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Q:  Ever since I got her, my horse always tries to nip me when saddling.  Is there a cure, or should I just ride bareback?  It’s so annoying!

A: Most problems with a “cinchy” horse begin at the beginning, with the new feeling of having a saddle put on and cinched for the first few times. Many people don’t know how to read the horse’s behavior as informational feedback, to determine whether they have provided the horse enough time to be OK with the saddle or girth.  Some horses have the experience of rude, uncomfortable saddling and cinching, so they become defensive about it. Solving this issue takes time, and repetition with a very polite approach to saddling and girthing.  Essentially, go back to the beginning.  Spend some time getting your horse in the mood for saddling and girthing. Then, introduce the horse to the saddle, not the saddle to the horse.  Use plenty of approach and retreat with the process, especially with the girth.

Being naturally more claustrophobic, some individual horses have more trouble with a girth or cinch, even if it’s done politely. Some will nip or kick at you, some will freeze with fear, or lay down while being girthed. This type of horse is apt to buck because of fear. You will need to have a strategy for that.

As always, your responsibility as the leader is to read your horse, and to know the reasons for his behavior. Before you do anything else, determine whether your horse is cinchy because of fear or due to annoyance.

Horses who nip when being saddled or cinched are most likely annoyed. Using reverse psychology in this situation can be very effective, because it presents your horse with an opportunity to experience something in a totally different way, and to shift their thinking about it.  If your horse is annoyed with being girthed, give her a carrot when she turns to nip you. She’ll be anticipating your usual response, but when you give her a carrot, it will blow her mind!

Here’s one of the keys to long-term success with saddling ANY horse:  learn how to tighten your cinch gradually, in sync with your horse’s exhale. Walk her around a little between adjustments.  If you pull it tight in one adjustment, she has every right to be peeved!  Here’s why: Consider what part of the body we’re tightening on.  It’s the horse’s ribs, around the heart, liver, and mostly the lungs.  To empathize with your horse, imagine someone pulling a belt too snugly around your own body just under your breasts.  Then they pull it tighter without any warning.  Would you feel like you might have trouble breathing?  Many horses hold inhale and hold their breath as a defense against the discomfort of rude girthing. 

Many of the horses who hold their breath during saddling and especially during cinching, have a look of tension or freezing up. If your horse is afraid, then you probably would be more successful gaining her trust first.  Put off your saddling process until then, except you might want to put the saddle on the arena rail or on a barrel, and allow the horse to sniff it, walk past it, touch it, back up to it. Learn to communicate clearly with your horse so you can ask her to move, first without the saddle, then with it. A fearful cinchy horse usually requires a high level of ability from the human, and it’s usually a more ‘introverted’ horse that can be harder to read. Strive for patience, and allow your horse to be your guide with the timeline.  You’ll be glad you did, and so will your equine friend.