From the most abused and neglected horse to the spoiled rotten and well treated horse, they all have one thing in common, your horse must trust and respect you in order to listen to you and accept you as a companion.

A happy horse is one that feels a connection to his or her human companion. Horses are psychologically wired to be part of a herd and in their mind, they must see you as "top horse" and feel that you are superior in thought and action to themselves or your horse will spend a good deal of his time trying to top you and show you that he indeed is the boss of you in the form of some type or types of controlling and outright bad behavior.

There are a good many ways to build a good and trusting relationship with your horse. Patience is paramount during the process. Never hit or yell at your horse. Both actions from you will have a very negative impact in your horse and result in a horse that will more aggressively challenge you or a horse that fears you and has no trust. Be consistent in your training. If you don't allow one type of behavior, such as head throwing or nipping at you, do not let one incident past without addressing it. This will show the horse the action will not be tolerated and he will cease to try it.

Horses tend to mirror the attitudes of their human companions. Try to put on a happy face around your horse. If you're frustrated and short tempered, chances are excellent your horse will mirror this mood back to you. They are very intelligent animals and will pick up on anger and stress from you in short order believing themselves to be the cause and this will usually lower the horses ability to listen to your commands and sometimes lead to challenging you for the position of "top horse".

Grooming and especially bathing is a great way to reach your horse. Most horses adore a bath and will relax during one. If you bathe your horse on a regular basis as part of his grooming routine, it can make for a wonderful bonding experience for you both.

Make sure your horse associates every interaction with you as a safe and happy one and you'll build a trusting and loving companion that will make a great friend for years to come.