What Makes A Good Horse Person

The mental approach potentially has more to do with good horsemanship than any physical capability. An approach based mostly on reciprocity is what marks the good horseman or horsewoman out from the remainder of the field.

You can persuade a pony into doing what you want or you can force him. But a glance at any top pro should tell you the right path to go in.

Have you really paid close attention to the way pros handle their horses? Have you been observant enough to notice the casual approach that seems to be a part of professionals? Try and remember if you’ve ever seen a really good rider swear at his or her horse. How often have you seen a pro rider getting physical with their horse?

Communication between a good rider and his horse is pretty much free from obstacles and misunderstandings. Horses take their cues from the infrequent word and the regular physical nudges of their riders. In a way, handling a pony isn’t different from handling a little kid.

The horseman or horsewoman communicates with their pony through the reins and the hands and legs, particularly the seat. The facility to perfectly communicate comes with a lot of practice and patience. Wherever you are, grooming your pony in the stable, riding him out on the ranges, doing a show with him,you have got to be aware of your horse’s behavior patterns, moods and temperament.

You can’t afford to stop learning. I learn much not simply from my own private interaction with horses, but also from my observations of other horsemen and horsewomen with their horses. Experience has given me the ability to make out the docile horse from the energetic one at a glance. I can make out a horse that has been treated well by its owners from the pony that has endured a bit of abuse. I’ve also become shrewd enough to recognise the true horse person from the person who has fancy saddles and riding habits and little horse sense. It’s not correct that you become a good horse person only if you have lived around horses all your life. Neither is it required for you to have ridden horses since you were tall enough to reach up to the stirrup. I was city bred and born, and was in my teens before I had my first exposure to horses not yoked to carriages. I went cowgirl inside a very short period of time. I must admit to a life-long zeal for horses and to having read up on everything I could find about horses and horsemanship, even if I used to be a city slicker. I was also fortunate in having a great tutor and mentor. For a long period of time, my life was a continual series of rodeos, events and videos. I now bow to no one in my knowledge of horses. If you dream about changing into a horse person, remember that the only thing stopping you is you.

Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like things about barrel saddles for sale