10 tips so your horse loves riding

All my horses love riding 😇. That’s no coincidence, and anyone who thinks it’s solely because of the treats is misjudging horses. Because yes – horses love treats. No question about it. They’re happy to get them, they remember exactly where they are, and they can be incredibly charming when it comes to food. But: They’re generally not easily bribed. At least not in the long run. You might be able to entice them for a moment or get them to do something, but that doesn’t create genuine motivation, real enjoyment of the work, or that voluntary “I want to do this now.”

For example, if I wave a treat and a fly mask at the same time, Serafin pointedly turns away and takes a few steps back. Clearly: The treat is tempting, no doubt. But the fly mask definitely wins out at that moment. He doesn’t particularly like having fly masks put on him – at least not if it’s done hastily, unclearly, or carelessly. Then he very clearly decides that the whole thing just doesn’t seem right to him. This small, everyday example illustrates a great deal: horses don’t act in a one-dimensional way. They weigh things up, they connect experiences, they have likes, dislikes, and very clear opinions. And they express these—if you’re willing to listen.

Anyone who thinks this is simply due to the individual horse’s character is also mistaken. Of course, there are different types. There are horses that are naturally more willing to perform, that get active more quickly, that practically seek out tasks and always want “more.” But Serafin is—or was—quite the opposite in terms of character. He’s naturally an absolute minimalist when it comes to exertion. Too clever for unnecessary sweating, I’d say. Saving energy is his core competency 😊. He considers very carefully what is worth the effort—and what isn’t.

And yet, these days, he practically insists on working. He actively seeks out his training, participates, visibly exerts himself, and hardly leaves my side if I exceptionally want to skip a training session, especially if his colleague has been ridden beforehand 🥰. He stands there, present, attentive, with this clear attitude of: “And what about me? When’s my turn?” This isn’t a learned behavior; it’s the result of many small, conscious decisions and numerous factors that I’ve tried to make as subtle, fair, and harmonious as possible for him.

So, what does it take for horses to love riding as much as we do? What ensures they participate willingly, think along with us, take responsibility, and ideally, even insist on being allowed to work?

Here are my 10 tips on how horses learn to love riding – based on my experience training both my own horses and many clients’ horses:

1. A Suitable Working Atmosphere
We need to create an environment that promotes calmness instead of creating stress. Noise, hectic activity, time pressure, or inner restlessness are directly transmitted to the horse. Horses constantly read us—our breathing, our muscle tension, our mood. Learning, motivation, and joy only arise where a living being feels safe and is not constantly on high alert.

2. A Positive Mindset for the Rider
Our inner attitude is crucial. Enthusiasm, curiosity, and genuine interest in what we are practicing are contagious. Horses sense very precisely whether we “have to” or whether we truly want to. Therefore, choose a riding style, an exercise, or a training approach that you yourself enjoy—because only then can you genuinely pass that joy on.

3. Letting Go of Excessive Ambition
Exaggerated performance expectations and the pursuit of recognition from others often harm the relationship with your horse more than they help. Keep imagining that this might be the last time you see your horse. How would you experience that moment? Approach every minute together with deep appreciation for this living being and for the wonder of being together.

4. A Responsible, Mature Attitude
Even—and especially—in situations where things go wrong, we must always look for the cause within ourselves. The horse has definitely given the right answer. Perhaps not the one we wanted, but always the most logical one from its perspective. This attitude takes the pressure off the situation and creates space for genuine learning on both sides.

5. Clear, subtle, and well-timed aids

Our aids must be minimal, precise, and free of distractions. No pushing with the seat, no pulling on the inside rein, no unconscious kicking with the heels. This is about body awareness, a refined feel for the horse, and focusing on seat aids rather than rein aids. Horses don’t like manipulation—neither of their heads nor their legs. Clarity and fairness build trust.

6. Biomechanically sound training approach
You have to know how to correct the horse’s crookedness, how to use seat aids to counteract it, and how to specifically build the core muscles that work against the rider’s weight. There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for choosing the right pace either. A positive pace is one in which all the joints are moving freely. This varies from horse to horse and changes throughout its training. A lot of feel is needed here—either in the seat or through a good, trained eye from the outside.

The goal is always for the horse to feel better after riding than before: more confident, stronger, and more upright. Not tired, not tense, and not suffering from back pain. This is precisely why correct muscle development, and the resulting reduction of tension, is a central goal in equisensomotoric training for sustainably improving well-being.

7. Moderate Demands
In training, less is always more. Quality trumps quantity. Increases should only be gradual and always in consultation with the horse – not according to a rigid, human-imposed plan.

8. Stability and Flexibility in Handling
When interacting with living beings, we must be both stable and flexible. Make long-term decisions regarding your training approach, but adapt in the short term to your horse’s daily form, mental state, and physical condition. Be a calm, patient, and reliable partner during changes.

9. Perfectly Fitting Equipment
The equipment must fit perfectly. Nothing should pinch, chafe, or be uncomfortable – neither at the bridle nor in the saddle or girth area. If you expect genuine intrinsic motivation, everything really has to be just right. Horses are—quite rightly—extremely sensitive and honest in this regard.

10. The overall situation has to be right. Housing, herd structure, sufficient REM sleep, veterinary care, teeth, hooves, digestion—all of this forms the foundation. Without this foundation, enjoyment of the work is hardly possible, no matter how well-intentioned the training is.

A long list? Perhaps. But it’s extremely rewarding—for both horse and human. Because it’s a profoundly fulfilling feeling to ride a horse that enjoys working together as much as you do, that feels seen and participates willingly.

Serafin even helps me with saddling now. That was actually his own idea—probably to speed things up. He was already running ahead to the fence and quite naturally taking his position while I was just coming out of the stable with the saddle. I then had to teach him to wait a little longer, because otherwise I simply wouldn’t have been able to fit between him and the fence with the western saddle.

A small detail – but one that beautifully illustrates how much motivation, trust, and initiative can develop when you truly perceive and take a horse’s needs seriously. ♥️🐴