Tips on How to Handle and Groom Horses

Some people truly love horses, others might not like them and some might be entirely indifferent. If you find yourself wanting to take more interest in horses or even extend your passion by participating in the equestrian sport, it is important to know a few rules and guidelines when it comes to interacting and taking care of horses. This article will highlight some of the important tips you need to remember when handling horses, as well as how to groom them properly.

How to Approach a Horse

If a horse is eating or has his back to you, don’t approach from the back or at all. Once the horse is aware of you, avoid walking straight up to it. Rater walk in a loop towards it. When the horse makes eye contact and starts twitching its ears, it means they are aware of your presence. You can now approach. Start by letting him smell your hand, then slowly start petting the horse. Now he is ready to be ridden or played with.

How to Mount and Dismount a Horse

When you get on and off of a horse, it is referred to as mounting and dismounting, and of course there is a correct and incorrect way to do this. This is how it should be done: mount a horse from the left side. Face the horse's tail with the reins in your left hand. Now put your left foot into the stirrup (a device attached to either side of the horse's saddle that looks like a loop with a flat base to support the rider’s foot) and use your right hand to grab onto the pommel of the saddle. The pommel is the rounded knob on the saddle. As you swing up make sure your right leg does not touch the horses back, but goes over it. Then place your right foot into the right stirrup. You should be facing forward while being seated comfortably on the saddle.

How to Stop a Horse

This is probably the most crucial tip for any beginner. If you don’t know much about horses and decide to go on a horseback ride for fun or as a family activity, stopping the horse is a good thing to know. Personally, I have had an experience where the horse I was riding (Black Beauty was her name) started galloping away from the group and I had no idea how to stop her. Luckily, the group coordinator was able to catch up to me and calm down Black Beauty until she stopped.

You might think that the best way to stop a horse is to pull back hard on the reins. However, this can sometimes aggravate the horse even more! If you are in this situation, either your horse does not know how to slow down, is too scared to do so or doesn’t like your idea enough to actually do it. So this is what you should do, tell the horse to stop by using your body. First push your heels down, now pull your legs in towards the horse while moving your body backwards.That should do the trick.

How to Groom a Horse

Learning how to groom your horse is not only important for its health, but is also a great bonding experience. The first step to grooming is called currying; this is when you use a curry comb to loosen all the dirt and hair. The next step is called soft brushing. Basically, you remove all the dirt and hair you previously loosened. Now you need to groom the face, mane and tail. Since these are sensitive areas, only use soft curry combs and brushes. When brushing the face start at the neck and work upwards, and move slowly around the face. If the horse doesn’t like it, stop and move away until they can tolerate it. You can use a damp cloth to remove dirt from eyes, nostrils and ears. For the mane and tail, work upwards and very gently. If there are lots of knots, use baby oil to remove them. Lastly, you need to pick out the hooves. This can be very dangerous, so make sure you know how to do it.

So there you have it, easy tips on how to handle horses. Horses are magical creatures when you know how to handle them.