Most pets will come to you when you call them, which can be the same case for your horse! Though it’s not as natural for horses as it may be for dogs and other pets, it is still possible for a horse to learn this trick. This is an extremely useful technique for horses who are difficult to pull from the pasture. With a lot of practice and patience, you can teach your horse to come to your side any time you desire. Here are some tips for getting your horse to come when called.
Make Him Feel Safe
First, you’ll want to condition the idea that nothing bad will happen when you approach your horse. Make him feel very comfortable with you, so much so that it may even believe something good will happen when you come around! This may take more or less time depending on how close you and your horse already are.
If you are already able to walk up to your horse and put its halter on without any issue, then you can skip the first part. Chances are, your horse is already pretty comfortable with you by now. Once you’ve established familiarity with your horse, you can move on to the next part.
Training Techniques
For the first training session, leave all equipment out and walk into the pasture empty-handed. The last thing you want to do is enforce the idea that you approaching always leads to work! Once you begin, slowly advance toward your horse and observe its body language. Since horses are very sensitive to our emotions, it’s important to be sure that you remain relaxed and calm during this process.
If you notice any muscle tension or sudden change in your horse’s body language as you approach, retreat. You must be the first one to turn away and leave to show that you are in control here. When you retreat, step at least 15-20 feet away from your horse for the biggest impact. Repeat this process until you can walk up without your horse showing any signs of stress or wanting to leave.
Next, you’ll want to start adding in variations of this basic drill. For example, practice walking up with a saddle on hip or a bridle on your shoulder. You can practice petting its neck before you turn to walk away, or leading your horse from the pasture with a halter, then returning to the starting point only to take the halter off and walk away.
Calling Your Horse
You can call your horse by name, whistle, or anything else you find fitting! The main idea is to make sure the call is consistent and easy to hear. Always be loud and repeat the sound the same way every single time. Otherwise, you’ll risk confusing your horse.
Avoid ever making your horse believe something less than ideal will happen when you call. That means never call your horse to have him perform a long, exhausting workout. This could invoke the idea that your calling leads to more work, which won’t make him want to come next time. You’ll want to just walk out and bring them in by hand for anything that may not be pleasurable. This will avoid blurring the lines between the two.
Grab The Treats
Treats are a great way to reinforce this trick as you go. For starters, you’ll want to walk up to your horse with treats in hand. Next, walk away from the horse and stop to turn and face it. Try calling your horse and wait a few seconds, then walk up to it and give it a treat before you turn to walk away again.
Once you’ve become acquainted with this drill, you can repeat this process until your horse starts to coming to you when called. Slowly increase the distance between the two of you as you practice, making sure you are loud and clear with each call. Once your horse associates your call with treats and other positives, he’ll be eager to rush to your side anytime you call.
This may take a lot of time and patience, but it’s well worth it! Never raise your voice or appear frustrated with your horse during this (sometimes intense) training session. Any sign of anger could lead to backtracking and losing all progress you’ve made thus far. Overall, this cool equestrian trick isn’t too difficult to master with a lot of patience and even more love!