Trust the process: The power of taking small steps

There is only one secret to transforming a horse from being weak and uncoordinated into a strong, balanced athlete.

The primary key is TIME – lots of it!

Horses need consistent work in order to develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. It takes the patience of the trainer or handler, as well as consistency in terms of providing good care for the animal. Along with plenty of exercise, horses also require proper nutrition to reach their full potential.

It begins with the basics, such as feeding, shoeing, dental care, worming, and turnout. These are all practices of good horse management.

Start by gradually adding fitness exercises, such as walking, and groundwork to improve muscular development. Once you are comfortable with that, add trotting in balance and then cantering gradually.

Alternate between three/four days of flat work, hacking, and rest days. Make sure to give your horse lots of attention and encouragement through interesting and fun activities. Horses enjoy learning new things as they are curious animals. Keeping them engaged will make the training program fun and progressive.

When training your horse, it is essential to use gentle and teaching-based methods rather than forcing them into submission. This will help create a trusting relationship between you and your horse that will be beneficial in the long run.

Basic, dressage principles are valuable for all horse riding disciplines, and slowly teaching your horse the correct reaction to rider aids is a must. Step by step, focusing on rhythm and suppleness will give your horse a solid basis to reach his full potential.

We must remember that only patience and small steps will bring desired effects. Developing a horse's balance and muscle strength takes time.

The horse will progressively be able to do what it once found difficult, making the process gradual to onlookers.

The development of an athlete is a successive and sequential process. Avoiding force as much as possible keeps the horse's anxiety level low while gradually building strength, lifting ability, flexibility, and trust are the keys to proper horse training.