Approach is very important when working with horses, if you do it wrong your horse will feel threatened and will run away but do it correct and your horse will be the one approaching you.
How is the best way to approach your horse? For riding or if you just want to say hallo (you approach the same way for both). Well every horse is different and your methods will vary depending on the horse. With some horses you can just walk up to them in any manner and it won’t matter but with for instance green horses (young and not well trained) you will have to pay attention to their cues very closely and choose your method accordingly. Here is a few methods that I’ve come across when working with different horses, there is a lot more out there but these are just those I’ve experienced:
~ When dealing with a horse which is very scared, untrained and maybe even neglected in the past I find it best to let the horse first get use to you and look for any cues that he want to “investigate” you. My very first horse, was very scared, she would start running as soon as you enter her pasture and she won’t let you near her. So HOW do you approach her? You don’t! She just have to learn that you are not a predator and she has to come to you. She has to show interest in you first. All I did is sit in her pasture, I didn’t approach her but I just sat there and let her take a good look and realize that I’m not a thread. I didn’t even look at her directly. I did this a few times a day and later she wasn’t that afraid anymore but as soon as you want to approach her, she turns away again. The next couple of days I took some food with me and sat beside it. I “played” with the food a little and made her even more interested. She came closer and closer every time, still very cautious and afraid. Later she came and stood directly beside me and smelled the food. Slowly I took some food in my hand and reached out to her (still not making eye contact). She smelled it and walked away but soon came back again ‘investigating’ what I had in my hands. Finally she came close enough and she ate it. Slowly I turned my head and looked at her. The trust was building and I did this every day until she was comfortable with me around her, and from there approaching her was easy.
Some horses (like many geldings) want to be stared straight in the eyes. You have to walk straight in front of them, as soon as they want to turn you take the step first showing them you know what they want to do. You have to be more direct with them and show them that you’re a step ahead.
Other horses will start running when they notice that you want to approach, sometimes its out of fear and other times they just want to play. You’ll notice the difference in their eyes and the way they run. If they stretch their eyes and you can see a white part in the corner and they gallop a long distance away from you, then they’re scared and you have to approach in a calm manner; but if their eyes are relaxed and they start running (sometimes a trot or slow canter) and then stop they want to play and you just run with them until they stop.
Relaxed Relaxed Frightened Frightened
These are only the methods I’ve used before but as I said, there are loads more and you first have to learn what the horse is thinking. The most important thing to remember when approaching a horse is definitely that you have to ask the horse to enter his personal space first. You do this simply by reaching out your hand towards your horse (while standing in front of him); if he reaches his neck out and touches your hand with his nose he gives you permission to touch him. This can also show that your horse is curious in what you are doing so be sure to approach slowly so you don’t startle him
The best way to approach your horse