How to Know When a Horse Is Trying Their Best

How to Know When a Horse Is Trying Their Best

From Riding Against The Odds by Rachel Fenske

June 5, 2026 · 6 min · Season 2 · Episode 18

About this episode

This episode discusses how to recognize when a horse is trying their best, despite varying expressions of effort.

Not every horse shows effort the same way. Some horses are naturally flashy and intense. Others stay quiet, reserved, or unsure, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying. In this episode I discuss: • The difference between confusion, pain, fear, and disobedience • Why some horses try hard even when the result isn’t perfect • How unrealistic expectations damage trust • Learning to reward small improvements and honest effort • Why patience and consistency matter in training • Building confidence in horses that are still learning Links & Resources: ​Follow me on Instagram and TikTok at Rfr_rodeo for behind-the-scenes content ​also visit our sponsors Tacktical and Ranch Dress’n using code Rfr_rodeo, Rocket Donkey and Bucked Up using code RachelF10, and Swingin9t using code RachelFenske14 If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your rodeo friends! Got a question or topic you'd love to hear about? Send me an email at rachelfenske1@gmail.com See you next week! Keep those barrels tight and your dreams big!

People in this episode

Host: Rachel Fenske

Topics covered

  • horse training
  • effort recognition
  • building trust
  • patience in training
  • confidence in horses

Keywords

  • horse training
  • effort
  • trust
  • patience
  • confidence

Sponsors

Tacktical, Ranch Dress’n, Rocket Donkey, Bucked Up, Swingin9t

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