Let him know who’s the boss
If you’re sure your horse is comfortable and isn’t showing any tension signs, you can begin to assume that his behaviour at the block is down to him being a little bit cheeky. “When there’s an absence of tension signs, his behaviour is usually because he sees himself as the boss,” explains Dr Marsden. “For horses, mounting is a confident behaviour and isn’t always related to mating. It can be used socially to show which horse is the most dominant. When you try to get on board, a dominant horse won’t like this and can make it difficult for you to hop on.” To conquer this kind of behaviour and re-establish the balance in your relationship with your horse, Dr Marsden explains that it’s good to consider how you act on the ground with him. “Horse owners often do things every day without realising they’re giving their horse the message that he’s in charge,” she says. “Things like giving him his food when he’s in the stable will make him think he’s won it off you. If you lead him in from the field with you walking in front, this can give him the opportunity to nuzzle you and effectively push you, making him think he’s telling you where to go.” If this all sounds familiar, thankfully there are simple exercises you can try every day to stop him being so bossy.
Confident handling
TRY IT: Before you groom or tack up a) Place your hand on his forehead, roughly where his star would be if he had one, and hold it there until he accepts and lets you do so without lifting his head. Dr Marsden says: “We think this works because it’s like the way a mare catches her foal. She’ll catch him with her jaw over his head as if she’s saying ‘look here, stand still and do as I say for a moment!’” b) Run your hand down his mane to his withers and start to scratch and give him a groom with your fingers. Try this until he turns his head towards you, or ideally, begins mutual grooming with you. “The most confident one starts the grooming process and to allow yourself to be groomed is a submissive, friendly thing to do,” explains Dr Marsden. “If he grooms you back, it’s a sign that he’s accepted you as a friend, but a confident friend.”
c) Move your hand to his knee and pinch just above to get him to lift his foot. Hold the foot up by the toe for a few seconds and then drop it. Dropping the foot will ensure he learns to hold his own balance, rather than lean on you.
DO THIS: Three times on each side, twice a day.
Get to the mounting block
Along with trying exercises on the ground to re-establish the hierarchy between you and your horse, there’s also things you can try on your way to the block. “The key is to be a little bit more stubborn than your horse!” says Dr Marsden. “Make sure you’re always the one telling him what to do and he’ll soon accept you as boss.” One effective exercise to try either on the way to, or while at, the mounting block is to use circles. Every time your horse moves his hindquarters at the block or tries to step away, circle him round. “When your horse does something that you don’t want him to, do a circle,” says Dr Marsden. “Turn him once and ask him to carry on, giving him a chance to go forward. If he doesn’t want to, circle again. The rule is just to add on a circle every time they nap or do something you don’t like.” It’s important when you’re turning your horse on a circle to keep your feet still and move him around, rather then you moving around him. If you need to, carry a long stick to tickle his hindquarters to move him. “For horses that are really confident, you might spend half an hour on this circle exercise before you even manage to get on board. This can be annoying, but don’t give up. Remember that every horse has his price in terms of circles and at one point he’ll give in and understand that it’s easier for him to stand still and let you get on.”