Training a Horse to Back Up

When you train a horse to back up it will be beneficial in a couple of ways. Training a horse for this skill will help in shows as well as in general from day to day. You will find that if you train a horse this simple task life in horse training sessions will be much easier. To learn more on how to train a horse to back up, see the following advice.

Horse Training – Prepare

Have your horse haltered and stand beside him. Make sure you are positioned here so that you are also facing the horse.

Training a Horse - Begin

Have a look to see which front foot is placed in front of the other. This foot is the one that should be moved first. To do this steer the horse head to the opposite side of that foot. Once the weight is placed on this side it will free up the one you want moved.

Train a Horse – Move the Head

Put some pressure with your hand to the chest of the horse. Using a spoken cue word like “back”, encourage him to step backwards. Then repeat this process by moving the horse’s head to the opposite side. Next, put the saddle on and repeat the above steps. Then have someone mount the horse and keep practicing.

Train a Horse to Back Up

Now remove the halter and begin to use the reins and bridle. The person riding must now squeeze and then release the reins. This should tell the horse to back up. While this is happening you can put the pressure back onto the horse’s chest. After a while the horse will know what to do with just the reins, and you can remove yourself from horse training.