Are you among the many horse lovers or riders that wonder if horses love to ride on them? Do you ever give enough comfort to your horse so that it can enjoy every moment with you on the saddle?
Well, here you’ll know if your horse likes when you ride it or not. We’ll discuss whether horses like to be ridden by people.
Long before man began keeping horses, these animals lived in the wild. No one used to ride them, but these animals still lived well.
Today, many people ride horses. Yes, it’s a fact that many people love horse riding. There’s nothing that beats this freedom.
Ready? Let’s first know if horses like you to ride on them.
Does Your Horse feel good when you Ride it?
The answer is simple. There are some horses that like it when you ride them while others don’t.
Every horse likes to work or spend time happily with humans. It’s when they get to show their lovely behaviors and feelings.
But still, some horses will run away once they see you holding the halter. Others will shy away when you want to saddle or catch them.
Once you start riding such a horse, it will pin the ears and wring the tail. You’ll be riding it, but it will be upset.
Since horses are kind animals, you should be wise. So, sit back and think about things that will make the horse riding sweet or less enjoyable to you and your horse.
Remember, some horses don’t like the idea of you riding them. Even you try harder, they won’t change. They are more like introverted humans.
Most horses will change well if you work on what makes them hate you riding on them. So, here are the reasons why a horse can hate being ridden by you.
7 Things to make Your Horse Hate Riding
If you always have a rapport with your horse, it won’t hate to be ridden by you for no reason. There must be some things that make the act seem like a bad thing to the horse. Please take a look at them.
1. A Poor Rider
With you or somebody else as the rider, you can determine if the horse will enjoy it as you ride it. You are the key person during this session.
The way you treat your horse while on its back can make it hate being ridden by you or anyone else. Remember, horses are friendly animals. But if you give them a hard time around you, they’ll resist your commands.
It would help if you always were a partner that cared about the horse. Learn how to sit nicely on the saddle. Then, give commands to the horse well.
If you don’t have the skills as the rider, the horse will hate horse riding. You can now pick a horse-riding trainer to help you.
Also, if you use the wrong bits on your horse, you won’t have a nice ride. So, you should choose the right type of bits on your horse.
But if you put a harsh bit on your horse, it will hurt the animal. Remember, any discomfort makes the horse hard to control.
You’ll have a rough time with the horse when you ride a horse that isn’t of a size that you can manage. A petite horse won’t allow a huge person to ride it. The act won’t be comfortable for both the horse and the person.
Remember, if you ride a horse that fits your body size, you’ll have a friendly relationship. It’s from here that the horse will love you to ride it.
2. Bad Riding Experience
Horses are animals with perfect memories. Expect them to remember more of the bad things that happened to them.
If you mishandle your horse, it won’t like you to ride on it next time. But if it allows you to ride again, know that it’s enjoying the session. Also, you can lose the trust between you and your horse.
An example of things that make the experience terrible is when you whip the horse’s hind legs. Many people assume that since the horse’s hindquarters have muscles, the horse won’t feel any pain.
But the thought is wrong. If you whip the horse, it will be like a punishment. Also, the legs can swell or get some bruising.
You can reward the horse after a riding session. It’s something that will help to say sorry to the horse if the session wasn’t lovely.
3. Poor Horse Equipment
Every time you take your horse out, you should know those tacks that it will like. If you use one that doesn’t fit your horse, the riding session won’t be excellent.
Your horse will not be comfortable. It’s like running in a shoe that pains your toes.
The solution to this issue is simple. Ensure you take the horse’s measurements to a maker of these materials. Also, know the breed of your horse before making the tack.
Remember, before you make the saddle and tack, know the type that you want. The kind of riding activity will be key in picking the correct item for your horse.
Bits and reins are also part of the tack. These items play a role in making sure your horse is comfortable as you ride it.
Before picking the right reins and bits, ask yourself if your animal is a working horse. Do you plan for it to be a racing horse? Or do you plan to take it on gentle walks on the farm?
If the whole set of tacks doesn’t fit your horse, expect problems as you ride it. But if you give your horse what it can fit on the body well, it will enjoy as you ride it.
4. Giving it New Horse Equipment
Changing the tack that your horse uses isn’t bad. But it would help if you remembered that horses have an excellent memory. So, they’ll know the type of saddle, bits, or reins that you use on them.
So, they won’t be happy when you give them a new item like a saddle that’s not of American origin. It will make the riding sessions to be tough.
Ensure that as you plan to give your horse a new tool, don’t rush the horse to make it love the item. Yes, some horses would love to see some changes in their riding sessions. But if it tends to resist, give the horse time to adapt.
5. Failure to Prepare the Horse
What you do to your horse before riding is vital in making it like the riding sessions. It’s as important as giving it the right bits and saddle.
If you don’t groom the horse well before riding it, the animal won’t have peace. Through perfect grooming, it will help you see any injuries. Also, you’ll correct any bit of hair that isn’t in a good line.
Without proper preparation, you won’t know the cause of your horse’s adverse reaction before and when you ride it. You can avoid this if you brush where you want to place the saddle. As you do it, be keen on how the horse reacts.
Besides brushing, use your clean hands too. You’ll know any sores or bumps. But if you ride without preparing it, you won’t see such issues.
Also, if you don’t prepare, your horse will hate horse riding because the tacks aren’t in good condition. Ensure every tool is in a beautiful state before you place it on the horse’s back.
6. Bad Training Ways
It’s safe to train your horse before you take it out for a ride. But if you don’t do things right, your horse will never love any horse-riding sessions with you.
But to solve this matter is straightforward. It would be best if you first were consistent with how you train your horse. So, make the horse know the aim of each training session of horse riding.
Also, be gentle on your horse. Learn to respect the horse as you teach it how to ride.
Good training for a horse ride should have breaks. Expect them to do well as you give breaks during training. So, when you go to the real action, it will enjoy being ridden by you quite well.
7. Poor Care after Riding
If you don’t give your horse proper care after riding, it won’t love being ridden by you or anyone else. Sometimes, it might want you to look at some injuries on the body after the ride.
The horse will only love you to ride it again if you give it lovely post-ride care. Everything you do to it after riding is vital. It can make the horse eager for the next ride.
Remember, this activity is more than getting tack from the horse’s body. After making the horse run fast, help it cool down using some water. It would help if you did this after you removed the saddle from its back.
If you fail to wash your horse after horse riding, the animal can hate the act. When a horse comes from riding, it will sweat and make the fur dry.
Remember, if you don’t check for these things, your horse won’t like to be ridden because they’ll fear being hurt. Sometimes, it’s not that the horse hates riding or the rider; it’s because it fears getting hurt.
Things to Show that Your Horse is Happy when You Ride it
You’ve now learned about the things that can make your horse hate riding together with the solutions. Let’s now look at what will show you that your horse enjoys the riding sessions.
- The face always seems relaxed
- Ears will be up and not pinned back
- The animal will lick its lips
- The horse will have an even gait
- It will respond to your orders with ease
- You will saddle it with ease
- Swinging the tail nicely
- Standing upright and square
Conclusion
A horse can enjoy being ridden by you or anyone else if the act is done well. It would help if you looked into everything that the horse needs before and after the session.
Once you do this act, you’ll know if the horse has any injuries or problems that make it hate riding. But if you don’t check, the horse will never enjoy riding. Even if you do good things to a horse, some hate the idea of being ridden by anyone.
So, has your horse shown any problem before or when your ride it? How did you handle the matter to make the horse like riding again? Please share with us.
