The First Tries Were Rough
Alright, so I really wanted to train this horse differently. You know, not the old-school yelling and pulling way. My big idea? Make it fun for the horse. Sounded easy in my head, but man, starting out was rough.
I walked out to the paddock that first morning feeling pretty sure of myself. Got my halter, had some treats in my pocket. Spotted Sunny, my big, kinda nervous bay gelding. Figured, “How hard can it be?” Walked right up to him, tried slipping the halter on… bam! He jerked his head up high, snorted like a dragon, and backed away fast. My confidence? Yeah, that went right out the window. Felt like a fool standing there with a halter swinging. Had to just stand still, take deep breaths, and stop thinking about what I wanted and start thinking about what HE needed.
Changing My Tune, Step by Step
That stumble made me reset completely. Forgot about catching him quick. Next day, I just went out with no rope, no halter, nothing. Just stood near the fence line, way off to the side, not even looking at Sunny. Kept my body turned sideways, not facing him directly – way less scary for horses, turns out. I probably looked ridiculous staring at the grass or the sky for twenty minutes while he eyeballed me from the far corner.
- Started Tiny: Took tiny steps away from him first, not towards him. Weird, right? But walking away takes the pressure off. Left a single little treat on the fence rail when I walked away. Did this a bunch of times over a few days.
- His Choice: Only approached him if he took a tiny step towards me first. If he looked my way? I walked away again. Sounds backwards, but it made him curious! Stopped trying to be the one always chasing him.
- Patience, So Much Patience: Took like five days just for him to let me stand next to him without walking off! No halter attempts yet. Just… being there. Calm breathing.
One morning, maybe a week in? Sun was coming up, quiet all around. I was doing my usual standing-like-a-lamp-post routine. Sunny walked over, sniffed the air a few times, and lowered his head right towards me. That was it. Just stood there breathing near his neck. That moment felt huge.
Building Up Slowly
That little win let me finally, carefully, touch his shoulder with my hand. Gently rubbed it. Saw his eye soften, that tension in his face just eased. Later that day, tried scratching his neck with a soft plastic mitt instead of my hand. Less scary texture for him.
- Touch Points: Found places he liked being scratched – near his withers, base of his mane. Used scratches as a reward, not just treats.
- Introducing Things Slowly: After maybe a week of good touches, held the halter out low, letting him sniff it. Didn’t try putting it on. Just let him check it out while getting scratches. Did this for a few sessions.
- The Big Moment: Got the halter near his nose one quiet morning. Let him touch it. Carefully slid it up, supporting his head gently with my hand underneath, not pushing down. Fumbled a bit with the buckle! But he stood there, chewing softly. Got the buckle done up. That was probably the hardest part and he just… let it happen. No head jerking. No running.
Seeing It Work
Walking back to the barn with Sunny that first time he willingly wore the halter? Man, it felt different. He was relaxed beside me, head low. Not hauling back on the rope, not jigging. Just walking. The whole “friendly, step-by-step” thing wasn’t just wishful thinking anymore. Took weeks of feeling clumsy and sticking with it, but getting that calm, trusting walk? Yeah. Worth every minute feeling like a statue.
Seeing him start to look for me now, actually walking toward me sometimes? That’s the magic right there. Happy horse, happy heart. Just gotta slow way, way down.
