These questions pop up day after day from people living and working with horses in all parts of the world. Questions such as, my horse refuses to cross water- why? My horse has brittle, cracked hooves and stumbles alot - why? My horse bucks when I ask him for the canter - Why? All of these answers come from the heart. The soul of feeling - the understanding of the horse's true nature. In order to achieve a partnership with a horse, one must fully understand what makes the beast think. Let's take a look, first, at some of the natural physical qualities of the horse. This, alone, will help us better understand the horse's behavioral nature.
First, the horse is an animal of prey. It is preyed upon by other carnivorous animals. The horse is an herbivore. It does not hunt down other animals for food. Humans are predators. We *do* eat flesh. The horse will naturally shy away from humans unless taught that the human can be trusted as a gentle friend. This means that our approach to the horse must always be gentle yet assertive in a reassuring manner; not in an aggressive, predatory manner. Secondly, the horse lives by its flight or fight instinct. The first thing the horse knows to do when faced with danger is to flee. If it cannot flee, it will fight. The horse has to move its feet when frightened. This is inherit behavior for the horse. We, as the "superior" species must always take these facts into consideration when working with or around horses. Thirdly, the horse has extraordinary senses. It can feel the tiniest knat land on its rump. Why do humans seem to think that we must thump and wail on the hide of the horse to try to get its cooperation? If it can feel a knat, it surely can feel our slightest touch. The horse is a grazing animal. It eats small amounts alot of the day. It eats in the open so its monocular vision can be put to ultimate use. The horse likes open spaces so it has an easy escape route. If cornered with nowhere to flee, the horse will become aggressive. This aggressiveness is the direct result of its fear. Horses also are comfortable in herds. There is safety in numbers. What makes us think that we, as handlers and riders, can expect a horse to simply leave it's open, comfortable spaces, away from its herd, to please us under saddle? Well, if the human demonstrates a trusted facade of leadership, the horse will follow its leader anywhere in blind trust. These are some of the most important base behavioral guidelines that we must remember when working with horses. If we have a clear understanding of what makes a horse tick, we can easily use our common sense and our reasoning powers to be able to form a respectful partnership with the hrose. Once the handler has demonstrated to the horse that it is not a source of danger and can actually bring good feelings, the horse will become a willing partner with the human.
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