{"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
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