3 Of The Best...Ways To Build A Bond

Strengthen the relationship you have with your horse, with top advice from equine behaviourist and chartered physiotherapist Sue Palmer

- Sue Palmer

I can clearly remember when I was pregnant, and being petrified because I had no idea how to look after a baby. When I spoke to other parents, they were generally completely blasé about it, with very little advice to calm my nerves.

When our little boy finally arrived, the learning curve was, of course, very steep, and often decidedly rocky. However, like so many others, having a family is a dream come true, no matter how difficult it may be at certain times.

There are many similarities in buying your first horse, and I often advise people who are struggling to know what to do for the best for their horse to imagine what they would do if the horse was a person, and do similar.

If the horse is cold, put a rug on. If he’s not eating and has got a runny nose, call the vet. If he’s had time off, bring him back into work gradually.

Getting the next horse is also in many ways a bit like having another child. If you get a second horse, there will be many things you’re more relaxed about next time around, but also lots of new challenges, because every horse is different.

1 There is no substitute for time

Take a step back and look at things from the horse’s point of view, if you can. It’s easy to forget how difficult it must be for a horse moving from one owner and yard to another.

We are used to our routine, our surroundin gs and our friends. For our new horse, however, this is the great unknown. One day he’s in his field with his friends, cared for by people he knows and understands, and looking at a view he sees every day. The next day he’s loaded into the trailer or onto the lorry, perhaps thinking that he’s heading off to a show and will be back later.

But he doesn’t come home. Instead he’s plunged into a new environment with new people, and we can’t explain it all to him.