Horse Awareness

When you pull your horse out of the pasture, do you consider what kind of day your horse is having?

At what point do you decide what you’re going to focus on in the session?

Do you have a plan in mind before you walk out, or do you just “wait and see” what happens?

Maybe you lunge your horse because you want to get any unwanted energy out before getting started.

Take a moment to pause, decipher your horses energy, and use it to your advantage!

Use lower energy days to focus on standing at the mounting block, pausing as you step away and come back. Lower energy tricks like the sit or lay down are also great to use on these days.

Use the higher energy days for canter departures, your recalls, or high energy tricks.

It also is important to consider why is my horse performing this way?

Are they higher energy because they have been locked up and sitting? Or are they concerned about something; maybe they are in pain, or are they playful ? Does my horse have lower energy because they are relaxed, confident in their surroundings, or are they in freeze mode and holding tension in their body?

Being aware of how your horse feels will be helpful for a successful training session!