffing your hand, don't bother her with it anymore.Just remove your hand and move on to the next step.
8. 8 If you have a treat for your horse, give him a small bite (assuming the owner has given you permission to do so). This is not compulsory requirement, but this way you can win the favor of an unfamiliar horse. One of the biggest dangers in horse nutrition is colic, which can often be fatal, so as a precaution, it is best to ask the horse's owner for permission before giving him anything.
   • Colic can be triggered by a variety of factors, including even small amounts of food that the horse is not used to, allergic to, or ate at the wrong time. A number of processed foods and some wild plants can poison horses. It is also possible that the owner of the horse is keeping it on a special diet or treatment, and certain types of treats may interfere with the absorption of drugs or nutritional supplements by the body. All of this is a reasonable basis for first asking permission from the owner of the horse to give him some kind of treat.
   • When giving a treat to your horse, place it in your palm and keep it fully open. This will prevent the horse from accidentally biting your fingers.
   • Let the horse take the treat from you. Don't insist that she take it if she doesn't feel like it.
   • Note that some horses may start biting due to a treat; they become rude very quickly if they receive a treat just like that, so the treat should be given immediately after the desired behavior on the part of the horse and only in conjunction with an accompanying vocal command. Also, if the treats are misused, the horse may refuse to go with you unless you have the treat, which is bad enough too.
   • Small pieces of many common fruits and vegetables are great treats for your horse. For example, most horses like carrots and apple slices.
9. 9 Pet your horse. Before proceeding with any operation on the horse, take a moment to show your love and comfort to the animal. Walk up to the horse's shoulder while continuing to talk to it. Make sure she sees you while looking at you with a gentle, peaceful look. Carefully stroke her neck, shoulder and mane. When the horse is relaxed, you can gradually move the caress on the body towards the croup. When petting a horse, stay away from sensitive areas such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.
   • Use a rubbing or gentle scratching motion, never slap or tap your horse, most horses don't like this.

Part 2 of 3: Performing Basic Operations

1. 1 Putting on the halter. When you get close to the horse and it feels comfortable in your presence, you will need to be able to move the horse to the desired location. This is easily done with a halter that is worn over the horse's face and head. The halter allows you to control the horse's head and guide him wherever you need to go.
   • Most halters have a smaller loop that fits directly over the face and a larger loop that goes behind the horse's ears or additionally wraps the head under the jaw. Before putting on the halter, throw the reins over the horse's neck so that you have something to hold on to if he resists.
2. 2 Saddle a horse. The saddle allows you to ride a horse as a back seat. You should not saddle a horse yourself unless you are experienced, so do not hesitate to seek the help of an experienced equestrian instructor. Remember to place a saddle cloth under the saddle to protect the horse's skin and back.Then remove the stirrups (so as not to frighten the animal) and carefully lower the horse's saddle onto his back. The saddle should be secured with a girth so that two fingers can be slipped under it, but no more.
   • There are two main types of horse saddles: Western saddle and English saddle. For a more detailed description of both saddles, follow the link above.
3. 3 Saddle boarding. Getting on a horse involves getting on your back so you can ride. To do this, you will need a saddle, halter and reins. Traditionally, the saddle is seated on the left side. Insert your left foot into the stirrup while holding the reins with your left hand. Grab the saddle with your right hand and swing your right leg over the saddle with a slight jump. Insert your right foot into the stirrup and grip the reins correctly.
   • It is easier for beginners to get into the saddle from some kind of support, for example, from a step or something similar.
4. 4 Horseback riding. This is the moment that many horse lovers are looking forward to most. Many books have been written about horse riding, so this article will not go into a detailed description of it. To learn how to ride a horse, you can follow the link above, there you will find detailed instructions for both beginners and experienced riders.
   • Here you will find a lot of useful information for beginners, with the study of which it would be a good idea for you to start acquaintance with horse riding.

Part 3 of 3: What to Avoid

1. 1 Do not go into the hitting area of ​​the hind hooves. Regardless of your experience with horses, there is always some possibility that something beyond your control will scare the horse. In such a situation, you do not want to be in the hit zone at all. extremely strong hind hooves. Typically, this condition is fulfilled in one of the following two ways.
   • In the first case, the person remains at a respectful distance behind or to the side of the horse. Depending on the size of the horse, the "safe distance" can vary, so you must provide the animal with adequate space, especially if you are behind.
   • In the second case the person keeps close to the horse, maintaining constant contact with it. Keep your hand on the horse and talk to her affectionately. If you are close to the horse, he can still kick you, but he will not have enough room for this kick to gain full force, so the risk of injury becomes noticeably less.
2. 2 Do not make sudden movements near the horse. Remember that you can scare a horse even if he knows where you are. Sudden abrupt movements can make the horse think of danger and provoke fear, so you should avoid this at all costs. In particular, the following should be avoided:
   • throwing something in the horse's face (be aware of the front blind spot);
   • running towards the horse;
   • any slaps and blows to the horse's body.
3. 3 Do not make loud, frightening sounds. Just as people can be frightened by unexpected sounds, so can horses. Do not make loud noises near horses, especially if they are not used to hearing such sounds. If you need to do any work involving loud noise, step away from the horse first. You need to avoid the following:
   • loud claps, squeals and screams;
   • gun shots;
   • loud music;
   • noisy equipment (chainsaws, motorcycles, and so on);
   • loud natural sounds such as thunder (if possible).
4. 4 Don't scare or hurt your horse when it eats. Like many other animals, horses can actively defend their own food. However, this is more dependent on the specific character of the horse and is not a common feature.If your horse is worried about his own food, provide a calm environment during feeding, as even a normally calm horse can feel irritated if he is prevented from eating.Especially you should avoid placing your hands or anything near the horse's muzzle and mouth, as this could be interpreted as an attempt to steal food.
5. 5 Be aware that experienced equestrian instructors can perform certain operations on the horse that should not be done by someone else with insufficient experience.

Tips

• Horses vary in temperament. While most are friendly and relatively peaceful, some horses get scared and get angry more easily than others. If you are unfamiliar with the horse, for your own safety ask her owner for permission before approaching her.
• An initially shy horse may become calmer as it gets used to you. Be patient with nervous horses. Work with an experienced equestrian instructor and you will soon see improvements.

Warnings

• Don't underestimate the importance of being safe with your horse. The above recommendations are by no means informal advice, but are safety requirements that can save your life. A frightened horse is extremely dangerous. She may carry uncontrollably, jump suddenly, rears or kick. Since adult horses weigh more than 450 kg, any of the possible scenarios could lead to serious injury or even death to you, the horse or others.
• If the horse is not yours, and its owner is not next to you and did not give you permission to approach it, then it is better to stay away.
• Stay out of the horse's blind spots. This includes the area just in front of the muzzle, under the head, under the belly and behind the horse. if you necessary move to one of these areas, make sure the horse understands where you are. Talk to her in an affectionate voice and maintain contact with the touch of one hand.