Does your horse have issues with bridling, saddling, mounting, grooming, cleaning their feet and on and on and on?  I have just listed a few of many possibilities.  Does your horse have you trained to not deal with an issue?  I see horses training people quite well.

If you keep side stepping past an issue…the issue will not get resolved.  An example would be if you are unable to ask your horse to lower his head to put the halter or bridle on…are you one of those people who just go and grab a step stool to simply get it done so you can just get on with your ride?  If you don’t address the issue…you will always have to get a step stool.   I would rather take the time to resolve the issue as opposed to always having to get a step stool.

Another issue that I see, although it is not necessarily common, is a horse having a hard time with one ear being touched.  This, also, would make haltering or bridling difficult.   This issue might take a little more time to get resolved especially if the horse has had an injury to that ear.  The horse’s memory of pain and/or discomfort, when the ear is touched, is certainly going to be present.  Horses can be fairly bossy with their heads so if you are going to try and help your horse with this issue, please be careful to not get yourself hurt by the horse throwing his head into you.  If your horse’s issue is not caused by pain, your horse could just have developed a bad habit.  The longer the horse has had the bad habit, the longer it might take to get it resolved.  Your horse might not think it can be any different because no one took the time to show the horse a better way.  You need to replace a bad habit with a good habit.

The horses that I have worked with that have had this bad habit is in part due to disrespect to their owner.  The horse has been allowed to throw their head around when their ear has been touched so, therefore, the owner quits doing it.  I would clear up the disrespect issue first showing the horse his disrespect is not an option.  His trying to push me out of the way is unacceptable behavior.  Half of the time clearing up the disrespectful behavior clears up the ear issue.  If he is allowed to push you out of the way and gets you to change your thought…then he thinks this is acceptable behavior.

Don’t keep side stepping past issues…help your horse turn unacceptable behavior into acceptable behavior on any issue.