Teaching Your Horse to Stand Still: Essential Training Tips

This video demonstrates techniques and principles for teaching your horse to stand still reliably in a variety of situations. Whether it’s for TREC competitions, farrier visits, veterinary procedures, grooming, or even tolerating applause, standing still is a skill your horse simply must master. You’ll see examples with Pie, who’s already pretty good at it, though the presence of a rather distracting donkey in the arena is noted!

The video emphasises just how crucial standing still is for horses, across all disciplines and in everyday handling. Many horse people consider it one of the most important things a horse can learn. And it’s not just about standing still in the stable; this video highlights the need for your horse to stand still consistently, regardless of what’s going on around them. The process of training a horse to stand still involves lots of repetition and creating a situation where the horse wants to stand still. This comes from building trust and familiarity with their surroundings. The presenter explains that a horse who trusts their handler and feels comfortable in their environment is much more likely to stand quietly. But getting to that point often involves a fair bit of repetition.

Key Takeaways:

• Standing still is an absolutely essential skill for horses in all sorts of situations, from competitions to routine care. It’s vital that they can stand reliably in any environment.
• Teaching a horse to stand still requires repetition and creating a positive environment where the horse feels safe and trusts their handler.
• Allowing the horse to make mistakes and learn from them is crucial. Avoid constant micromanagement; instead, use correction and release techniques to teach them to be responsible for their own stillness.