The Easiest Way to Teach a Horse to Back Up

If you have ever had a problem with teaching your horse to back up - here's an easy solution. First get some very small but aromatic horse treat. Yes this technique will involve treats so if your horse is not use to eating from your hand you will have to teach the horse that first. The horse must take treats from your hand with out any fuss or you having any fear of the horse bitting you.

Next isolate the horse from any other horses. Train your horse in an arena, paddock, pasture or even a very large stall. The horse can be on a lead line wearing a halter or left loose. Stand in front of the horse. Put the treat in your closed fist. Hold your hand under your horse's head in front of the chest area. While holding the treat palm down, point with your index finger towards your horse's chest and say "back". Your horse will lower it's head in order to follow the treat and will back up in order to get at it. When the horse has backed up, give the horse the treat. Repeat the process over and over again until your horse backs up to the length and timing you are happy with.

Next start to do the process without the treat but using the command and "back" and still pointing toward the chest. Replace the treat with a verbal praise and pat or stroke. When the horse performs the command "back" with just the pointing then you can progress to the "back" command from the saddle. For the techique to work from the back of the horse you will need a helper on the ground to do the pointing and you in the saddle giving the verbal "back" command. Don't forget to add the verbal praise and a stroke of the mane down the top of the neck. After a few repeats of the excercise then you can add the aids of seat and rein pressure to teach the horse to back using your non-verbal riding aids. I must add at this point you should be a very good rider to know how to properly apply the correct aids in order to train the horse correctly to back while you are in the saddle. If you are at all heavy handed or rough in your riding technique then you will only suceed in teaching the horse to throw it's head up and back up completely unbalanced. If the backing up technique is done correctly you will have a horse that backs up beautifully without fuss. I prefer this technique to teaching a horse to back because it teaches the horse to lower it's head while backing unlike other techniques that I have seen in which the horse learns to throw it's head up while backing.

This technique was shown to me by a fellow trainer Tina M. that trains in Livermore, CA. I am sure that you will be hearing more about her as her popularity grows.