Seven Signs your horse is not ready to ride.
- Dennis Cappel
- Feb 17
- 2 min read
Clear Mental Horsemanship with Dennis Cappel
Reading a horse to tell if it is ready to ride is not as complicated as you might think. A lot of it comes down to common sense.
For example, a horse carrying their head high with wide, alert eyes is probably not ready to be ridden. If the posture and muscle tone are tense, and the horse is pushing off the ground rapidly with its feet, it is likely thinking about leaving.
Facial expressions tell a story. The eyes are obvious indicators, but do not overlook the muzzle. Tightness in the muzzle or jaw often signals tension. The ears are especially important; they indicate the horse’s attitude and, most importantly, where its attention is focused. Wherever the horse’s attention goes, that is usually what it is concerned about or thinking of moving away from.
Ears dropped to the side or pointing downward, whether one ear or both, can indicate the horse is focused on something on the ground that it does not like. Ears pinned flat back mean something different, and that can vary from horse to horse and situation to situation. Still, the general signs of tension are fairly consistent.
The tail is also very expressive. If it is clamped tightly against the body, kinked, or sticking straight up, those are additional signs that the horse may be too tight or unsettled to ride.
In most cases, when you see these signs, it is a good indication that effective groundwork is needed before getting on to ride.
Any of these signs you may have been overlooking?
Mindful Riding,
Dennis Cappel
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