A Horse is a Horse ... of Course - Page 2© Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate
Page 2
Jun 9, 2000
Nope, don't think Dorian could have thought of that at all.
When working with the natural horse, we have to be able to look at things from the horse's point of view and within the parameters of the horse's mind. When a horse is feeling uncomfortable or scared, it cannot tell us in words. It HAS to use body language. Generally, the horse's body language will begin as subtle, ever so slight, signs such as a tail twitch or a wrinkled brow or tightened mouth. When we, as horsemen and interpreters of the equine language, fail to read the "signs", the horse has to figure out a way to tell us more forcibly and clearly. For instance, take the horse whose saddle is not comfortable and is causing pain. The rider begins to mount and the horse moves slightly off to the side. The rider brings the horse back into position and tries again. The horse again moves off when the rider begins to mount. At this point, the rider, who has undoubtably mounted this horse hundreds of times before, gets impatient. Instead of thinking, "Hmmmm. He always stands for mounting. I wonder what is bothering him?", the rider probably begins this line of thinking ... "Darn horse. What's the matter with you? I TOLD you to stand so I could get on! Now STAND STILL!" ... of course, the horse moves off again. The rider follows the horse this time and barely hops on, ungracefully, muttering and sputtering about the stupid horse. Well, now the rider is on the horse's back without noticing that the back is hollow and tense, the mouth is like steel and the tail is twitching in circles. My goodness ... all the signs of a horse getting VERY irritated and, perhaps, in pain. But the rider is so consumed with being angry with the "stupid" horse that the signs go on unnoticed. That is until the rider asks for a trot or a canter or maybe even just a walk and the horse stops and cow kicks. Now all the heavens have broken lose and the rider is REALLY angry and the horse is REALLY upset. The rider kicks the horse hard in its sides with spurs, the horse jumps forward to get away from the pain and then begins to buck. Well, obviously, the ride is over. Or ... maybe not. Maybe at this point the rider is thinking, "OK ... ya wanna buck? You don't scare ME! Go ahead ... I'll GIVE you something to buck about!" Harder, more forceful spurring, yanking on the reins, crops to the shoulders or hips ... and on it goes until, finally, the horse is so incorrigible that the rider gives up after weeks of this behavior and sends him to auction as a "killer". Or, sometimes worse, the horse becomes dead in spirit.
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