5 Fifteen Minute Ways to Bond with your Horse

Do you ever experience that the time you spent with your horse feels wasted? Do you just fight each other? Don't feel any deep connection? Do you want a horse that enjoys its time with you? Well then, just keep reading!

So I've been practicing for the upcoming endurance race, every second day we go on a ride for the exact kilometers and hours planned. Every time I went to catch him, he looked really unhappy and grumpy that I was there. He even became difficult to catch. It was significantly different from a few months back, he always came trotting up to me and then just stayed by my side, enjoying the scratches. I thought for a long time why he'd change so much, and this was my conclusion: I didn't spend enough relaxed, quality time with him! Al we did was work! If you relate to my story, read on to get some ideas!

 1) Do nothing

Yes, you heard me right! Doing nothing with your horses is an excellent way to bond with your horse! Because, you are solely focusing on him and your time together, instead of trying to make him do a flying lead change or a perfect back-up. Scratch his favorite spot, read a book nearby (this book from Joe Camp is an awesome option!), lay in the green grass, have a picnic, do your exercise routine in his pasture…anything as long as you enjoy it!

2) Try something new

If you do something completely different, the focus is not on perfection anymore, but on experiencing this new thing. For instance, one day I was really bored, and I’m sure Shikra was too, so I picked up a big, ground covering canter. I then knotted the reins so that it’s shorter and threw my hands up in the sky! It was such an awesome feeling, and I had to trust him so much more.

 Examples that you can try is:

Try riding with different tack, or less tack

Try some liberty exercises

Teach him a new trick

Try jumping or barrel racing, or even an easy dressage test

Braid his mane and tail

Go for a trail ride

 3) Go for a walk together

Take a halter, put on some shoes, and go for a leisurely walk with your horse. When I go for a walk with Shikra, I normally talk my heart out (definitely one of my weird little habits!) You can also try to lead him without any rope like I do here:

 4) Go for a bareback hike

What better way to connect with a horse than sitting on him without any barrier between you! This exercise may be difficult for you if you’re not used to riding without the aid of stirrups, but after a few tries, you’ll have your balance and coordination mastered! Just remember to go slow at first ‘till you get the hang of it!

5) Give him a massage

This is also a great bonding time because while you are spending quality time with him, you’re also checking his back for any soreness, AND you are relaxing his muscles, which will help him when you’re having a riding session again. For a great tutorial on how to massage your horse, simply click here.