On the whole, people have little control over their horses when they are not on the end of a lead rope - and even then there are no guarantees.
Training
True horsemen are admired for their ability to ride by the seat of their pants. Pat Parelli explains how this can be achieved through freestyle riding.
In traditional horsemanship it’s normal to look at horses very subjectively: he’s a good one, or, he’s got vices; he’s a bucker, a puller, a rearer, etc.
While nothing can replace on-track training, more and more horsemen are utilizing swimming as a fitness tool for their horses.