Taking the time to know your horse outside of the arena pays off. Both on the trail or in the show pen.

Why It Matters

The horse industry is weighted more heavily toward owners who house their own horses. And those who care for them on daily basis.

Yet, there’s a large percentage of riders who either pay to board a horse because they don’t own the proper facility to keep their horse at home, or they have their horse in training.

As owners, we should understand our horses and do our best to know what makes them want to work. And if you don’t have the ability to take your horse home and oversee his care, it’s even more important
to spend time with your horse before or after a lesson so you can better understand what he’s like in his environment.

The Little Things

If you want to be successful, you need to put yourself in a situation where your horse wants to do his job. Knowing your horse and what sets him off or helps him relax is extremely important. It’s the little things that matter.

This is why I recommend riders saddle, unsaddle, bathe, and even just spend time in the stall with their horses. And observe how they eat, sleep, or relax. Knowing how your horse eats, what his sleeping routine is like, and how he likes to relax when he’s in his stall or turnout is extremely important. Not only does it help you better understand your horse as an individual. It can also help you understand if something is off about him or he’s not feeling 100%.

Take Your Time

A rider who takes the time to get their horse out, groom him, tack him up, and untack him is going to know more about their horse than someone who shows up at the barn where their horse is saddled and waiting for them in the arena.

When you’re done riding, take a few minutes out of your day to walk your horse out of the arena. A long walk with your horse is going to help you understand him. It also gives him a chance to recharge and stay ready to work. Not every day needs to be a training day. This also gives you a chance to bond on the ground while observing his body language.

Understanding what makes your horse happy is better in the long run than trying to force him to conform. Some horses are more like a machine and are happy to just do their job. While others need about 10 minutes of trotting before they work.

This is also applicable at horse shows. If you take time to get your horse ready each day at a show, you’re going to have a better understanding of how he’s feeling. Horses are just like us; their mood is going to change each day. If you longe your horse at the show, feed him, get him show-ring ready, you’re going to know how he’s feeling, and create a game plan around that.

It all scales down to understanding who your horse is and how he performs best. A horse will tell you so much without saying a word.

[Perfecting Your Pattern at Home]

Shannon Rafacz, Citra, Florida, grew up riding reining horses on the East Coast under trainers Ditch Chapman and Charlie Smith. After graduating from Elon University, Rafacz rode with Shawn Flarida as a non-pro rider. In 2018, Rafacz made the move from a non-pro rider to an NRHA professional. She sees herself more as a coach to the clients she and NRHA professional Mark Rafacz work with at their facility.