What Is Your Horse Thinking While You’re Saddling?
- Dennis Cappel
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Clear Mental Horsemanship with Dennis Cappel
Most people think saddling is just putting a blanket and saddle on a horse. Your horse may see it very differently.
One of the biggest mistakes we make is focusing on what we’re doing instead of what the horse is perceiving. Every move we make around a horse communicates something.
For example, if I approach from behind the horse’s shoulder while carrying the saddle, I may unintentionally be asking him to move forward. If I move too quickly, I may send him away from me. When a horse is tied next to a fence, that can leave him crowded against the fence, making saddling more difficult and creating unnecessary tension.
My goal is simple: I want the horse to stand quietly and confidently while I place the blanket and saddle on his back.
To accomplish that, I pay attention to the horse first.
Where is he looking?
Is he relaxed or concerned?
Is he preparing to move?
If he moves, what direction is my body position encouraging?
Most of the time, I approach from just slightly in front of the shoulder so I’m not unintentionally driving the horse forward. Once I’m close enough to make contact, I move around the shoulder and place the saddle while continuing to watch the horse’s attitude and responses.
Your position relative to the horse’s balance point around the shoulder has a tremendous influence on whether he steps forward, backward, sideways or simply stands quietly.
When we begin to see the world from the horse’s perspective, even routine tasks like saddling become smoother, safer, and less stressful. The horse becomes more comfortable with us, and that comfort carries over into the ride that follows.
I demonstrate this in the YouTube video series Stop Training and Start Communicating. If you’d like to improve your horse’s confidence and your communication, I think you’ll find this very beneficial.
Mindful Riding,
Dennis Cappel
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