The summer brings with it wonderful weather for riding, but it also brings the challenge of staying cool in the saddle. Last week we looked at ways to keep your horse cool and comfortable – now let’s take a look at some measures you can take to keep yourself comfortable while riding in the heat.

Choose clothing carefully

Opt for light colors whenever possible, since darker colors absorb the sun’s heat. There is a wide variety of lightweight clothing on the market for use during the summer months. Look for clothing that is lightweight and fits loosely, and ideally choose clothing that wicks moisture. If possible, wear your shirt un-tucked to increase air circulation. Be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen whenever you’re riding or working outside.

Think about your helmet

Consider investing in a lightweight, well-ventilated helmet, if you haven’t done so already. Choose one in a light color with plenty of air vents to keep your head cool. Cooling helmet liners are also available to further prevent your helmet from heating up.

Keep your neck cool

Cooling your neck makes your entire body feel cooler. Soak a bandana in cold water and wrap it around your neck before mounting up. There are also neck wraps made specifically for riders; soak them in water and refrigerate them before your ride to stay comfortable the whole time.

Hydrate

Staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do to keep yourself cool in the summer. Always bring plenty of water with you when you to go the barn. Fill a water bottle halfway with water and freeze it. When you’re heading out to the horse barn, take the bottle out of the freezer and fill the remaining space with water. The ice will melt as you ride and your water will stay cool.

Ride early or late

If your schedule permits it, try to ride early in the morning or late in the evening, as those are the hours when the sun is at its weakest. Avoid midday rides; the heat will be at its worst then. Your horse will also appreciate it if you avoid the hottest hours.

Here’s wishing you warm (but not too warm) days of riding!

As equestrians, we all know that cross-training can be beneficial for both our horses and ourselves. We have to maintain a high level of fitness to make ourselves effective riders. If your out-of-saddle fitness routine includes running, then you might be interested in a relatively unknown sport which combines both running and riding: the sport of Ride and Tie.

So what is Ride and Tie? The sport combines running, endurance riding, and a two-person-one-horse team. The course, which varies in length between 20 and 40 miles, must be covered by all three team members. The two human teammates alternate running and riding the horse; whichever team crosses the finish line first in entirety is the winner.

At the starting line, one team member takes off running on foot. The other member rides the horse past the runner and continues on for a distance – generally as far as the runner can run. The rider dismounts the horse, secures it by tying it to a tree or other nearby object, and then takes off running. The first runner reaches the horse, mounts up, and rides up to the team member who is now running. At this point they can either switch, or the rider will continue on past the runner, tie the horse, and repeat the relay process.

As in endurance riding, courses have at least one mandatory vet check, and possibly additional checkpoints, depending on the length of the course. Horses are evaluated for their condition and if they are deemed unfit to continue by the vet, the entire team must stop.

In preparing for your first Ride and Tie you’ll need to spend serious time working with your horse on his ground manners and ability to stand calmly while tied. His overall conditioning over distances will also be important, and he will need the discipline to be able to stay focused and calm in the chaotic starting phase of the race. He will also need to be well behaved enough to tolerate changing riders and the mounting and dismounting on the trail, and he should be able to travel out onto trails away from the barn without getting anxious or upset.

To prepare yourself, you’ll need to brush up on your distance running skills over differing terrains. Practice mounting and dismounting from the ground, since an object might not always be available for you to remount from. Also brush up on your knot tying skills, and remember that you’ll need to outfit your horse with a safety halter to which to tie him.

If you think that ride and tie might be a fun sport to try with your horse, then try to find someone who’s already experienced in the sport to act as your partner for the first few races; they can advise you well on training and the rues involved.

Whenever you head out onto public trails, you’re likely to encounter dogs. Hopefully they’re accompanied by their owners and are leashed, but that’s not always the case. Giving thought to how to deal with dogs before you encounter them will prepare you for if and when that time comes.

Know How Your Horse Reacts to Dogs

While it would be difficult to mimic the situation of encountering strange dogs out on a trail, familiarize yourself with your horse’s view on dogs beforehand. Have a friend walk a leashed dog by your horse, while keeping a safe distance, and observe his reaction. Is he concerned? Could he care less? Spend some time to introduce a nervous horse to dogs on positive terms so that you’ll both be more confident if you come across them on the trail.

Stay Calm

It’s true that if you want your horse to be calm, you need to present a calm demeanor yourself, but this rule is especially important on the trail. Take deep breaths and don’t allow yourself to envision all of the “what could happens” if you sight dogs up ahead. Breathe and let your body relax, ride your horse confidently, and remind yourself that you’re well prepared for any issue that might arise.

Take Control

If the dogs are accompanied by their owners then it’s up to you to take control of the situation. The owners might not be familiar with equine behavior, so let them know what you need them to do. If the dogs aren’t leashed and you’re within speaking distance, politely request that the owners leash their dogs to let you pass. Once they’re leashed, request that the owners hold the dogs still, and pass with your horse while leaving plenty of room.

If the dogs are not accompanied by owners, you have a few options. Consider whether there’s distance to move off without them chasing you, and if there are other trails you could take to avoid them, it might be worth doing. If the dogs have already seen you but don’t appear to be interested in you and your horse, then try to move by at a walk while leaving them as much distance as possible.

When Dogs Become Trouble

If you’re faced with loose dogs which are aggressively moving toward your horse, you can try a few tactics. First, try commanding “go home” in a firm voice. If you carry a dressage whip and the dogs are truly aggravating your horse, a flick with your whip may deter them. Remember, though, that if you’re dealing with multiple aggressive dogs, the whip might not be enough.

If dogs are rushing at your horse, turning the tables can help. Instead of allowing them to chase you, turn your horse toward them and urge him on. Use your size to your advantage; putting your horse into a trot or canter headed at the dogs can bring with it an intimidating threat, oftentimes causing the dogs to give up.

If you’ve encountered aggressive dogs running loose on a trail, once you are safely out of the woods, call an animal control officer and report the incident. Make it a point to carry a whip with you, and always ride with a friend if at all possible to maximize your safety on the trail.

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Original Source:http://blog.classic-equine.com/2013/03/how-to-handle-dogs-on-the-trail/

Is your horse a speedster? While traveling across a field at a full gallop can certainly be thrilling, it’s vital that our horses understand that we need them to travel more slowly at times, too. Read on for some tips on slowing down your speedy horse.

Determine the Root of the Issue

Before you go about trying to slow down your speedy horse, determine what’s causing him to go so quickly. Is he overexcited and reacting to the fact that he has excess energy? Is he young and rushing ahead in effort to balance himself? Is stress or worry causing him to speed up? Could he be in pain from saddle fit or trying to evade a harsh bit? If lack of training, anxiety, or pain are the issue, then you’ll need to take measures to address those specific causes – seek the advice of a trainer if you’re unsure of what to do for your horse. But if your horse speeds up because of extra energy or habit, then there are a number of things you can do to ask him to slow down.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Before you mount up for a training session, take a moment to observe your horse’s current mindset. Have you just pulled him out of his stall, and is he already fretting on the crossties? Has he had adequate turnout time before your ride? Mounting up on a fresh, raring to go horse is only going to make training him to travel slowly more difficult. Give him a way to expend his excess energy before you tack up – either through a few hours of turnout, or some time on the lunge line – to make your training session easier.

As you train your horse to slow down, be sure that you’ve established the proper basics first. Your horse needs to be able to travel forward in a collected frame, and needs to accept contact from the bit. Spend extra time working on transitions to make sure that your horse goes through them smoothly.

Change Up Your Routine

If, every time you ride your horse, you warm up at the walk in both directions, then the trot, and then the canter, you make it very easy for your horse to anticipate what’s coming next. Knowing that each transition will bring a faster gait will only get him more riled up. Vary your warm-up and training routine to encompass different exercises at different paces, and continuously change your routine so your horse can’t anticipate what’s coming next.

Half Halt

Applying a half halt at the point where your horse is suspended through each gait, serves to get his attention and asks him to slow down. Rather than tightening up and putting constant pull on the reins, which your horse may only lean against, use a series of half halts until he responds. Once he does respond, release the aids you’ve applied and allow him to continue on at the slower pace. A horse in the habit of traveling quickly will probably pick up the pace again, so be ready to ask for another half halt soon after until your horse catches on to the new pace you’re presenting.

Slow Your Posting

Your body weight greatly influences your horse. If you find he’s getting too speedy at the trot, slow your posting so that you return to sit in the saddle just a bit behind his stride. The same can be performed by posting at the canter; by sitting just a hint behind each stride, you’ll be telling him to slow down and sync up with you. You can affect the speed at which he travels by restricting his movement with the motion and weight of your seat.

Circle

It’s more difficult for your horse to travel quickly when he’s circling, so use circles to benefit your training. Any time you feel your horse getting quick, turn him off of the rail and into a circle. Allow him to return to the rail once his pace has slowed, but be ready to circle him again if he gets too quick. Be sure to keep the circle sizes appropriate for the pace at which you’re traveling – don’t pull a horse in a fast canter into a tiny, tight circle, since doing so will unbalance you both. Start with a larger circle, and as he slows you can reduce the size of subsequent circles until he’s traveling nicely and at a comfortable pace.

With patience and a cool head, you can calm your speedy horse and train him to travel more slowly. If your horse doesn’t respond to the above suggestions, or if he is becoming too much for you to ride, be sure to enlist the help of a professional trainer.

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Have you ever noticed how the track around the outside of a ring, just next to the rail, quickly becomes packed down after just a few rides? We frequently ride our horses on the rail, so the traffic there is maximized. But in riding on the rail so often, we risk becoming dependent on it as a guide. How well does your horse listen to just where you’re directing him to go? Give the exercises below a try to find out.

Ride anywhere but on the rail

As you’re warming up your horse, make a point of riding him anywhere but on the rail. Turn him into the center of the ring and ride serpentine’s, figure eight’s circles, barrel racing patterns – anything that will keep your horse constantly listening to you for the next direction of where to travel. Don’t let your horse stay on the rail for more than four strides at a time – you’ll quickly discover any weaknesses in your horse’s training, or in your ability to give clear directional cues.

Circles

We’ve all ridden circles in which we come off the rail to the center of the ring and then return to the rail on the circle’s completion, but make a point of circling your horse in the middle of the ring instead. Don’t let the rail create a border for your circle; ride circles of varying sizes in the middle of the ring and focus on keeping them round and even. Consider setting up some cones to circle at first if it’s difficult to keep your circle round.

Travel off the rail

Travel the circumference of the ring, but do so two feet off of the path. Try to keep your horse’s path steady and straight, but make him listen to your guidance when he wants to fall into the worn path by the rail. Try this at the walk, trot, and canter to see just how well you can steer your horse.

Change it up

Use the arena in ways that you don’t typically. Travel from one corner to the corner diagonally across from it. Serpentine your way up and down the arena, never staying on the rail for long. Ride your horse deep into the corners, then immediately come off of the rail and head toward the center again. Make up your own patterns. Teach your horse that just because you’re returning to the rail doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily continue down it in a straight line.

Set up visuals

If you have difficulty with maintaining your own idea of where you want your horse to travel off the rail, set up visual markers to help with direction. Cones and poles positioned in the middle of the ring can provide visual objects to circle and weave around. Pick a spot for your destination and ride to it; use markers to help visualize your patterns and exactly where you want your horse to travel.

By shaking your dependence on the rail, you’ll maximize your horse’s focus on and response to your signals. You’ll also add variety to your ride, which will help to keep your horse from getting bored in the arena.

It’s been said that the most challenging horses are those who have the most to teach us, but riding a spooky horse can be unpleasant and worrisome, and can even affect your confidence. If you find yourself reluctant to leave the barn because your horse’s spooking is making rides unpleasant, learning how best to handle the situation can make rides more enjoyable for both of you.

Evaluate

Before you chalk up a horse’s spookiness or re-activeness to a training or behavior issue, eliminate the possibility of it being a physical issue. Is your horse in pain at all – does his saddle fit correctly, and could his bit be pinching his mouth or lips? Other physical issues which you might not be aware of, such as vision impairments, can cause your horse to spook frequently. An evaluation by a vet might be necessary to determine if the spooking could be linked to a physical cause.

Don’t think about what could happen

As hard as it might be, when you ride a spooky horse, don’t think about the fact that you’re riding a spooky horse. Yes, giving advice such as that is similar to telling you not to think about a purple elephant – but on a more serious note, if you picture the possibility of your horse spooking, you’ll probably tense up, even if it’s on a level you can’t feel yourself. Your horse is sure to feel it, and that will only add to his reasons to spook. Picture calming images, or rides that have gone well. Think about what you’re asking your horse to do, and picture him doing it successfully and calmly.

Use your voice

Many horses respond positively to the sound of their rider’s voice, but make sure that you’re calm when you do speak. If your horse tenses up, speak positive statements such as “You are okay,” or “We’re both safe and we’ll have a fun ride.” Try singing your favorite song as you ride, or reciting a favorite poem or mantra. Such techniques serve to relax both you and your horse.

Keep him busy

Give your horse something to focus on other than what could lurk in the bushes or behind a jump. As you feel him become tense, give him something to do such as asking for him to circle, bend, or leg yield. Keep him moving forward and keep him focused.

Stay calm

If your horse does spook, stay as calm as you can and try to ride the spook until you can get your horse back under control. If your horse spooked because he was genuinely scared, don’t yank on the reins or discipline him; doing so will cause him pain and reinforce the fact that he was right to be scared. Ride through the spook, gather yourself and your horse back together, and then approach whatever it was that he spooked at.

Desensitize

If your horse has spooked at an object or area, or finds something scary, then you can help him work through that. Don’t approach the object head-on; work your horse in large circles and gradually increase their size so that you approach the object or area on each rotation. Allow your horse to come up to the object gradually, then give him time to sniff at it and touch it. Once he’s satisfied that the object is harmless, turn him into the other direction and repeat the exercise by approaching from the other way. Horses have a dominant eye; they’ll see things differently from each direction, so always make sure to approach scary areas or objects from both directions.

Breathe

Remember that if you keep yourself calm it will help your horse to stay calm. Don’t allow yourself to look at what is spooking your horse; he will feel your focus on the object and it will make it more difficult to calm him. Force yourself to take deep breaths; doing so slows your heart rate and is a reassurance to your horse.

Teach your horse about sighing

With a little training, a heavy, audible sigh on the rider’s part can actually signal a horse to relax. Practice this first when your horse is relaxed – at the end of a ride can be a great time. As you’re walking your horse out, bring him into the center of the arena and ask him to halt. Relax the reins and let him drop his head down. As he does so, let out a heavy, relaxed sigh. Repeat this multiple times over many rides so that your horse learns to accompany your sigh with his relaxation. Once your horse learns this, you can use the sigh when your horse gets tense to signal to him that it’s time to relax.

If your horse’s spooking becomes a consistent issue despite your attempts to remedy it, then it may be time to bring in a professional trainer to help you. Don’t sacrifice your safety – bring in help if you find that you need it.

As you continue to prepare for show season, chances are that you’re focusing on not only getting your horse back into shape, but in also bringing your own riding position back into top form. In January we looked at some exercises you could do to improve your fitness on the ground. Now, as you’re probably spending more time in the saddle, let’s look at what you can do while riding to improve your strength and position.

Always give your horse a thorough warm-up before attempting these exercises, as changing your position will alter your weight distribution over your horse’s back. Be sure that his muscles are warm and supple before you place any additional demands on him.

Two-point

Riding in the two-point position is a great way to develop your leg and core strength while also focusing on your balance and jumping position. With your horse at a walk, raise yourself up into your two-point position and hold the position as your horse proceeds around the ring. Adjust the time for which you hold the position accordingly; if you’re just returning to the saddle, then don’t overdo it by expecting yourself to stay in two-point for three rotations of the ring.

While you’re in two-point, focus on allowing your heels to drop down. Keep your back straight and your shoulders back, and look forwards between your horse’s ears. Try to lift your hands up off of your horse’s crest and maintain the position through your own balance. When you’ve met your goal time, lower yourself back down into the saddle gently while focusing on maintaining your leg and heel position. Gradually increase the time you spend in two-point, and also perform the exercise with your horse at a trot. (Image)

Stand in your stirrups

A variation on the above exercise, standing in your stirrups greatly tests and develops your balance. Instead of riding in two-point, stand straight up in your stirrups with your horse at a walk. Do not lean forward or grab onto the saddle; rely on your balance to keep you standing. Sink as much weight into your heels as possible and hold the position for a desired time, gradually increasing the time as you become stronger. Be sure to sit down gently once you’ve completed the exercise.

Alternate your posting

With your horse at the trot, post for two strides, then sit for one. Holding yourself up out of the saddle for the two strides will develop your balance and leg and core strength (not to mention your rhythm). Alternatively, change things around and sit for two strides and rise for one.

Post the canter

Posting the canter will not only develop your strength and balance as a rider, but it has the added benefit of helping to regulate your horse’s rhythm. Ask your horse to move forward at a canter and count his strides as one-two-one-two. Then try to post on each “one” stride and sit on the “two” stride. Allow the horse’s motion to lift you up out of the saddle to help with the posting, and then sit securely during the horse’s following stride. If you post just before or just behind the motion, you can influence and regulate your horse’s rhythm at the canter without relying on your reins to do so.

Practice these exercises at least a few times a week to speed your return to riding fitness.

Just in case you missed this on the Facebook page here is a look at the muscles of the horse correlated with the riders position. Knowing this first will help you greatly improve your riding ability.

Photo from “Biomechanical Riding & Dressage, A Rider’s Atlas” by Nancy Nicholson, PhD.

Warm-up rings can be chaotic, busy, and full of unfamiliar horses and riders. As such, they’re one of the most challenging parts of horse shows that you’ll have to navigate. Make sure you’re familiar with warm-up ring etiquette to make your warm-up time more effective and less stressful.

Do your homework

If you’ll be riding in a breed show or organized show, read that organization’s rule book beforehand. If you’ll be attending a general open show, still look into their rules and see if there are specifications for the warm-up ring. Different disciplines frequently have different rules for warm-up, so make sure that you know these ahead of time. (It’s also a great time to brush up on rules for the competition itself.)

Go with the flow

When you first enter the ring, travel in the direction that the majority of other riders are going. After a few minutes of traveling in one direction you can suggest that riders reverse direction.

Make your intentions known

If you’re planning on jumping a fence, call it out and identify it before starting on your path to it. Try to give riders a heads-up if you’ll be passing them so that they’re aware of you. If you have to pass a horse head-on, always try to do pass left shoulder to left shoulder, and call out your intentions to the other rider to avoid any chance of a misunderstanding.

Leave yourself plenty of space

Putting multiple horses into a small ring can be a recipe for disagreements between them, so leave plenty of space between your horse and the horses around you. Tying a red ribbon into a horse’s tail signifies a kicker, but the practice isn’t always followed, so to err on the safe side you should assume that all horses will kick. Leave yourself plenty of space when passing horses, and plan ahead to avoid getting yourself boxed into tight spaces. Doing so may be a mental workout, but it’s for your safety.

Keep the gate free

The in-gate is a busy place; once you’re through it move away from it and keep the area clear and accessible for other horses and riders. The same goes for when you exit.

Be aware of your location

Don’t stop your horse on the rail to talk – doing so will create a roadblock for other riders. The same goes for parking your horse in front of jumps which other riders may be trying to navigate. If you need to discuss something with your trainer then move your horse safely out of the thickest traffic, or leave the ring entirely.

Excuse yourself when necessary

Warm-up rings are exciting places for people and horses alike, and some horses may get overexcited and out of hand. If your horse is behaving poorly and you are having trouble containing him, excuse yourself from the ring. Horses acting up badly put everyone in the ring at risk, since their behavior may rile up other horses as well. Remember that you’re probably warming up with riders and horses of varying experience levels, so keep your cool if your horse acts out and remove yourselves from the situation. Chances are that you’d want another rider to do the same.

Stay alert

Circumstances can change in an instant when there are horses involved so stay on your toes and be aware of what’s going on around you. Riders should call out to warn you if they’re jumping, but that doesn’t mean that all riders will necessarily follow this rule. If you see riders who are more inexperienced than you are, try to give them the right of way.

Whatever happens, keep your cool and look out for yourself and your horse. If you have a choice of warm-up rings, look for one which is less crowded. Try to find some space where you can focus on your horse’s warm-up so that you’re both ready to enter the show ring.

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If you ride horses for long enough, it will eventually happen: You will fall. It’s not a fun part of riding, but unfortunately it’s necessary. Before it has to happen, let’s look at some ways to minimize your chances of being hurt in a fall, and what you should do afterwards.

Let go

It seems simple: You’re falling, and therefore you have to let go of the horse at some point. But instinct often kicks in and riders hold onto the reins, or try to grab onto the saddle horn as they fall. Don’t do it; grabbing hold of tack or your horse’s mane adds to your chance of getting hung up, and it also tenses all of your body’s muscles which will make for a harder landing. Falling while still holding onto the reins can also make for a painful jolt on your horse’s mouth. Although it’s difficult, try to mentally prepare yourself to let go when you know you’re falling.

Accept it

Acknowledging the fact that you’re falling will help you to prepare for hitting the ground. Try not to put out your arms or legs in attempt to catch yourself, since doing so will put you at risk of breaking a bone. Don’t tense up (we know, it’s hard not to!), and roll into the fall if at all possible. If you have the control to be able to roll away from your horse, do so.

Evaluate yourself

After you’ve fallen, unless your horse is dangerously close to you, give yourself a moment to check that you’re okay. Wiggle your toes and fingers and move slowly as you take a few deep breaths. When you’re ready to stand up, kneel first, and then slowly rise.

If you hit your head, use extra caution when you go to rise. It’s a good idea to have yourself evaluated by a doctor for a possible concussion, and definitely seek medical advice if you lose consciousness, experience dizziness or nausea, feel faint or tired, or have other troublesome symptoms after hitting your head. Remember that you should always replace your riding helmet if it makes contact with the ground or another object during a fall.

Get back in the saddle

You should only get back onto your horse if you’re not seriously injured. If you’re injured, getting yourself to the hospital should take top priority. Have someone take your horse back to his stall and untack him while you call an ambulance or get a ride to the hospital.

If you’re not injured, catch your horse and check him over if a stumble or fall on his part was involved. Check your tack to make sure that it’s safe and secure, and then remount. Take it slow and easy as you resituate yourself, but do get back on and ride for a bit if you’re physically able to do so.

Ride with a cell phone

Cell phones can be lifesavers in the event of a fall, especially if you ride alone. Always keep your cell phone on you directly, not on your saddle – if you’re separated from your horse, you’ll also be separated from your phone. Use a cell phone holder which attaches to your arm, belt, or leg – just be sure to position it so that your cell phone won’t further injure you if you should fall off.

Know your emergency dismount

Familiarize yourself with the emergency dismount, and practice it before you need to use it. It’s best to practice it bareback on a calm horse. Have someone lead the horse at a slow walk. Lean forward with your hands on the horse’s neck and push yourself up and off to one side. As you swing one leg over the horse’s back, push yourself away from the horse with your arms and land with your knees bent. Immediately start to move forward and away from the horse at a jog.

Practice the emergency dismount until you feel safe performing it. Remember that when you perform it with a saddle, you need to take your feet out of the stirrups first. Hopefully you’ll never need to use the dismount in a true emergency situation, but it’s helpful to know in the event that you truly cannot regain control of a runaway horse.

Familiarize yourself with what to do during a fall so that you’re prepared for one when it occurs. Hopefully you don’t have to put this knowledge to use terribly often – be safe!

Horses are herd animals by nature, and sometimes their herd instincts can make training and riding difficult. Such is the case with the barn sour, or herd bound horse. Barn sour horses are horses which misbehave when asked to leave their herd or the barn. Their behaviors can range from refusing to leave the area or another horse, to suddenly bolting towards home, rearing, jigging, attempting to back up, and constantly trying to turn around to head back home. Some are fine until they hit a certain point on the trail, and others start fussing before they’ve gotten through the barn doors.

Barn sour behavior is generally caused by insecurity on the horse’s part; horses feel safest in herds, and being asked to leave their herds can cause stress and a sense of vulnerability. Poor training or a lack of a basic training foundation may also contribute to a horse’s resistance when a rider asks him to travel away from home. Barn sour behavior can be dangerous for the rider, and makes for an unpleasant and limited ride.

So how do you deal with a horse who is barn sour? The first step is to not reward the behavior. If your horse makes it clear that he wants to return to his buddy or to the barn, the worst thing you can do is to immediately give in to his wishes. Doing so will only teach him that the behavior is acceptable, and that when he acts that way, he is rewarded with what he wants.

With a barn sour horse, it’s important to work through the problem, not to be restricted by it. If you’re in the saddle and you feel unsafe, you need to either find a more advanced rider or trainer to help you work through the problem, or you need to work with the horse while you’re on foot. Stay calm while working with your horse and don’t allow your emotions to play into the training. Doing so will only aggravate the situation for you both.

When you get to the end of your horse’s comfort zone and he starts to exhibit barn sour behavior, such as turning to try to go back or refusing to move forward, give him something to do. Ask him to walk in circles, to work down on the bit, to do leg yields – anything to shift his focus. Continue to work until he calms down, and then proceed with your ride, but don’t push him too by going too much farther. Accept that he’s listened to you, and gradually increase how much you ask of him over the following rides.

Make rides pleasurable, and give your horse a reason to enjoy them. Perhaps reward him with some grazing time when you’re at the farthest point from the barn. Or give him a few treats. If you’re working in the ring and you’ve made it past the point where your horse typically begins his barn sour behavior, let him hop a few fences or canter, if those are things he particularly enjoys doing.

Whatever you do, keep changing your riding routine. If you’re heading out on the trails, always take different ones. If your horse gets antsy when you turn for home, don’t always come straight back – turn off the path, do exercises in the field, work your way back in a winding path – do whatever it takes so that your horse must continue to listen to you. Once you finish your ride, don’t just untack and put your horse away; establish the fact that “going home” doesn’t mean going back to his buddies right away. Perhaps take him out and work on ground manners in the riding ring. Do something different so that his schedule isn’t always the same.

Remember, repetition is key, and your horse will overcome being barn sour. Keep your emotions in check and be deliberate and calm in your riding and actions. If the problem escalates beyond what you can handle, put safety first bring in a professional trainer. But chances are that with some time and work your horse will settle and you’ll be able to enjoy pleasant and relaxing rides together.