How to Talk to Your Horse

Approaching Your Horse

Plan what you are going to say. When you communicate with your horse, it is important to remain calm. If you don’t come in knowing what you want to do, you will likely fall back on feelings and instincts. This will make you more likely to panic or overreact to a horse’s actions, rather than remaining calm and in control.

Watch for an inviting body position. When you come near a horse, you want to make sure he is willing to talk to you. If the horse wants to talk to you, he will turn his head or front toward your, lick his lips, and soften his eyes. Once you get this signal, you can approach the horse slowly and start communicating further. Your horse may do the opposite, turning his head away from you, walking away, or even ignoring you. If the horse isn’t interested in letting you in, he won’t be responsive to what you say.

Approach the horse from the front side. Horses have monocular vision, meaning they can’t see directly in front of their noses. Make sure you walk toward a horse from the side so he can see you clearly. Never approach a horse from behind. Horses can’t see in that direction, and you are at risk of getting kicked if they get spooked.

Become the leader. Make sure your horse recognizes that you are the leader of his herd. If he doesn’t recognize you that way, he won’t listen to what you are saying. If your horse doesn’t seem to be showing proper respect, make him move his feet. Pushing on his shoulder or hip should do well on most occasions. If you need a little more power, you can poke him with the handle end of a crop. Just make sure you stand in the same place when you do this, and don’t shuffle your feet. A horse that doesn’t respect you will rub his head on you, nip to get your attention, or walk in front of you when you are trying to lead him. These are not behaviors he would show to a dominant leader of his herd.

Approach the horse calmly. Horses are prey animals, meaning that in the wild they are hunted by others, and your horse considers you a predator. This means he will consider any outsider to be a threat, including you. Learn to approach the horses calmly so they regard you as someone walking through the herd rather than a potential predator.

Giving Basic Commands

Use short words. When you give commands, use clear words with fewer than three syllables. Horses don’t speak English, so when you use longer, more complicated words, that will only confuse them. Short simple words like “Trot” or “Whoa” are easier to remember, and more recognizable to a horse’s ears. Shorter commands will also help you to be consistent when speaking. EXPERT TIP Kate Jutagir Kate Jutagir Equestrian Specialist & Trainer Kate Jutagir is an Equestrian Specialist, Hunter/Jumper Trainer, and the Owner of Blackhound Equestrian, a premier training barn located on 65 acres in Castro Valley, California. Originally designed to be a riding school used as a springboard for dedicated students into careers in the sport, Blackhound Equestrian has grown into a hunter/jumper training program for all levels focusing on providing a solid foundation needed for personal advancement in the sport. Kate has over 25 years of equestrian instruction and training experience. Her focus on developing horse and rider partnerships provides a complete equestrian education for both beginners and advanced riders alike. Kate Jutagir Kate Jutagir Equestrian Specialist & Trainer Expert Trick: Besides "whoa," the most important word you should teach your horse is "walk." Start using this word as you walk beside your horse, and then you can say it while riding. You'll use this word whenever you want the horse to move forward.

Be consistent. When you speak and give commands, make sure you repeat yourself regularly. Otherwise the horse will get confused over what you are saying and what you want him to do. Even a small change like adding the horse’s name to the command changes what the horse hears. “Whoa” and “Whoa, Silver” are different things to the horse’s ears, so resist the temptation to address your horse by his name when giving a command.

Communicate with your body language. Horses are visual animals, and communicate much more through body language than verbalizing. By sending the right signals while speaking, you can get your horse to better listen to you when you speak. Active body language is more assertive, and good to do when you are giving commands. Square your shoulders to the horse, and look him directly in the eye. If you want to further emphasize the need to do something, lean forward toward the horse, and have a stern look on your face. This is a more assertive stance, which lets the horse know he needs to move his feet. When you want the horse to relax, keep your body language more passive. Don’t square your shoulders or look him in the eye. Instead, relax your shoulders and maybe even cock one of your legs. This is a more relaxed stance for you, and lets your horse know he can relax when you tell him to calm down.

Watch your tone. Keep your voice calm and firm, and use it to reinforce your body language. This kind of language is more for you, to help remind yourself to remain calm and in control when talking to your horse. Make sure you speak normally around your horses, and avoid only whispering. The only thing that will happen is that your regular voice, or any other voice, will startle the horse and he will react with fear.

Keep your talking to a minimum. You want your horse to associate your voice with giving commands. If you talk constantly to and around your horse, he won’t learn to associate your voice with anything in particular, and will start to tune you out. Make sure to limit your communication to necessary points, and make sure your horse follows those commands.

Give your horse a chance to respond. When you give your horse a command, he may not follow through right away. Rather than punishing him for not immediately responding, wait a few seconds to see if he will follow. If he doesn’t, give the command again with more force in your voice, and perhaps a gentle push or squeeze.

Listening to Your Horse

Read your horse’s body language. Horses communicate mostly using body language, and understanding your horse’s activity and position will let you know a great deal about how he is feeling and how receptive he will be to your talking. Keep an eye on the way your horse is using his tail and legs, which should be easy to spot, even from a distance. The horse’s tail will be held high if he is alert or excited, or low if he is feeling tired, afraid, or in pain. Be careful if his tail is swishing around, as that is a sign that the horse is irritated, and probably won’t be receptive to you. If your horse is lifting or pawing his legs, that is a sign of frustration or fear. Stamping can indicate a mild threat, or the horse could be getting rid of flies biting his legs. The horse’s whole body is something else to keep an eye on. Nervous horses will either be very tense and rigid, or shaking. If you see a horse doing this, step away for a few minutes to give him a chance to calm down.

Watch your horse’s facial expressions. Horses use their heads and faces to communicate as well. Watch the way your horse moves his head, eyes, and ears to determine his mood. Good facial expressions from a horse include having his ears forward or relaxed, eyes open and bright, and their head held high. Some negative facial expressions include your horse’s ears being pinned backwards, as well as showing the whites of his eyes. Watch for your horse having his jaws open with teeth exposed, as this is also a sign of aggression.

Listen to your horse’s sounds. Making noises is one of several ways your horse communicates. You won’t want to try and mimic these sounds, but they can be useful is determining your horse’s mood. Sighing, drawing a deep breath and letting it out slowly, can be a sign of relief or boredom. If it comes while being groomed or massaged, it is a sign that he is feeling good. If it comes while doing exercises, it is a sign of boredom, and you might consider doing something different to keep your horse interested. Groaning can be a sign of pain, either from a rider or activity, or even from some internal stress. Unless your horse is only groaning while going over jumps, like an athlete grunting during a game, check for injuries or other health problems. Nickering, a soft sound made with the mouth closed, is usually a signal of happiness or anticipation. It is a common noise horses make with one another. If accompanied, though, by fearful body language like pacing, flicking ears, and eye rolling, then it means your horse is feeling threatened. Blowing or snorting is a sound of excitement. In general, this is a good sound, though once you start exercising with the horse he should calm down. If he is still snorting, be prepared for him to try sudden movements. Try and calm the horse down with some sudden halts, and other signals that you are in charge. Neighing is a varied sound, so when you horse neighs you’ll need to also carefully watch his body to see what he is thinking. A confident horse will make a bugling sound, and be combined with forward-pricked ears, looking forward, and a slightly lifted tail. A nervous horse’s neigh will be higher pitched, and usually be accompanied by pacing, sweating, flickering ears, and a lifted tail.