YOUNG HORSES l TEACHING GOOD MANNERS
There is nothing more off-putting than a horse with bad manners. Eventer Dani Evans explains how instilling the basics at an early age and reinforcing and rewarding good behaviour at all times will ensure that a horse is a pleasure to work with
MEET THE EXPERT
DANI EVANS is a professional event rider who is based near Bristol. She has competed at Badminton on three occasions, with Raphael II and Smart Time.
Early in her career, Dani was a member of British junior and young rider teams. She competed at five consecutive European Championships, winning young rider team gold in 2011. She currently has an exciting string of horses working their way up the ranks, and she is aiming to be back competing at the top level again soon.
PATIENCE IS VITAL when teaching a horse to be mannerly under saddle. It is all too easy to overlook the little things, but these can quickly escalate and lead to bigger problems.
It is important to teach a young horse — or remind an older horse of — the basic manners in order to make life more pleasant for everyone. For example, having a horse stand quietly until you are ready to move off, asking him to move away from his mates in a group lesson, or ensuring that he doesn’t hang in a gateway are all basic lessons that should be regularly revisited.
Positive reinforcement and timing are important. Work with your horse’s mind to make sure that you aren’t causing more tension or stress as this is hugely important for improving a partnership. Horses learn by repetition and it is beneficial to both horse and rider if little issues are fixed in a calm, quiet, easy manner.
It is usually a good idea to seek help from a trainer or a friend. Sometimes all that’s needed is someone on the ground to help guide the horse in the right way, making it easy for him to do the right thing.
You can apply some of these training skills during hacks, too. Getting a horse to stop and stand on the route, and making sure that he’s listening to his rider are both important lessons. Try not to go to the hand if he snatches with his mouth; instead, use your voice, leg and seat aids — all of which can make a big difference. And don’t forget to offer a reassuring pat or a stroke so that he understands he’s doing the right thing.
PROBLEM: My horse is a fidget to mount. He walks off as soon as I throw my leg over the saddle and he won’t stand still while I adjust the girth.
FIX IT: I would advise yo
