{"id":629,"date":"2017-01-08T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T14:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/?p=629"},"modified":"2021-05-12T14:17:40","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T18:17:40","slug":"exercises-for-bonding-with-a-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/exercises-for-bonding-with-a-horse\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Fun Horse Riding Exercises for Bonding with a Horse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I just wanted to write a little fun post because I was riding this awesome mare the other day. Her name was Dante. I had never ridden her before and I could tell she was quite stressed. I immediately knew it was time to use everything I knew about bonding with a horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I groomed her and tacked her up, I spoke to her the whole time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was walking her around before we started our ride just to warm up a bit, I sang to her a little melody I thought of using her name a lot. And then once I was riding her, I spoke to her throughout, patted her a lot and generally made a conscious effect to connect with her physically and mentally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was about 15 minutes into our ride when I felt her start to relax and completely listen to me. I could feel her licking her lips, I could feel more bounce in her step and her ears were back to me listening to everything I was telling her verbally and non-verbally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never forget to make time for just you and your horse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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After the ride, I thought about how much better things were once we bonded and connected. Even with horses that you have been riding forever, I think it’s so easy to forget to take the effort to spend time with them and bond with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Me & Dante!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’s like that with people too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should always make time for those important to you even when it’s hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you ride for fun or you’re training for something, if you have a strong connection with your horse then everything will go smoother. It will be more enjoyable for you both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your horse wants your attention and just like a friend, spouse, or even your dog – if you don’t take the time to keep the relationship healthy, it will start to suffer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here’s some fun exercises that will help you foster your relationship with your horse and keep it strong!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonding with a Horse Exercise 1: Liberty work – go dancing with your horse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Maybe it sounds silly but it’s actually a lot of fun! And starting on the ground is never a bad idea when it comes to building up trust and relationship with a horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m not going to get into the details of how to do liberty training here but I have a great post about it that you can read here<\/a>. We also have a guest post from Equine Angel about her experiences with liberty work<\/a>, if you want to know more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve seen Cavalia, Heartland or any other horse show, then you’ll have a rough idea of what I’m talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cavalia is a horse show that’s part of Cirque du Soleil and they do a lot of liberty work as part of the performance. Heartland is a show based in Alberta, Canada. It’s based on an actual ranch that takes in and helps troubled horses. The main character – Amy – uses liberty work throughout the show to help bonding and to build a stronger connection with the horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a Youtube video showing you if you haven’t seen the show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n