How To Back Up on a Horse

Backing up is a task that all horses are taught when a rider first gets on their back.  Therefore, most animals know how to do it, and all you need to do is give them the correct signals to get the response you are looking for.  Depending on the type of riding you are doing (English or Western) sometimes the signals are slightly different, so I will go over both below.

When riding in a Western saddle you will be holding the reins in one hand.  

1. Before asking the horse to back, take some time to check your position in the saddle.  Sit up tall and push your heels towards the ground.  This is a position of strength relative to your horse and will let him/her know that you are about to ask them to do something. 
2. Next, shorten your reins until you can feel a little bit of resistance from the horse's mouth.  This is called taking a feel, and it is a very light contact. 
3. Once you have a feel of the horse's mouth, gently pull back on the reins and say 'back' clearly.  You do not have to yell, but do say it in an authoritative tone.
4. When the horse responds by backing up, immediately release the reins forward so that he knows that he has done the correct maneuver.  You can also tell him 'good boy'. 
5. Keep repeating this procedure of gently pulling on the reins and releasing until you have backed up enough for your purposes.

The backup maneuver for an English trained horse is similar, but there are some minor modifications.  

1. First, check your position. Make sure you are sitting up straight in the saddle and your heels are down. 
2. Next, shorten the reins (which are held one in each hand) until there is a straight line from the horse's mouth to your hand. 
3. Once the reins are shortened, sit back and at the same time pull one rein back and apply pressure with the opposite leg.  For example, pull back gently on the left rein and apply leg pressure with the right leg.  When the horse responds release the rein and leg pressure.  To back up more, apply the opposite rein/leg combination that was used previously.

If you encounter any problems backing up your horse, be sure to ask for help from a professional.  Other than that, enjoy your horse and have a good ride!