The benefits of hand walking your horse
Hand walking can be a great way to build endurance, lubricate the joints and deepen the relationship between horse and rider.
Take the time to hand walk your horse regularly.
In many riders' book, hand walking is reserved for horses in rehab, instances of colic or the very young / very old horses. As boring as it might sound, hand walking is actually an incredibly beneficial and under-utilized tool for training horses. Here is why you should hand walk your horse regularly, regardless of his age or level of fitness.
1. Hand walking is a low impact form of exercise. It lubricates the joints, stretches and strengthens the muscles and hydrates the connective tissue without the impact we get with faster gaits, lunging and riding. It's a wonderful way to promote fitness and a healthy musculo-skeletal system.
2. Hand walking can be a tool for improving communication. In order for hand walking to be a pleasant experience for both horse and handler, good communication has to be established. The horse has to learn to keep the same tempo as the handler and to turn, stop and start in response to the handler's body language. While hand walking you can practice communicating with the subtlest of signals.
3 .Hand walking can be a way of improving posture. When you are hand walking your horse, you can observe his posture and make subtle suggestions on how he can improve it. During the walk you can ask your horse to activate his thoracic sling, to pay more attention to where he's placing his feet and how much weight he is placing on each of his front feet. Playing around with posture without the added burden of the rider is a much easier task for the horse.
4. Hand walking improves coordination. Walking your horse through a forest, tall grass or shallow water can have a wonderful impact on his nervous system. Because you are not micromanaging him from the saddle, he has to figure out how to tackle these obstacles by himself.
5. Hand walking is great for mental wellbeing. A relaxed walk in the woods can be a great break from rigorous training, for both body and mind. Discovering new trails and exploring the environment can be both stimulating and relaxing and it's a great way to keep your horse eager and interested.
6. Hand walking is good for you, too. How many of us spend most of our day sitting down? We too, are starved for more movement in our lives and a walk in the forest is just what the doctor ordered. Keeping our musculo-skeletal system healthy will make us better riders which will in turn benefit our horses.
I suggest you make a habit of hand walking your horse at least for an hour once a week. If you and your horse are not used to it, take it slow. Start in the arena, in the pasture or just walk around the property. Expand your comfort zone slowly. Play around with your surroundings. Explore the environment and see which paths your horse likes best. Stop and let your horse graze for a bit. Allow him to reach up and eat the leaves of low-lying branches. Hand walking is a lovely practice that will yield many benefits for both horse and rider.