Establish Communication Through the Lead Rope

Is your horse pushy on the ground? Improve your communication with him and relieve his anxiety when you’re handling him.

- WARWICK SCHILLER, WITH MICHAELA JAYCOX

You halter your horse, snap on the lead rope, and head out of the barn. As you lead him, he becomes pushy and tries to drag you around the barn. The more often this scenario happens, the more you’re going to struggle with gaining control on the ground. If your horse likes to pull you all over the place—or even worse, tries to climb on top of you— there’s a chance he’s reading your energy and senses a lack of security in you.

Here I’ll go over why your horse is becoming anxious in the first place. Then I’ll show you three simple steps that’ll help you regain communication with your horse, allow you to connect his thoughts to the end of your lead rope, and give him a sense of security when you’re next to him.

How You Make Him Anxious

Most of the time, this behavior starts with the way you’re leading your horse. When you hold a lead rope, you should be relaxed and not have constant pressure on your horse’s head. If your arm is stiff or you’re constantly pulling on him, he’s going to become stif for try to escape the pressure you have on his halter.

Your horse communicates with his energy, whether it’s with you or when he’s in the pasture with other horses. If he senses danger, he’s going to relay the message to the rest of the herd with his body language. This means he’s also going to read