How to Bond With Your Horse When It’s at a Trainer’s 24/7- Part 1

By: Brittany Bevis

In an ideal scenario, your beloved horse and competition partner would be located just a few minutes down the road, or even in your own backyard. However, for the majority of competitive equestrians, that simply isn’t a reality.

Whether the distance that separates you has to do with work, school, or family commitments, it can be hard to create a lasting bond that is essential, not only to your relationship as horse/rider team, but also to show ring success. It goes without saying that the most successful partnerships are the result of a concerted effort to know your horse inside and out, their strengths and weaknesses, their quirks and habits.

We reached out to a number of our EquineChronicle.com readers, both amateurs and trainers, to get their tips for creating and maintaining the bond between horse and rider. We received so much response that there will be two sections of this article. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming later this week. If you’d like to have your input included, email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com.

The Exhibitor’s Opinion

Miranda Peck– “Being away at college can create some challenges when it comes to seeing your horses and practicing. All three of my horses are currently with my trainer, Justin Bisel. For me, creating a bond with my horses was easy. I connected with them as soon as we brought them home. I’ve had my one of my horse for ten years, and it’s still hard not being able to see him as much as I would like. When I get the chance to go to the barn, I make sure that the time I spend with them is reinforcing the bond that we already have by loving on them, brushing them, and taking them out of the stall for a walk. Each time I go to the barn, my horses come straight to the front of the stall so I can pet them and get them out. When they’re excited to see me, that makes me know that we have a strong bond no matter how much time as passed.”

“I try to make it out to see them at least once a month during school, but during the summer I definitely spend more time at the barn. When it comes to showing, I will go out to the barn to practice and then show up to the show and practice the night before or the morning of, depending on when I show. The only show that I fly to is the World Show. I’m lucky to have a trainer that’s passionate about horses and takes care of them for me each day. It helps with the fact that I can’t be there every day.”

Jennifer Herman VanHal– “I was lucky I already had a bond with my horse, George, when my husband’s job took him across the county. We made the tough decision to sell almost everything, give up country living, and put our horses in training with Eric Petersen in Mabel, MN. For the first time since I was 12 years old, I didn’t have a horse in my backyard. Even though it’s been over five years since we moved, I’m still not over it. On the outside, it might seem easy to just show up and go show, but it’s so much harder than I ever imagined it would be.”

“For the first few years, we were able to spend summers staying with family so we could ride and show. But, as time progressed, and my business grew, our barn time became less and less. My schedule was just taking me the other direction making it nearly impossible to fit horse time in. I tried to ride whenever we were in the area. Sometimes, I would even sneak an extra visit in on the way to the airport. We would try to fly in the week before the event, if we could, so we could sneak some more practice in.”

“I chose my trainer because my horse had been in his program for years and thrived in it. It was the right program for us to learn and grow in. I never imagined I would be someone who would have horses in training 365 days a year; but, when life changed, we had to change with it. This fall, I made the difficult decision to move my horses to a program that’s located closer to me. Now, my horses will be just 90 miles away from our home under the guidance of Becky George Show Horses.”

Linda Neece– “I think it’s very important to have a bond with your horse. You have to trust the horse, and the horse has to trust you. I ride five days a week, unless my horse is on a break. My trainers are only 35 minutes from me, which is great. I think it’s very important to ride your horse a lot and to know that horse inside and out if you want to win. I spend a lot of one-on-one time with my horses, brushing, bathing them, doing their legs up, and longeing them myself. I think this is where the bond between a horse and a person happens, during the ground work. Then, that makes it that much easier when you’re riding them. They know you take care of them, so they trust and take care of you. It’s also very important to have the right trainer. Love your horses, and they will love you.”

Gretta Graceland– “I only ride when I go to shows to show my now 3-year old Hunt Seat mare. I have to bond then and there. I’m a catch rider on my own horse! It helps me to get videos of her being ridden. Having my trainer send funny videos of her being silly is awesome. During the show, I spend as much time as possible with her. Having my trainer talk to me about what’s going on with her head/mind during her sessions of being trained helps too.”

“I used to ride two to three times a week when I had a show horse in my own town. I wish that were the same now, but I fly to all my shows. I practice the day before or even the day of the show.”

“I have my horse at the trainer I feel can do the best for me and mostly my horse. I send the horse to the trainer that I feel can ‘get her.’ It’s good that I have a ‘play horse’ at home. I have to keep my legs tight. I must say that I’m jealous of anyone who can ride and show their horses right out of their own place. But, at the same time, I can go whenever and wherever I please and not have to worry about who’s taking care of the horses. Freedom is good, but the price can be high.”

The Trainer’s Perspective

Dillon Ryan Holden– “I work for Chad and Shane Christensen as their assistant. I think the biggest thing in creating a bond with your horse is matching the right horse to the rider’s capabilities. You can have one of the nicest horses out there; but, if the rider and the horse don’t click, then there will never be a solid partnership. That, to me, is the biggest priority.”

“Another thing that’s good to create a great partnership is spending the most time possible with the horse. When I was an amateur, I would spend my weekends at the barn. My horses lived five hours from home at the trainer’s, so I would spend the weekend and any days I had off with my horses. I tried to soak up all the knowledge I could with my trainer and horse to become a better team. That’s the most important thing: spending the time to know your horse’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Cassandra Marlatt– “As a trainer, I would say to try and spend as much time as you can with the horse doing the small things. That’s just as important as riding them. That includes things like brushing, longing, feeding them, or even giving them a bath. Also, when riding, take the time just to walk and relax with them. Not every time you ride does it need to be hard core work. Sometimes, just a simple ride is a great way to get to know your horse.”

Lynne Puthoff– “I’m the owner and trainer at Puthoff Performance Horses, in Laura, Ohio. I’m lucky enough to have most of our customers live within a two hour radius. My program offers 1-2 lessons a week included with the training fee. Most are very good about using that option. I have them spend time, not just riding, but putting their horse on our Theraplate, lots of good time spent grooming and bathing, and yes – I also let them offer treats at the end of the day. I also offer my riders the opportunity to come for a full day or a couple days at a time. Then, they can even turn their partners out in one of our vinyl fenced pastures. At the shows, most of my riders learn to help show groom their horses to create even more of a bond. It has become obvious to me that my owners and their horses do develop a bond this way, because I often see how each horse recognizes their person as soon as they hear their voice.”