114. Building Trust

Establishing Trust with Your Horse
Relationship Exercises for Horse and Rider
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Oct 10, 2008 Laura Thompson
Just like human relationships, the bond between horse and rider must be built upon a foundation of trust. Without it, neither of you will live up to your full potential.

Essentially, the relationship between a horse and his rider starts with comfort and accountability. Your horse must be comfortable with you, both on the ground and in the saddle, and he should be able to count on you to keep him safe.

Take the sport of show jumping, for example. One of the most frequent problems encountered in this discipline is refusal. The horse approaches the fence, then either slams on the brakes or runs out at the last minute. You might attribute this behavior to rebellion, when it is usually evidence of a lack of trust.

A seasoned horse might develop the habit of refusal if his rider is constantly catching him in the mouth over the fence. He can't trust his rider not to cause him pain when he jumps an obstacle, so he avoids the experience entirely. In order to correct this habit and any other trust issue, you'll need to show your horse that he can trust you.
Beginning on the Ground

Very few trust issues can be solved with the rider in the saddle. This advice might run contrary to everything you have ever been told, but consider the facts. In the saddle, it is much more difficult to eliminate rider mistakes. On the ground, the rider is on an even playing field with the horse.

Start building your trust relationship with your horse by spending some time in the round pen. You can lunge your horse with a lunge line or free lunge—whichever he is more comfortable with. Start working with him on voice commands: walk, trot, canter/lope, whoa. When he begins to respond correctly, reward him.
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Trust can also be built without actually working your horse in the round pen or on his back. Spend time with your horse in his stall, brushing him for at least twenty minutes at a time, or grazing him in the yard. Let him get to know the sound of your voice as well as your own habits.

Consistency in Trusting Your Horse

The largest obstacle most riders face when trying to build a trusting relationship with their horse is consistency. If your horse can't count on you to deliver the same commands, rewards and punishments each and every time he repeats a behavior, he's going to lose trust quickly.

For example, what do you do when your horse starts pawing in the cross-ties? Do you smack him on the shoulder, tell him to "stand!" in a firm voice, bop him on the nose? Your response should be the same each time he paws, and your reward should be the same when he stands still.
Trusting Your Horse

As with most things in the equestrian sport, trust is a two-way street. Not only must your horse trust you to take care of him and treat him fairly, but you must trust your horse to take care of you. If you are constantly afraid that your horse is going to buck you off or run out on a fence or fall on his forehand during a slide, trust issues will develop on both sides.

If you feel that you cannot overcome trust issues with your horse, it might be time to seek the counsel of an experienced trainer. A third party can pinpoint problems you wouldn't otherwise have noticed and offer specific advice tailored to your situation. Sometimes, it's best to admit you need help.

Gaining Your Horse’s Trust

There is nothing worse than owning a horse that is scared of you and does not trust you. It is also dangerous because your horse could harm you if he feels that you are a threat to his safety. A horse’s trust is hard to gain and is very easy to loose. It is possible to gain a horse’s trust, but it could be a slow and tedious process. Once you have gained your horse’s trust, the benefits are endless.


The first thing that you need to remember when trying to earn a horse’s trust is to be patient. Something happened to the horse to make him not trust people and it will take time for him to feel safe around people and to trust you. When you start working with your horse, make sure that you always approach him from the left side and show him what you have in your hands so that you do not accidentally scare him.
The second thing for you to remember is to always wear tight fitting clothes. If you are wearing loose clothing, they might get caught in the wind and scare your horse, and once he is scared of you it will be very difficult to make him think that you are not going to hurt him

You also want to talk to your horse in a low, soft voice. Don’t try yelling at your horse to get his attention, you will only scare him and make things worse. When your horse begins to trust you he will start to look at you more and will begin giving you his full attention.

You also want to be around your horse as much as possible. If you can, feed your horse in the morning and evening, clean your horse’s stall (if your horse is kept in a barn), personally turn your horse out and bring him in at night. Your goal is to be around your horse as much as possible. If you are your horse’s sole caregiver, he is going to gain your trust much faster than if several different people are caring for your horse at the same time.

The benefits of having a horse that trust you are endless. Once a horse trusts you he will do almost anything that you ask of him because he knows that you would never allow anything bad to happen. This will be extremely useful when taking you horse around new things or putting him in new surroundings. Your horse will be much calmer than horses that do not trust their owners. Having a horse that trust you will also be useful on a trail ride. You may ride upon an obstacle that the horse has never seen, but if you reassure your horse that it is OK and he trusts you, he should go right over the obstacle and not think twice about it.

Once you have gained your horse’s trust, your training possibilities are endless.