09/11/2026
Backside Basics: Walking a Horse in the Shedrow — and Handling the Difficult Ones
Walking a horse in the shedrow is about more than just getting from one place to another. It takes awareness, communication, timing, and knowing how to respond when a horse is not walking quietly.
We always start with the basics:
* walk on the left side
* stay near the shoulder
* keep a firm but loose hold on the shank with two hands
* make sure the halter is properly buckled and in the keeper
* ensure the chain is secured correctly
* and stay off your phone
But good horsemanship really shows when a horse is difficult.
If a horse wants to rear:
Safety comes first. Stay out of a position where the horse can come up on top of you and avoid standing directly in front of them. At the same time, you don’t want to lock onto the shank and create a tug-of-war. Stay loose enough to move with the horse so you aren’t accidentally pulling them off balance and increasing the risk of them flipping over.
Once all four feet are back on the ground, the goal is to get the horse moving forward again as quickly and calmly as possible. Standing still and continuing the argument usually gives the horse another opportunity to go back up. Forward movement helps redirect that energy and gets their mind back on the job.
If a horse wants to stop and not move:
Don’t immediately get into a pulling match. Pulling harder often just creates more resistance.
Instead, think about getting any foot moving in any direction.
A step sideways is movement.
A step backward is movement.
Moving the shoulders or hindquarters is movement.
Sometimes breaking that “stuck” feeling is all you need before you can ask them to go forward again. If there is enough room and it can be done safely, turning the horse can also be one of the most effective ways to get their feet moving and reset them.
The goal isn’t necessarily to win the first step forward. The goal is to stop the horse from planting its feet and deciding that standing still is an option.
If a horse wants to run forward:
Stay organized and stay calm. You don’t want to get dragged out in front of the horse or start jerking on the shank and escalating the situation.
Sometimes bringing the horse’s head slightly toward you can help interrupt that straight-ahead pull and give you more control. Staying at the shoulder and using your body position — including bracing your elbow against the shoulder when appropriate — can also help keep you from being pulled forward while you regain control.
The moment the horse comes back to you, soften again. The goal is control, not constant pressure.
Horses that rush, rear, plant their feet, or pull are not always simply “being bad.” They may be fresh, nervous, strong, distracted, confused, or testing boundaries. A good handler learns to recognize what is happening, react without panicking, and adjust before the situation becomes bigger.
That’s also why communication in a busy shedrow matters:
“Whoa, back” — lets the people around and behind you know you’re stopping.
“Coming out” — lets others know you’re bringing a horse out into the shedrow.
“Coming in” — used when entering back into the barn or taking a horse into a stall.
“Middle” or “Coming Thru” — used when going through a barn that has a middle shed row to let those know behind you that you’re turning and those on the other side that you will be coming thru and they need to stop so you can get in front of them.
And with any horse that is becoming genuinely dangerous or beyond your experience level, there is nothing wrong with getting a more experienced handler involved.
Good horsemanship starts with the basics, but it’s built in the moments when a horse challenges you.
