My Horse Doesn T Respect Me? The 230 Detailed Answer

Disrespectful Horse Behavior: Training Guide

Disrespectful behavior of horses

Horses are beautiful and majestic creatures, but they are also large, powerful, and vie for authority in their relationships with humans and other horses. If you are new to horses or just got your first horse, it is important to recognize when your horse is being disrespectful and questioning your leadership.

Horses can be disrespectful in many ways; Here are the most common disrespectful behaviors when dealing with horses:

Grazing while being led or ridden

bump into you

You pull or slow down when guided

Being aggressive towards you when it’s time to eat

Acting while riding

Don’t let his feet lift up

Refuse to be tied up

Being able to identify bad behavior in your horse and correct it immediately will save you a lot of trouble in the long run. Being assertive and confident in these situations will show your horse that you are the alpha. Knowing how to handle the specific behaviors will make you a better communicator with your horse.

Groundwork is the foundation for correcting bad behavior in your horse. Before we get started, check out my online course on Using Floorwork for Respect here to get an understanding of some very simple yet effective floorwork exercises. In this course, I’ll walk you through simple, step-by-step basic exercises you can use to correct disrespectful behavior.

A horse grazing while being led or ridden

Behavior:

There is no doubt; Horses love grass. They love it so much that when they lead them back to the barn, they may be willing to drag their handler to a nice lush spot.

Another thing some horses like to do is when they are being ridden, they like tossing their heads on the ground to grab a bite of grass. I have seen many young riders fall over the horse’s head.

Why it should not be tolerated:

This behavior is considered rude as the horse completely ignores the handler. When a horse is allowed to decide when to graze, the horse has figured out that it is the leader. This behavior is a complete act of rebellion against you and your authority as a horse handler.

Correction:

I correct this behavior by making the horse work every time it eats grass when it shouldn’t. Horses, like people, don’t want to work more than they have to. When a horse learns that trying to eat grass will only mean more work, he will find that it is not worth his time.

Put a halter and leash on your horse. You may need a lunge whip to encourage your horse to exercise when you ask him to. Take your horse and find a nice flat patch of lush grass. As soon as the horse grabs the grass, send it in a working trot in circles around you.

Let them trot for a few minutes. Ask your horse to stop. Give them a chance to reach for the grass again, and when they do, repeat by sending your horse back at a trot. Repeat this task until your horse can stand in the grass on a loose leash without reaching for it.

For a deeper look at how I correct this behavior in my horses, read my article How to stop a horse from grazing while riding.

A horse that nudges you

Behavior:

Do you ever find your horse bumping into you accidentally? When I first bought my POA pony he was really bad about it. I would lead him and stop him, but he would just keep going and run right into me! He didn’t pay attention to where I was or respect my personal space.

This behavior can also appear like a horse nudging you with its nose when it is about to eat, or even kicking you when you are grooming it.

Why it should not be tolerated:

A horse that nudges you does not respect your personal space. In the wild, horses show their dominance by trying to get other horses to move out of their space. If a horse can push you and make you take a step back, he’s just proved he’s the dominant in the relationship.

Another reason this behavior should not be tolerated is that your horse may simply not be paying attention to you. It can be dangerous to have a 1,000 pound animal that isn’t focused on where you are.

Correction:

The best way to keep your horse focused on where you are and where the limits of your personal bubble end is to use groundwork techniques to communicate those limits. Check out the groundwork article to learn how to move your horse’s front and rear ends.

In these exercises, the horse learns to step out of your space. This way you also get your horse to pay attention to you and what you are asking of him. To learn more about getting a horse to pay attention to you, read How to get your horse to pay attention to you.

A horse that either drags you or slows down when led

Behavior:

We’ve all dealt with a teaching pony that looked like it needed to be pulled in and out of the arena. When it comes to leading, it seems like some horses have never been taught how to properly walk alongside a human.

I’ve had horses try to walk in front of me and pull me along. I’ve also had horses that had to be pulled literally everywhere. They move as slow as molasses!

Why it should not be tolerated:

This behavior should not be tolerated as the horse will either resist the pressure (the slow horse) or disregard your limits (the fast horse).

A horse that you must drag to get anywhere is a horse that will resist the pressure you put on the lead rope. This horse has no respect for your cues and openly disrespects what you ask of him.

If you have a horse that charges past you when being led, that horse is not respecting your boundaries. Everything in front of you is considered your space, and when a horse is willing to run past you and into that area, it’s testing your limits.

Correction:

Not only is it super annoying to have to pull a horse somewhere, but it is also a sign that the horse has no respect for pressure being applied. On the other end of the spectrum, a horse willing to push past you will have no respect for your space or authority.

To correct a horse that tends to lag behind the lead you will need a rope halter and a lunge whip. Just practice leading the horse; If the horse resists the pressure on the lead rope, use your lunge whip to encourage him to respond to the pressure properly by moving up.

In order to correct a horse that prefers to lead you rather than you leading him, you must first establish your boundaries and authority. You can do this just as you would any horse that likes to nudge you. Begin by getting the horse to move its rear and front away from you and step out of your bladder.

A horse that will become aggressive towards you when it is time to eat

Behavior:

A horse’s favorite time of day is feeding time; That being said, many horses tend to become aggressive toward each other and their handler when that hour rolls around.

This behavior might look like a horse turning its hindquarters towards you if you try to approach it while it is eating. It can also be a horse that flattens its ears and glares at you as you eat.

Why it should not be tolerated:

This behavior should not be tolerated because your horse is essentially challenging your authority. When the Alpha shows up in the wild, the other horses quickly step back to let the Alpha eat or drink. If a horse can get you to walk away from his feed, then in that horse’s eyes, it just became the alpha in your relationship.

Correction:

I would correct this behavior by first doing some ground work with the horse outside of feeding time. I would specifically work on floor exercises that require the horse to release pressure, like moving the hind end and front end. (I know; it’s repetitive. But this really works for almost everything.)

When you do this, you are communicating to your horse that you are the alpha and that he needs to get out of the way for you. Next, add an empty feed bucket to the mix. Keep your horse on a leash, but let them go over and lick it.

If you approach them, gently ask them to move away. If they don’t, follow them immediately and send them off at a working trot. Remember that the alpha should have the ability to get other horses to move.

While you’re working with the empty bucket, add a handful of grain to taste. Use the same technique when it’s actually time to feed. The more aggressive your horse becomes, the more confident you should be with your commands. If your horse is bad, let it move its hooves!

A horse that acts out while being ridden

Behavior:

A horse behaving when ridden can look like a number of different things. It may buck, rear up, take off, bolt, etc. When dealing with a horse like this, make sure you rule out any health issues before assuming it is simply disrespectful behavior.

When a horse acts out of disrespectful behavior, it usually responds to a cue or command you give. They show direct retaliation for what you just asked them to do.

Why it should not be tolerated:

A horse that misbehaves while being ridden is not only dangerous, it also means the horse is challenging your cues and commands.

Horses learn through repetition. So if every time you ask a horse to do a certain thing under saddle and he responds without correcting that behavior, you have just trained your horse to respond to that cue by being bad . This behavior should be corrected immediately.

Correction:

My fix for this problem would be to train this horse to death. I mentioned above that no horse will work more than it has to; Well, teach your horse that bad behavior means more work!

I had a horse that one day started rearing up. She was young and it was spring and I could tell she was in the mood. I immediately got off her, put on a rope halter and started doing hard floor exercises. I made her move her feet continuously and quickly. After about 20 minutes of hard work I got back on and had a great ride.

I was also traveling once with my girlfriend and her mother. The mother’s horse decided to buck and managed to offload her. Her daughter immediately jumped off, mounted her mother’s horse and galloped her across the field for 20 minutes. The horse came back sweaty but never bucked again.

A horse won’t let you pick up his feet

Behavior:

This is another behavior where you should rule out medical issues or balance issues before assuming the horse is acting out of bad behavior.

This behavior can be demonstrated in a number of ways: a horse refusing to lift its hooves all the way, or a horse leaning back and pulling its hoof away after you lift it up. I’ve even had horses lean on me with their full weight when I worked with their hooves.

Why it should not be tolerated:

If a horse refuses to let you pick up its hooves, it’s simply not respecting your cues. Horses don’t like to work more than they have to, and horses see picking up their hooves as work.

Your horse is testing you with this behavior. They try to see how long you stick around before you give up. If you give up, they win. Again, horses learn through repetition; Every time the horse gets away without lifting its hooves, the thought is impressed upon it that this should be its reaction.

Correction:

If you’ve ruled out pain issues or balance issues as to why a horse won’t pick up its hooves, then it probably just means the horse is stubborn. Remember that horses consider lifting their hooves to be work; If your horse refuses to pick up his hooves because he doesn’t want to work, you should get him to work.

Put a rope halter on your horse and find a level surface. Ask your horse to lift its hooves. If he refuses, immediately have your horse walk around you at a working trot. Trot her for a few minutes, then make her stop. Ask the horse to pick up his feet again. If it refuses, send it back. Repeat these steps until your horse begins to offer its hoof.

To learn more about this behavior in your horse, read our article Why won’t my horse let me pick up his hooves?

A horse refuses to be tied

Behavior:

A horse that refuses to be tethered can dance back and forth and test its tethers.

A horse that doesn’t like being tied up can pull back on the rope with its full body weight. Many horses use this as a fear tactic towards their owners; They note that if they withdraw while tied up, their owners will untie them and take them somewhere else.

Why it should not be tolerated:

A horse that freaks out when being tied up is usually using a fear tactic. Many horses know that if they start pulling the rope back dramatically, their owners will untie them and take them somewhere else.

The bottom line is that tying is a simple everyday task that a horse should be able to do without misbehavior. When a horse exhibits such disrespectful behavior, it is potentially putting itself and others at risk.

Correction:

Some people might disagree, but the best way I’ve seen horses learn to stand tethered is to just tether them to a nice solid object and leave them there to figure it out for themselves.

If your horse tends to back away and fight the rope when tied, don’t. Chances are they know you’re coming and will untie them if they do. If you refuse to untie them, sooner or later they will learn that fighting it is pointless.

If you found the information in this article helpful, be sure to check out my Win and Respect Your Horse course.

If your horse is being disrespectful, you may wonder if my horse even likes me? In our article Why Doesn’t My Horse Like Me, we discuss how you can bond better with your horse and change his attitude towards you.

PS Save this article to your horse training Pinterest board!

You are so excited to have a horse that your first instinct might be to spoil them, feed them treats, and love them every time you see them. This is a perfectly normal human reaction to a new relationship, but it can actually undermine your partnership with your horse.

Your equine friend is naturally programmed to be part of a herd. He follows the herd leader and always knows where he is in the pecking order of the group. Think of yourself and your horse as a herd of two; It’s up to you to make sure you’re the one calling the shots.

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How can you make sure you’re the leader and set out on a great path with your new mount? Understand horse body language and speak this new language through groundwork exercises. Ground work can mean stopping the horse, leading it, or doing circle work.

Every time you work with your horse, make sure he follows your rules and moves out of your space – constant reminders that you are the leader. Make him feel safe by giving him simple and clear rules to follow. He doesn’t have to look or go anywhere else; he will want to be with you.

Here I will help you understand how horses interact with each other and explain how to communicate with your new horse. Then I’ll help you get started with three simple but crucial basic exercises. Ground work will quickly show your horse that you know his language and that you are a leader he can trust.

Understand the language of the flock

As you watch a large group of horses, you’ll quickly realize who’s in charge. The alpha horse, or the highest horse in the pecking order, moves other horses around, claims the best spots, and gets his (or her) choice of feeding spots. Horses in a herd have a linear hierarchy, meaning each horse is either dominant or subordinate to another. No two horses have the same rank.

The dominant horse also controls resources – food, shelter, water and shade. He gets to eat and drink first and always gets the shady spot. He can move horses away from resources by stretching his neck, covering his ears, kicking, and biting. Any time a new horse joins the herd, the more dominant horses will hustle it around to gain control. You will show the new horse that there is a hierarchy and his initial standing is low.

their herd mentality

Hierarchy and the constant negotiation of a new rank is what horses know about relationships. It’s a key component to remember when working with your new horse. In his eyes, you are a potential herdmate and you are either dominant or subordinate to him, especially early in your relationship. Choose to be the leader. The leader doesn’t want cuddles. For a horse, such closeness means you are not defending your space; he learns that he might be the one in control.

I don’t like being too close and personal with horses I don’t know. Of course, I enjoy petting my personal horses, Dually and Eddie, but it’s a settled relationship. In most cases, I don’t want this new horse to enter my space. I want a clear boundary.

This isn’t a harsh version of a bully’s dominance. Dominance in the herd exists to provide security for all of its members. A horse wants to be part of the herd more than any other animal in the world. He longs for leadership and a sense of order. Create a confident attitude and assert your position as a leader. Your confidence and gentle strength will help your horse become a well-mannered citizen.

When there is no guidance, a horse becomes anxious and looks around for things to worry about. If your horse bumps into you or pretends you’re not even there, it’s not an accident. He worries more about himself than about you. He shows you that you are not the leader.

When you give in to your horse’s space, he’s in charge. If he gives in to your space, he sees you as the leader. Keep this in mind whenever you are with your horse.

motivation

What drives a horse? Most people will guess food, but behaviorists will tell you that food is not a horse’s primary motivation. Horses do not depend on other horses for sustenance. This makes them very different from dogs when it comes to training. Dogs are pack animals and rely on each other to find food. If you let go of a horse, it will find food. However, he relies on the herd for safety and comfort.

Horses find safety and security when there are clear rules. With successful ground work, the horse learns order and security. When he follows the rules, life is good and he knows he’s safe with his leader. If he breaks a rule, he gets a correction. consolation comes when he does the right thing; They let him rest and praise him when he has followed the rules.

Put the knowledge into action

On my Horse Master TV show, our actor Margie Huoppi had a beautiful new Tennessee Walking Horse named Chance. She did everything right when buying a horse and got a mature, well-trained horse. He was handsome, but he didn’t behave handsomely.

Chance was pushing into her, stepping on her, and it wasn’t going to work well on the longeline. She did basic work, but without understanding what she was doing, she did not achieve the desired result. When she led him or yearned for him, he urged her and she stepped out of his room in response. That way she laid the groundwork every day and proved to Chance that he was in charge.

During the show, Margie quickly understood her flaws and changed her body language. She armed herself with confidence and determination. When she changed her mindset and body language, Chance responded and said, “Yes, ma’am.”

A horse becomes docile and willing when it senses direction and knows I control its hooves, nose, shoulder and hips. If I can control these parts, I have control over the whole horse.

Let’s get started and make sure you are in charge of your entire horse. First, equip your horse with a rope halter and a long lead line made of high-quality, heavy cordage. Due to the heavy weight, a slight wobbling of the rope can be an indication for your horse. I like a 15ft rope, but 12ft is acceptable and may be an easier length to start with. I also like to have a training flag in hand to stretch my arm; The flag allows me to get the horse’s attention and help him get out of my area.

Stand still

Teach your horse to think and get your permission before moving a foot: that means “stand like a statue,” not “stay roughly the same.”

Stand in front of your horse, facing him, turned slightly to his left shoulder. Slacken the leash so you can stand about 4 to 6 feet from his head. You don’t want to give the impression that you’re holding him still. You’re teaching him that it’s his job to stand still when you say it.

If he moves a foot or turns his head past the width of his shoulders, tell him that’s wrong by snapping the lead rope. If he looks away, he wants to leave.

If your timing is good—by making the correction within three seconds of the step or head turn—you can train your horse to stand still in minutes. Timing is so important – the sooner you can make a correction within three seconds, the faster he’ll learn. Make a correction, then let the rope slack and give your horse a release.

If you have an older or well-trained horse, he can stand still because that’s the easiest. You may need to practice this exercise when other horses are out to pasture – if he doesn’t want to stand still. If you have a young and restless horse, this exercise could be challenging from the start.

This is the basis for ground binding. Keep practicing in increasingly difficult locations and see if you can move further away or put the leash off while holding on to the other end.

Leading manners

To be considered well behaved, your horse should walk alongside but slightly behind you. You don’t want to pull him, and he shouldn’t be in front of you or pulling you. With the following exercise, teach him to walk at your chosen pace and stay out of your space. Don’t hold him back; Make him responsible for staying with you.

Hold your lead hand in front of you to show your horse where to be. When his nose gets in front of your hand, turn around, grab the lead rope, and support him. If your timing is good, he should quickly learn that there is a forward limit he cannot cross. If he falls back too far, lean on the rope to apply pressure to let him know this isn’t the place either.

Continue practicing this exercise by doing “slow feet, fast feet.” Change your speed and make sure your horse knows the limits and stays right with you. Again, as long as he stays in the right room, all will be well for him. He will understand the boundaries and feel safe.

Next, focus on turning your horse away from you as you lead. Each time you remove him from your space, you are emphasizing your leadership and dominance in the herd of two. They should be leading from the left, so turn him right to move him out of your room.

To turn, simply look to the right, move your shoulders and move your hand to the right, and change the direction of your feet. Your horse should immediately move out of your area. If he doesn’t, gesture with your hands in the air just behind his eye. Make the turns smaller and faster. Once your horse turns, he uses maximum effort to stay out of your space.

circular work

Here the long lead is most important. You will herd your horse out of your space and ask it to move in circles around you.

First understand the horse’s balance point. Imagine where the girth or girth sits when your horse is saddled. If you step in front of this point, it will stop or turn and move away from you. If you step past the balance point, it will move forward and away.

To begin the circle work, point in the direction you want your horse to go and hold the end of the rope and your flag in your other hand. If he doesn’t move, wave your flag until he takes a step back, then release that pressure. You may find that one direction is more difficult for your horse than the other.

Make sure you stay outside the kick zone. That’s why it’s important to have your flag; It helps protect your space and prevents you from getting too close. It is to be expected that a horse can kick; It is a natural defensive behavior in response to being bossed around in a herd. Once your horse understands what you’re asking, it shouldn’t be a problem.

The first stage of circuit work involves moving your horse in both directions at a trot. I also like teaching the whoa command at this point. I stand in front of the balance point and say “Wow”. If he doesn’t stop, I’ll bump the rope and then send him the other way.

The next step asks him to change direction without stopping. Every time you turn him, you control every part of his body. He will really focus on you and look up to you to know when to turn around. To turn, step in front of the balance point and then switch hands on the rope, pointing in the new direction and following with your flag in your other hand.

Keep practicing until your horse gets better. The stand-still exercise becomes a basic teaching. The leadership work turns into him following you without leadership. Circle work can result in him being propelled over obstacles and working without a halter and leash. There is always something more to do.

At first you might think groundwork isn’t going to be fun, but once your horse gets the hang of it and follows you, it’s really fun to see what you can do! When you have laid all the groundwork and established that relationship with your horse, you don’t even need a halter and leash because he wants to be with you. That’s your end goal, but you must start with the basics.

Julie Goodnight is the popular presenter of Horse Master on RFD-TV and travels the country sharing her horsemanship training with riders of all disciplines. She has experience in dressage and jumping, racing, reining, cow horse, stallion starting and wilderness riding. www.juliegoodnight.com

Heidi Melocco is a journalist, photographer and therapeutic riding instructor based in Mead, Colorado.

This article originally appeared in the 2015 issue of Your New Horse.

Q: Should I punish my horse for misconduct?

When is the right time to punish a horse: if it bucks, frightens or does not respond to my cues? As a rider I don’t have a lot of confidence and am confused about the aspect of punishing a horse. Besides, how do I punish him: hit him with the whip or give a sharp half-stop?

Lisa Churn, Buffalo, New York

A: The most important thing to understand is that the concept of punishment does not apply to horses and riding. You can’t punish a horse if you have a bad ride or something goes wrong. Instead, correct the behavior. Horses don’t understand when they’ve done something that we consider misbehavior or wrong.

The first thing you need to do is understand and correct the cues and signals you have given your horse physically. Once you correct this rider to horse translation, your continuous conversation will become easier. If you correct a behavior, you must do so immediately, not when the ride is over. This correction must be made no more than three seconds after the behavior. Any reaction just a few seconds later and the horse won’t understand what it did. In his opinion, you are chasing after him for nothing and damaging the relationship with your horse. The correction depends on the movement you are making and the severity of the horse’s reaction or lack of reaction.

One of the first things to consider when your horse refuses your cues is that they may be in pain or discomfort. Many horses will refuse exercise by trying to rest on themselves. Maybe her back hurts or one leg doesn’t feel right. If it really isn’t, make sure your horse is in front of your leg aids and walking forward. Get back to basics and work on up and down transitions to establish your horse on the aids. Begin with a forward response to the aids.

In some cases, a sharp half stop may be enough for a correction. For others, it may be a whip slap or a sharp leg aid. The key is figuring out what you said to your horse and how to make that a clearer message. For example, with a creepy horse, your goal should be to have her focus entirely on you and not on the creepy flowers next to her. This isn’t a punishment, it’s a correction, using internal help to get his attention and change your routine. Punishing the horse that scares the flowers with a whip or harsh implements is the quickest way to create a truly scared and unrideable horse.

The behavior can also be corrected in small steps, e.g. B. with a good ending, even if it’s a small one. Does your horse back away when asked to walk? OK, as soon as he steps forward and leaves, reward him and that’s it. To improve as a rider and gain confidence in both yourself and your horse, always end on a positive note.

Jaime Amain is a USDF Gold Medalist. His dressage career began in Spain, where he trained under Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz. He continued his dressage training in Germany and, after receiving his German FN rider license, rode for Klaus Balkenhol for almost three years. He trains at IDA Farm in Wellington, Florida.

Learn how to create a lasting bond with your horse.

If you’re anything like me, you came to the equine lifestyle because you love them, love the time spent together and love all the memories that are made.

But like any relationship, it’s important that it’s joyful and based on trust and mutual connection—not struggle, fear, apprehension, overwhelm, fear, or lack of trust.

Building a trusting bond with horses is the foundation of everything you want to do and achieve.

To lay that foundation and earn your horse’s respect in a fearless way, first focus on the big things—the core elements that make your horse function.

Only then can you step into this conversation and begin to form a deep bond, a mutual connection, and a clear line of communication that will last a lifetime.

These elements are eternal, profound, and universal among horses.

Rather than rattling off a list of dos and don’ts, I’m going to share the underlying secrets behind strengthening the bond with your horse. Implement these secrets and you will be rewarded with the lasting connection, genuine confidence and energizing willingness you and your horse long for.

Understand horse trust

There’s something that comes up a lot in life with horses, no matter what stage you’re at. So let’s talk about it, shall we?

TRUST.

Most of the time, my inner conversations revolve around… “Can I trust that?”

“This” usually refers to a situation, a person, or a horse.

Your horse is no different. You’re also constantly asking yourself… “Can I trust that?”

A horse that lacks confidence is often more difficult to train, unmotivated, unwilling, or has many ‘problems’ or ‘problems’.

Other signs that your horse isn’t trusting can include running away from you, not standing when you mount, insecurity when confronted with new things, and herd-bound/mate-like behavior.

A trusting horse, on the other hand, will follow you everywhere and will hardly shy away from new things.

A trusting horse will be willing to work because it knows you have its best interest in you.

These horses are alert, motivated and learn quickly. In addition, they are easier to catch and halter in the field, definitely want to be with you and show comparatively little consideration for the other horses.

Building a foundation of trust is like a piggy bank that you can draw on again and again in the future. Every time you make a ‘deposit’, this bank gets bigger and bigger. So, in training or in a difficult situation, you have this “currency” to go back and withdraw.

3 Secrets to Gaining Confidence

Now that you understand why earning your horse’s trust and respect is so important, let’s talk about how to actually do it. Here are the three secrets to get you on the right track.

#1: Be predictable

The number one confidence builder is to be predictable by being consistent!

Be consistent with your energy levels, your emotions, and how you present yourself around your horse. Be consistent in your communication, always sending and receiving messages in the same way – a way that both you and your horse clearly understand.

Example: If you ACCIDENTALLY step into your horse’s space, it doesn’t matter WHO your horse is or WHAT you want. You are preparing yourself and your horse for an untrustworthy situation.

It goes 100% both ways.

I bet you’re a bit like me and what creates a feeling of distrust is a simple fact that I don’t know what my horse is going to do next.

I can’t predict her next move…

From your horse’s perspective, this is no different. Predictability is a comfort to both of you.

#2: Be a good listener

From your horse’s perspective, being a good listener is a little different than you might think.

When I stop all my talking and just listen, see, hear and understand what my horse is saying…magic happens.

Humans are verbal communicators. We’re talking about our natural port of call. But not so with horses. They communicate primarily through body language and eye, ear, and muzzle expression. This subtle language can be missed if you’re not careful.

If you slow down your speech and just let the horse “talk” you will start to see a change in his behavior. Your horse will quickly realize that you understand them, that you adapt to what they say and that you respect their boundaries.

It can be as simple as saying to your horse, “Hey, I see you’re nervous. Let’s stop and take the time you need to feel safe and confident again.”

Increase your awareness of your horse’s language, how it thinks, reacts, learns – and what motivates it to act.

#3: Leave your expectations behind and allow yourself to make decisions

I know this seems a little “outlandish,” but stay with me.

We often turn up with our horses, both with our actions and our emotional intentions, with a long list of “expectations” for how, when, where the horse should act, be and do.

Well, I’m not saying that you should drop everything on your agenda. There are important do’s and don’ts your horse must follow to stay safe. What I’m trying to say is that we humans tend to become “control freaks” with our horses.

We constantly tell horses what to do and expect a perfect response.

In a way it’s a ‘goal-seeking’ – every time we work with our horses we feel we have to arrive at a certain destination.

What I suggest is to give the horse freedom of choice.

A decision to say “no”. Choosing to go fast or slow when working at liberty (i.e., loose) in the arena. Make a suggestion about what you want them to do, but ultimately let them choose how to respond.

Trust is built in those moments spent with no expectations and freedom of choice.

You as a human must trust the horse to make a decision and allow him to take ownership of that decision and the ramifications of that decision.

The horse will start to see confidence in you because it will give them a sense of empowerment. It builds trust and she invests more in the activity because she chose to get involved or participate.

frequently asked Questions

Q: What should I do if I get nervous while driving?

First things first: Sign up for our free Confident Rider email course!

Q: What should I do if my horse doesn’t seem to care about me?

“My horse has no desire to even remotely try to bond with me…”

“He seems annoyed by my mere presence, like he just doesn’t want me there…”

Learn more about horse emotions and feelings

Sound familiar? If yes, hold on. You’re not alone.

The good news is that horses can change. In these situations, my top advice is to get “more interesting”!

What I mean by that is to change your energy so that it is calm, cool and relaxed. I call this a meditative state of mind where you simply sit/stand in or near your horse’s spot and practice this meditative breathing and presence.

The calmer you are (i.e., the more “interesting” your energy shift becomes), the more your horse’s curiosity will be aroused. Soon you become something she can’t resist checking out.

Q: What are some good horse bonding games and exercises?

I love doing that with my horses! My favorite exercises and games are:

Just spend quality time with them: free from expectations, allowing decisions, listening to them, grooming or going for a long walk together, it’s this time together that helps build a lasting connection. Find out what motivates and excites them… and do it: if you have a horse that loves the big arena ball or runs over small jumps and trots with you in the meadow, do it! Do this at will (i.e. loosely where the horse has free choice). Just playing with your horse is one of the easiest ways to bond. Work together on simple herding: these are exercises that should begin in freedom. Slowly and quietly, ask your horse to move forward, then “herd” it around. (Five steps at a time is enough to get started.) “Herding” the horse is simply using clear communication that he understands to “push” him on, much like another horse in the paddock would. It is important to take breaks and not chase your horse.

Want more ideas and guides? Check out my free resource download on the top 10 exercises to easily bond with your horse.

Q: I recently got my new horse and it takes me a while to bond and build trust. Is that normal?

Yes, that’s normal.

Many horses take a long time to build enough trust and connection for you to really “feel” that bond. I can only recommend taking your time. Lots of time.

With a new horse, you often don’t know his past – at least not all the details. Horses develop negative emotional associations with things, people, and places. So no matter what, if that thing is in her room, she loses her marbles!

It takes time to rewire negative associations and create new, positive associations associated with you and/or other objects.

Again, spend time with your horse in the meditative state of mind. Enter her area, greet her, and then leave.

Do this several times a day. What you are showing them is that you are a safe, calm, and trustworthy person. You enter her room, without expectation, and then leave without asking anything.

It takes the time it takes

Wow, that’s a lot! I hope this article will inspire you to take action and know that even if your horse is anxious, is on stall rest due to an injury, or is exhibiting behaviors that stem from past trauma, there *still is hope*.

Trust just takes time, and not a minute of the time you invest in building that trust is wasted.

Your relationship with your horse isn’t just another check box in the training plan, it’s a deep desire to truly connect with your horse and enjoy every minute together!

About the author

Erica is an Oregon native, adventure seeker with big ol’ dreams, coffee hungry girl who loves good stories. Like many of us, she caught the “horse madness” virus early in life and has never looked back. It is thanks to many horses that she has become what she is today as a rider. Through in-person workshops and online resources such as a blog, e-book and courses, she focuses on building a trust-based bond and a lasting connection with our horses so that every moment is simply amazing!

Connect with Erica and Hoofbeat Collective on Instagram, their blog or access their free download of 10 exercises to easily bond with your horse.

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Just like with a strange dog, you should ask permission first before petting a horse. As prey, horses are afraid of new people. For all the horse knows, you could be a predator looking to make a meal out of him. Learn the best way to approach and pet a horse so you can both enjoy the experience.

Say hello from afar

Announce your arrival in a firm but reassuring voice or whistle, not by running to the horse and yelling in excitement. A horse cannot see directly in front of its face or behind it. If approached from these areas, he may rear up or kick. Let him know you mean no harm by walking up to his shoulder where he can see you.

A calm presence

The horse picks up on your physical communication. Relax and don’t fidget to show a calm exterior. When horses approach, they say “hello” by touching and sniffing noses. You can accomplish this by showing the horse your hand just under his nose and allowing him to examine it. Keep your fingers together so he doesn’t mistake them for delicious carrots. He shows acceptance by lowering his head, turning to you, or licking his lips.

Proper stroking

As tempting as it is, don’t pet the horse’s head. Keep glancing sideways at his shoulder and stroking his neck. Most horses enjoy a scratch on the neck just behind the ear or on the withers at the highest point of the shoulder. Stop petting if the horse backs away or shows disinterest. Allow 12 to 15 feet of horse’s personal space when rearing or kicking.

When a horse is muzzled—pinching or nibbling on shirt sleeves, jackets, or the lead rope—the behavior is often brushed aside. This is especially true in young horses, who are the most likely culprits of this behavior. A foal mouthing your shirt sleeve doesn’t seem like a big deal; In fact, many people find it kind of cute. But the problem with this behavior is that if left uncorrected, it often turns into biting – a very dangerous vice.

The most effective correction you can make to a horse is to get it moving its feet. Horses are basically lazy creatures who would rather stand around in the pasture dreaming about their next meal than move their feet and work up a sweat. They always choose the option with the least amount of work.

So when you’re standing next to your horse and he starts licking your shirt, put his feet to work. Support him, tumble him in circles, walk past him – anything you can think of to get him rushing his feet. Let his feet work for five minutes, then return to what you were doing to him before he opened his mouth. Act like it didn’t happen at all. If he tries to mouth you again, you will make the same correction.

He can’t talk to you and move his feet at the same time, especially if you make him rush with energy and make a lot of changes of direction. If you’re consistent with this correction, it doesn’t take the horse many reps to connect the two: when it gets mouth it has to move its feet and sweat.

One of the most effective ways to stop a mouthing horse and a biting horse is to have your back cover. Backing is a very humbling exercise for a horse. When a horse mouths or tries to bite, that’s a very forward-looking action – it’s invading your space and coming for you. When you support him, it’s the opposite – he’s subservient to you by moving out of your space.

Kicking is one of your horse’s strongest forms of communication. Just as flat ears or bared teeth send unmistakable messages, a kick – or even the threat of it – speaks volumes about a horse’s state of mind or physical well-being.

Horses kick to deliver a variety of different messages to their herdmates.

Of course, the sheer mechanical force of a horse’s kick underscores the urgent message it is about. Emergency room staff have compared the destructive potential of a horse kick to that of being struck by a small car moving at 20 miles per hour. A kick can break bones and traumatize soft tissue. In fact, medical journals document people going into cardiac arrest after being kicked in the chest. In addition, a horse can be seriously injured by being kicked; For example, a strong impact on a cinder block wall can break bones in the hoof.

So if you have a horse that kicks habitually, regularly, or even occasionally, it’s important to find out the reasons for the behavior. Some situations will force virtually every horse to thrash around – to protect itself or to relieve pain – but in other cases, kicking is a bad habit that needs to be addressed before anyone gets hurt.

In general, a kick delivers one message in six. In order to recognize who your horse is sending, you need to pay close attention to his body language, take stock of the circumstances that led to a kick, and identify factors that may be contributing to the behavior.

Message: “I feel threatened.”

At its most primal level, the horse kick is a defensive weapon. Horses in the wild can, and often do, fend off predators by kicking their hooves. This response is instinctive, so depending on the situation, you can observe it in even the calmest and most agreeable horses.

You recognize a rush of anxiety by what precedes it. A horse that is really scared does not kick immediately. First he will try to move away from the threat. If that doesn’t work, he’ll likely attempt to intimidate the threatening presence by covering his ears or raising his hind leg in preparation for a kick. Only when both escape and intimidation fail does the horse strike.

In my work as an animal behaviorist, I have experienced this again and again. Hooves are likely to fly when a horse is being pursued and cornered by an aggressive herdmate. Likewise, a horse may ultimately feel threatened enough to kick if forced to do something that it finds genuinely frightening, such as running into a dark trailer.

If your horse is kicking out of fear, the only way to solve the problem is to relieve his fear. This may require reorganizing your herd to reduce conflict and bullying. Even when a horse learns to avoid his tormentors, he may not be able to relax enough to graze or rest.

Also, watch out for anxiety kicks that occur during exercise. The remedy is usually a repetition of the basics, which help the horse to feel good again. A horse can’t learn when it’s scared, so you can’t just work it through. A compassionate, professional trainer can be very helpful.

Finally, there is another type of anxiety that is closely related to your behavior. If you surprise a horse – for example by walking behind it while it is dozing on cross ties – it may respond by striking without warning. In his mind he defends himself against a predator that has snuck up on him. That’s why one of the first lessons in horsemanship is to always tell a horse where you are so you don’t startle it.

Message: “I feel good.”

Sometimes horses step out of simple playfulness. You will often see horses frolicking in a field, galloping, bucking, and kicking as they go. It’s a way to let off steam and stretch your limbs. This style of kicking is not intended to cause harm, but it can inadvertently do so.

Playful kicking isn’t something you have to correct – or even can. Instead, focus on doing what you can to ensure your own safety and that of the other horses. If possible, avoid pairing a doddering pensioner with a wild boy who might try to start a game of chase.

And for your own safety, be extra careful when chasing down a boisterous horse. Lead him out to pasture, turn him toward you as you remove his halter or leash, and take a step backwards out of the gate when you let him go. Also, be vigilant as playful kicking can escalate into more dangerous, aggressive turnout behavior that you need to address.

Message: “I hurt.”

Some kicks are a reaction to pain. For example, we are all taught to recognize that kicking in the abdomen is a clinical sign of intestinal pain. Similarly, a horse with a sore back may kick sideways or “cow-kick” when the saddle is placed on its back or the girth is tightened.

Horses can also kick out of anger. If your horse kicks while brushing for no apparent reason, he may be telling you that he finds the experience uncomfortable or even painful. If you treat these kicks as a behavioral problem without examining what is causing them to do it, you are likely to make the situation worse by creating more negative associations.

You can recognize the burst of pain by observing what leads to the behavior and if it stops when stimuli are removed. A horse kicking in pain usually doesn’t rear up or threaten first; he just kicks when he’s uncomfortable. Once you relieve his pain, the kicks usually stop immediately. For example, if your horse kicks while grooming, the solution may be as simple as switching to a softer brush or terry towel.

It gets more complicated, of course, when alert horses start kicking when they expect pain – a horse with a sore back, for example, may strike when it sees you approaching with a saddle. In these cases, it may take some time for the kicking response to wear off, even after you’ve eliminated the uncomfortable stimuli. The horse must learn that the object that previously caused him pain no longer causes him discomfort.

Message: “I’m frustrated.”

We all know a horse that will bang against the stall wall when it thinks you’re not fast enough to deliver your grain. Horses that kick the inside of the trailer at their destination but have not yet been unloaded are likely to experience similar irritation. You can recognize a frustration kick by the body language that typically accompanies it. Head shaking, flat ears, falling forward, or even rearing up slightly are all signs of impatience. The horse doesn’t seem scared, just restless.

Frustration kicks can be dealt with in a number of ways. If the horse only spanks at meal time, simply feeding it first may solve the problem. If you are concerned that he will hurt himself, consider installing footboards. These structures, which resemble a two-foot-deep shelf running along the perimeter of the stall at knee height, prevent a kicking horse from making contact with the stall wall.

Horses are less likely to injure themselves when kicking the trailer because they are so close to the wall that they cannot build up enough strength. I’ve seen some people successfully use kick chains, which are suspended from a cuff that attaches just above the hock and swings into the horse’s leg with every kick. But I have also seen many horses stop kicking when the chains are on and resume the behavior as soon as the chains are removed. Hobbles have a similar disadvantage – they only work when turned on.

You can also choose to ignore frustrated kicks if the horse is not putting itself, another horse, or a person in danger. However, as with playful kicking, keep an eye on the situation to make sure it doesn’t escalate.

Message: “Back off.”

A horse that kicks while riding is usually responding to another horse that has gotten too close to its hindquarters. How close is too close depends on each horse’s personality. Some mares, particularly dominant ones, are very strict about their personal space and take offense if a horse approaches within 20 feet of their hindquarters. Another horse can only get restless if a herdmate pulls within a foot of its tail.

I know many horses who have never kicked at a person but will not hesitate to aim for a horse that comes on their butt on the trail or in the show ring. Tailgating kicks are typically mild “warning” kicks, but can still be powerful enough to break the bones of any rider who takes the brunt of the punch.

Because of this potential for injury, it is never a good idea to allow under-saddle kicking without correction, even if a kick seems warranted. If a horse you are riding kicks, immediately give him a sharp bang with a crop or the end of the reins to let him know this is unacceptable. However, the correction must be made immediately so that he makes the appropriate connection.

If your horse has ever kicked under saddle, you need to take extra precautions to protect others. First, tie a red ribbon around his tail to warn he’s a kicker. If you are riding in a group, also position yourself at the back.

Finally, stay away from crowded arenas as much as possible and pay special attention to where you are in relation to other riders so your horse is focused on you and your aids. It is your responsibility to protect the other drivers, not their responsibility to avoid you.

Message: “I’m the boss here.”

When a horse kicks to tell you they’re in charge, you have a serious problem. In the wild, kicking is used as a last resort to enforce the herd hierarchy necessary to maintain order and establish breeding rights. However, when a horse attempts to gain dominance over a human handler, it is a sign that larger training problems are afoot: the horse has eventually learned that intimidation is an effective way of dealing with people.

Bossy kickers are usually dominant mares or geldings. They pose and threaten before stepping with ears flat and “mean faces.” They’ll usually aim their hindquarters at you and raise a hoof before unleashing a kick. Unlike horses, who kick out of fear, they don’t try to get out of a situation before they kick; They respond to things they don’t like with threats. These horses can be aggressive in other ways, e.g. B. by pouncing on passers-by via their barn doors. They also tend to have little respect for the personal space of others, crowding handlers into a stall or charging past them while being led.

Typically, bossy kickers behave this way because it works for them. Eventually, they got what they wanted — usually being left alone — by threatening to kick someone, or actually kicking them. It doesn’t take long for that lesson to be learned. I once rescued a 3 year old filly who kicked when asked to do something she didn’t like. From that young age she had learned that she could get people to fall in line by letting her hooves fly.

Reforming an imperious kicker can be very difficult. If you have the time and inclination, you may want to revisit the basics of the training, possibly with the help of a professional trainer, to restore the basic rules of hierarchy and personal space. Unfortunately, for many older horses, kicking is such a ingrained resistance that this approach is unsuccessful.

Punishment is another way to let a bossy horse know that you won’t be intimidated by kicks. Some horses, particularly those testing the imperious kick for the first time, can be corrected with a pull on a lead thigh or a slap with the palm and a sharp word to remind them of their manners. Other horses will respect a whip tap on their hindquarters, but it needs to be delivered immediately to be effective, and you need to make sure you’re out of range.

In fact, I can’t stress enough how risky it is to penalize a kicker. It requires the ability to quickly and accurately read a horse’s body language and consistently deliver the appropriate punishment, nothing more, nothing less. Due to the accuracy and risks involved, I recommend that you entrust this task to a professional trainer.

Which brings me to the most troubling kicker: the aggressive horse that kicked for years to get his way. This horse can take any punishment simply as a challenge and respond with a more powerful, focused kick. This is a fight you cannot win and it puts you and other people in danger.

Personally, I will not own an aggressive kicker. It’s not worth the risk. If you decide to own a horse that will kick to demonstrate dominance, recognize the risk you are taking and do everything in your power to minimize it. This includes being very open and vocal about your horse’s tendencies, informing everyone who ever deals with him of his habits, and posting a clear and prominent warning on his stable door or pasture gate.

Kicking is good for horses. Not only is it a powerful weapon against predators, but it is also an effective form of communication. However, the injuries a kick can cause make it one of the most dangerous behaviors in a domesticated horse. So whenever a horse kicks, an investigation is needed to determine why – and if something needs to be done to prevent it from happening again.

Jennifer Williams has a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Animal Behavior from Texas A&M University.

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Posted 7/22/2004 Carey A. Williams, Ph.D., Extension Specialist in Equine Management Ten Natural Survival Traits The horse, a prey animal, relies on flight as its primary means of survival. Its natural enemies are large animals such as cougars, wolves or bears, so its ability to escape from these predators is crucial. As humans, in order to fully understand horses, we need to understand their natural flightiness. Horses are among the most sentient of all pets. Because they are a prey species, they must be able to detect predators. A stimulus unnoticed by humans is often a cause for concern for horses; As drivers and coaches, we often confuse this reaction with “spookiness” or bad behavior. The horse has a very fast reaction time. A prey animal must respond immediately to a perceived predator in order to survive. Horses can become desensitized to startling stimuli. They must quickly learn what is harmful (e.g. lion, cougar, etc.) and what is harmless (e.g. steppe grass, birds, a discolored stone, etc.) lest they spend their whole lives running away. Horses forgive but don’t forget. They especially remember bad situations! For this reason, it is important to make the horse’s first training experience a positive one. Horses categorize most experiences in one of two ways: a) something not to be feared, so ignore or explore, and b) something to be feared, so flee. Therefore, when presenting something new, the horse must be shown that “a” is the case. Again, it is important to make all training experiences positive. Horses are easy to control. The horse is a herd animal in which a dominance hierarchy is always established. When done correctly, human dominance can be easily established during training without the horse becoming overly anxious. Horses exercise dominance by controlling the movement of their peers. Horses accept dominance when: a) we or another animal cause them to move when they don’t want to, and b) we or another animal inhibit the movement when they want to flee. Examples include using a round pin, lunge line, or hobble; or the more dominant horse in the field chases off the less dominant one. A horse’s body language is unique to the equine species. A very social animal, the horse communicates its feelings and intentions to its herdmates through both vocalization and body language. A person who handles horses must be able to read the horse’s body language in order to be an effective trainer. The horse is a presocial species, which means that the newborn foals are neurologically mature at birth. They are most vulnerable immediately after birth, so they must be able to recognize danger and flee if necessary. Senses A horse’s eyesight is its primary danger indicator. Although they have poor color vision, they can distinguish blue and red from shades of gray. However, they have more trouble distinguishing yellow and green from gray. Horses also have poor depth perception when using only one eye. You can’t tell a caravan from an endless tunnel, or a puddle of mud from a bottomless lagoon. Your perception is improved about 5 times when both eyes are used (binocular vision). They can instantly change their focus from near to distant objects. Because of this, horses tilt their heads in different ways to see close or distant objects. Horses have a keen ability to sense movement. Because of this, a horse is much more flighty on windy days; Things that are normally stationary are now moving and are perceived as a potential threat. Horses can see fairly well at night; However, the contrast sensitivity is lower than that of a cat. The mechanics of a horse’s vision are different from our own. They can see almost panoramic, with a small spot just in front and just behind as their blind area (see Figure 1). Never approach a horse in these areas without speaking to him; When they are scared, they use one of their defense mechanisms, e.g. B. kick or run. A horse can see two things at once, one with each eye. This allows each side of his brain to work separately. Horses, like humans, have a dominant side (right-handed or left-handed); However, unlike humans, horses need to be taught something twice: on the right side and on the left. The expression in a horse’s eyes is often taken as a good indicator of its behavior, e.g. B. wide open with white presentation (and no appaloosa), fearful; half closed, sleepy, etc. A horse’s hearing is much sharper than ours. They use their hearing for three main functions: to detect sounds, to determine the location of the sound, and to provide sensory information that allows the horse to discern the identity of these sources. Horses can hear low to very high frequencies in the 14Hz to 25kHz range (human range = 20Hz to 20kHz). Horse ears can move 180 degrees using 10 different muscles (vs. 3 in the human ear) and are able to select a specific area to hear. This allows the horse to use the sounds as a guide to determine what is causing the sound. The sense of touch, or touch, of horses is extremely sensitive. Your whole body is as sensitive as our fingertips. You feel a fly on a single hair and every movement of the rider. body signals

Horses are good at telling us exactly how they are feeling; The only problem is that most people don’t know how to say “horse”. Here are some tips for reading a horse’s body language.

When a horse’s tail is: High: They are alert or excited

Low: It is a sign of exhaustion, fear, pain, or submission

Held high over the back: (as seen in most foals) they are playful or very troubled

Swishing: You’re irritable. If a horse’s legs: Scrape: You are frustrated

One front leg raised: can be a slight threat (or sometimes a normal posture when eating

A Raised Hind Leg: is often a more defensive threat

Stomp: Indicates a slight threat or protest (or they can get rid of insects or flies biting their legs). Some horses’ facial expressions include: Snapping: This is observed in foals submitting to an older horse. They will open their mouths and retract the corners, then open and close their jaws.

Open jaws with exposed teeth: This shows aggression or a possible attack.

The Flehmen Response: This is caused by an intense or unusual smell, usually in stallions when they sense a mare in heat. They stick their nose in the air and curl their upper lip over their nose.

Flared nostrils: usually means they are excited or alert.

Showing white around the eyes: usually means they are angry or scared. (White around the eyes is also a normal trait of the Appaloosa breed.) Horses’ ears are a unique trait: Neutral: is when the ears are held loosely up, with the openings facing forward or outward.

Pricked: Ears held stiff with openings directed straight forward mean the horse is alert.

Plane Ears: The ears hang sideways with the openings down, which usually means the horse is tired or depressed.

Lop Ears: Drooping loosely to one side, usually indicating tiredness or pain.

Ears that are tilted back (with openings directed backwards toward a rider): usually signify attention to the rider or hearing commands.

Ears laid flat against the neck: (see picture below) watch out for the means! The horse is angry and aggressive.

communication

Horses have a variety of methods of vocal and non-vocal communication. Vocal sounds include a squeak or scream, usually indicating a threat from a stallion or mare. Nods are deep and quiet. A stallion nods when courting a mare; a mare and foal nicker to each other; and domestic horses nick for food. Neighing or neighing are the most well-known: high-pitched, drawn-out sounds that can be transmitted over distances. Horses whinny to let others know where they are and to try to locate a herd mate. They also respond to each other’s whinnies, even when they are out of sight. Blowing is a strong, rapid expulsion of air that results in a high-pitched “noise” that is usually an alarm signal used to warn others. Snorting is a more passive, shorter, deeper version of blowing and is usually just the result of objects entering the nasal passage. In contrast to signs of aggression within a herd, there are also signs of friendship. Mares and foals nudge and sniff each other while nursing or to comfort each other, and mutual grooming when two horses nibble at each other is often seen.

Social Structure A herd of wild horses consists of one or two stallions, a group of mares and their foals. The leader of the herd is usually an older mare (the “alpha mare”), although a stallion owns the herd. She maintains her dominant role, although she may be physically weaker than the others. The older mare has endured more experiences, closer encounters and more threats than any other horse in the herd. The requirement of the lead horse is not strength or size; If that were so, humans could never control a horse. Dominance comes not only from aggression, but also from attitudes that let the other horses know that obedience awaits them. The stallion’s job is to be the keeper and protector of the herd while maintaining reproductive ability. The stallion’s harem usually consists of 2 to 21 horses, of which up to 8 are mares and the rest are their offspring. When the foals are old enough to be alone, they form a bachelor herd. The fillies either remain in their natural herd or disperse more frequently to other herds or form a new herd with a bachelor stallion. Once a stallion becomes too old to retain herd ownership status, he is replaced by a younger stallion from a bachelor herd. The average time a stallion remains a leader is around 2 years, but some can last in excess of 10 years. Horses are most vulnerable when they are eating or drinking. So when a horse is submissive, it simulates eating by lowering its head, chewing and licking its lips (similar to the snapping mentioned above). Dominance occurs when one horse forces the other to move against its will. A horse moves its body towards or into contact with the other, forcing it to move. Fights usually occur when the dominant horse is challenged by the other horse, who is not moving or reacting aggressively. Vices Vices are negative activities that occur for a variety of reasons, including stress, boredom, anxiety, excess energy, and nervousness. Horses naturally graze 12 to 16 hours a day. When they are stalled, we prevent them from engaging in many natural activities such as grazing, walking, or playing with other horses. Not enough natural stimuli will result in a horse inventing its own stimuli. Once these habits start, they are difficult to break. Biting occurs when the horse bites a solid surface (eg, barn door edge, granary, fence rail), cranes its neck, and sucks in air, making a grunting noise. This causes a release of endorphins that alleviate the uncomfortable situation. cribs are addictive; even removed from the uncomfortable situation, the horse can still crawl. Some horses even prefer to crawl than eat! Biting can lead to weight loss, poor performance, stomach colic, and excessive tooth wear.

Wagging occurs when the horse stands by the stable door and rhythmically shifts its weight back and forth on its front legs while bobbing its head. This is also caused by boredom or excess energy and can lead to weight loss, poor performance and weakened tendons.

Stall kicking, stall walking, scratching or digging, and biting over the stall door are also vices caused by boredom of being kept in a stall. To reduce the frequency of this behavior, you can try adding another meal, putting toys in the stall, or offering more roughage or exercise time. Chewing wood, eating bedding or dirt, and self-mutilation are caused by lack of exercise or boredom. However, nutritional deficiencies can also cause these vices. To eliminate this as a cause, add more fiber to the diet and your choice of salt or minerals. This can reduce the frequency of vice. references

Keiper, R.R. 1986. Social Structure. animal clinics

of North America-Equine Practice. 2:465-484. McDonnell, S. Equine Behavior Lab, University of Pennsylvania,

School of Veterinary Medicine.

www2.vet.upenn.edu/labs/equinebehavior/Miller, R.M. 1995 to 1997. Behavior of the horse.

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. Volume 15(1) to Volume 17(4). Timney, B. and T. Macuda. 2001. See and Hear

in horses. Journal of American Veterinary Medicine

Association. 218:1567-1574.

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Horses are social animals and generally enjoy the company of others. They often form close bonds with their owners.

After spending time together, your horse often shows affection for you. There are many different ways to tell if a horse likes you.

Here are 8 signs a horse likes and trusts you

1. They come to greet you

If a horse likes you, it will often greet you when it hears you coming. They can run to the fence or wait longingly for you at their stable door.

When a horse is dying to say hello to you, it’s his way of showing he likes you. When they come to greet you, they look forward to spending time with you.

2. They nod or whinny for you

Horses often whinny and whinny to people they are familiar with. They often vocalize with a whinny or nod when trying to get the attention of other horses or humans.

If your horse nods when he hears you coming, he is looking forward to seeing you. Nickering is a way for them to greet you as someone they care about.

3. They lay their head on you

When a horse lays his head on you, it’s a sign of trust. They are comfortable around you and like you enough to lay their head on you.

When a horse lays its head on you, it’s a way for it to bond with you and show affection. They let you know that they enjoy being around you. It’s like her way of giving a hug.

4. They nudge you

Although a nudge can mean other things, it is often associated with a horse showing affection towards you. Poking can be the equivalent of a horse hugging or kissing you.

If a horse likes you, it will often nudge you to get your attention. Gentle nudges can be a way for a horse to show love for you. They mean that in addition to their nudge, they will even lick or lip you.

5. They are relaxed around you

When a horse is relaxed around you, it is a sign that they like and trust you. When you see your horse relaxed with you, it shows that he feels safe with you.

Signs that your horse is relaxed around you include things like licking and chewing, bowing his head, letting out a sigh, and cocking his hind leg.

A horse that trusts you will be comfortable enough to relax around you.

When a horse lets you get close to him while lying down, that’s a real show of trust. Horses are vulnerable when lying down. So if they let you come to them lying down, they have a lot of trust and love for you.

6. They groom you back

Grooming is one of the best ways to bond with your horse. When your horse brushes you back, it sees you as a friend.

Horses grooming themselves in the wild not only because it feels good to them, but also because it’s a way to show affection for one another. They will nibble at each other’s withers, back, and neck.

When your horse nibbles on your shoulder or head, it is his way of grooming you. This is a way for them to show you that they like you.

Also check out our guide to the best horse grooming kits.

7. They show you respect

With horses, respect is a sign of trust. If your horse likes you and trusts you, it will respect you.

A horse that trusts you will see you as a leader. They will respect your space and your orders. A horse that likes you will be happy to follow you, which is also a sign of respect.

Some horses even follow their owners. When a horse follows you, they trust you to take care of them. This is how they show you their respect.

8. They breathe on your face

When a horse comes up and breathes your face, it’s the ultimate show of respect and trust. Horses show affection by gently blowing air through each other’s nostrils.

When a horse blows in your face, it’s a sign that he sees you as a loyal companion. Horses will breathe in your face when they see you as part of their family.

It’s one of the best ways horses show their affection for loved ones.

Posted 7/22/2004 Carey A. Williams, Ph.D., Extension Specialist in Equine Management Ten Natural Survival Traits The horse, a prey animal, relies on flight as its primary means of survival. Its natural enemies are large animals such as cougars, wolves or bears, so its ability to escape from these predators is crucial. As humans, in order to fully understand horses, we need to understand their natural flightiness. Horses are among the most sentient of all pets. Because they are a prey species, they must be able to detect predators. A stimulus unnoticed by humans is often a cause for concern for horses; As drivers and coaches, we often confuse this reaction with “spookiness” or bad behavior. The horse has a very fast reaction time. A prey animal must respond immediately to a perceived predator in order to survive. Horses can become desensitized to startling stimuli. They must quickly learn what is harmful (e.g. lion, cougar, etc.) and what is harmless (e.g. steppe grass, birds, a discolored stone, etc.) lest they spend their whole lives running away. Horses forgive but don’t forget. They especially remember bad situations! For this reason, it is important to make the horse’s first training experience a positive one. Horses categorize most experiences in one of two ways: a) something not to be feared, so ignore or explore, and b) something to be feared, so flee. Therefore, when presenting something new, the horse must be shown that “a” is the case. Again, it is important to make all training experiences positive. Horses are easy to control. The horse is a herd animal in which a dominance hierarchy is always established. When done correctly, human dominance can be easily established during training without the horse becoming overly anxious. Horses exercise dominance by controlling the movement of their peers. Horses accept dominance when: a) we or another animal cause them to move when they don’t want to, and b) we or another animal inhibit the movement when they want to flee. Examples include using a round pin, lunge line, or hobble; or the more dominant horse in the field chases off the less dominant one. A horse’s body language is unique to the equine species. A very social animal, the horse communicates its feelings and intentions to its herdmates through both vocalization and body language. A person who handles horses must be able to read the horse’s body language in order to be an effective trainer. The horse is a presocial species, which means that the newborn foals are neurologically mature at birth. They are most vulnerable immediately after birth, so they must be able to recognize danger and flee if necessary. Senses A horse’s eyesight is its primary danger indicator. Although they have poor color vision, they can distinguish blue and red from shades of gray. However, they have more trouble distinguishing yellow and green from gray. Horses also have poor depth perception when using only one eye. You can’t tell a caravan from an endless tunnel, or a puddle of mud from a bottomless lagoon. Your perception is improved about 5 times when both eyes are used (binocular vision). They can instantly change their focus from near to distant objects. Because of this, horses tilt their heads in different ways to see close or distant objects. Horses have a keen ability to sense movement. Because of this, a horse is much more flighty on windy days; Things that are normally stationary are now moving and are perceived as a potential threat. Horses can see fairly well at night; However, the contrast sensitivity is lower than that of a cat. The mechanics of a horse’s vision are different from our own. They can see almost panoramic, with a small spot just in front and just behind as their blind area (see Figure 1). Never approach a horse in these areas without speaking to him; When they are scared, they use one of their defense mechanisms, e.g. B. kick or run. A horse can see two things at once, one with each eye. This allows each side of his brain to work separately. Horses, like humans, have a dominant side (right-handed or left-handed); However, unlike humans, horses need to be taught something twice: on the right side and on the left. The expression in a horse’s eyes is often taken as a good indicator of its behavior, e.g. B. wide open with white presentation (and no appaloosa), fearful; half closed, sleepy, etc. A horse’s hearing is much sharper than ours. They use their hearing for three main functions: to detect sounds, to determine the location of the sound, and to provide sensory information that allows the horse to discern the identity of these sources. Horses can hear low to very high frequencies in the 14Hz to 25kHz range (human range = 20Hz to 20kHz). Horse ears can move 180 degrees using 10 different muscles (vs. 3 in the human ear) and are able to select a specific area to hear. This allows the horse to use the sounds as a guide to determine what is causing the sound. The sense of touch, or touch, of horses is extremely sensitive. Your whole body is as sensitive as our fingertips. You feel a fly on a single hair and every movement of the rider. body signals

Horses are good at telling us exactly how they are feeling; The only problem is that most people don’t know how to say “horse”. Here are some tips for reading a horse’s body language.

When a horse’s tail is: High: They are alert or excited

Low: It is a sign of exhaustion, fear, pain, or submission

Held high over the back: (as seen in most foals) they are playful or very troubled

Swishing: You’re irritable. If a horse’s legs: Scrape: You are frustrated

One front leg raised: can be a slight threat (or sometimes a normal posture when eating

A Raised Hind Leg: is often a more defensive threat

Stomp: Indicates a slight threat or protest (or they can get rid of insects or flies biting their legs). Some horses’ facial expressions include: Snapping: This is observed in foals submitting to an older horse. They will open their mouths and retract the corners, then open and close their jaws.

Open jaws with exposed teeth: This shows aggression or a possible attack.

The Flehmen Response: This is caused by an intense or unusual smell, usually in stallions when they sense a mare in heat. They stick their nose in the air and curl their upper lip over their nose.

Flared nostrils: usually means they are excited or alert.

Showing white around the eyes: usually means they are angry or scared. (White around the eyes is also a normal trait of the Appaloosa breed.) Horses’ ears are a unique trait: Neutral: is when the ears are held loosely up, with the openings facing forward or outward.

Pricked: Ears held stiff with openings directed straight forward mean the horse is alert.

Plane Ears: The ears hang sideways with the openings down, which usually means the horse is tired or depressed.

Lop Ears: Drooping loosely to one side, usually indicating tiredness or pain.

Ears that are tilted back (with openings directed backwards toward a rider): usually signify attention to the rider or hearing commands.

Ears laid flat against the neck: (see picture below) watch out for the means! The horse is angry and aggressive.

communication

Horses have a variety of methods of vocal and non-vocal communication. Vocal sounds include a squeak or scream, usually indicating a threat from a stallion or mare. Nods are deep and quiet. A stallion nods when courting a mare; a mare and foal nicker to each other; and domestic horses nick for food. Neighing or neighing are the most well-known: high-pitched, drawn-out sounds that can be transmitted over distances. Horses whinny to let others know where they are and to try to locate a herd mate. They also respond to each other’s whinnies, even when they are out of sight. Blowing is a strong, rapid expulsion of air that results in a high-pitched “noise” that is usually an alarm signal used to warn others. Snorting is a more passive, shorter, deeper version of blowing and is usually just the result of objects entering the nasal passage. In contrast to signs of aggression within a herd, there are also signs of friendship. Mares and foals nudge and sniff each other while nursing or to comfort each other, and mutual grooming when two horses nibble at each other is often seen.

Social Structure A herd of wild horses consists of one or two stallions, a group of mares and their foals. The leader of the herd is usually an older mare (the “alpha mare”), although a stallion owns the herd. She maintains her dominant role, although she may be physically weaker than the others. The older mare has endured more experiences, closer encounters and more threats than any other horse in the herd. The requirement of the lead horse is not strength or size; If that were so, humans could never control a horse. Dominance comes not only from aggression, but also from attitudes that let the other horses know that obedience awaits them. The stallion’s job is to be the keeper and protector of the herd while maintaining reproductive ability. The stallion’s harem usually consists of 2 to 21 horses, of which up to 8 are mares and the rest are their offspring. When the foals are old enough to be alone, they form a bachelor herd. The fillies either remain in their natural herd or disperse more frequently to other herds or form a new herd with a bachelor stallion. Once a stallion becomes too old to retain herd ownership status, he is replaced by a younger stallion from a bachelor herd. The average time a stallion remains a leader is around 2 years, but some can last in excess of 10 years. Horses are most vulnerable when they are eating or drinking. So when a horse is submissive, it simulates eating by lowering its head, chewing and licking its lips (similar to the snapping mentioned above). Dominance occurs when one horse forces the other to move against its will. A horse moves its body towards or into contact with the other, forcing it to move. Fights usually occur when the dominant horse is challenged by the other horse, who is not moving or reacting aggressively. Vices Vices are negative activities that occur for a variety of reasons, including stress, boredom, anxiety, excess energy, and nervousness. Horses naturally graze 12 to 16 hours a day. When they are stalled, we prevent them from engaging in many natural activities such as grazing, walking, or playing with other horses. Not enough natural stimuli will result in a horse inventing its own stimuli. Once these habits start, they are difficult to break. Biting occurs when the horse bites a solid surface (eg, barn door edge, granary, fence rail), cranes its neck, and sucks in air, making a grunting noise. This causes a release of endorphins that alleviate the uncomfortable situation. cribs are addictive; even removed from the uncomfortable situation, the horse can still crawl. Some horses even prefer to crawl than eat! Biting can lead to weight loss, poor performance, stomach colic, and excessive tooth wear.

Wagging occurs when the horse stands by the stable door and rhythmically shifts its weight back and forth on its front legs while bobbing its head. This is also caused by boredom or excess energy and can lead to weight loss, poor performance and weakened tendons.

Stall kicking, stall walking, scratching or digging, and biting over the stall door are also vices caused by boredom of being kept in a stall. To reduce the frequency of this behavior, you can try adding another meal, putting toys in the stall, or offering more roughage or exercise time. Chewing wood, eating bedding or dirt, and self-mutilation are caused by lack of exercise or boredom. However, nutritional deficiencies can also cause these vices. To eliminate this as a cause, add more fiber to the diet and your choice of salt or minerals. This can reduce the frequency of vice. references

Keiper, R.R. 1986. Social Structure. animal clinics

of North America-Equine Practice. 2:465-484. McDonnell, S. Equine Behavior Lab, University of Pennsylvania,

School of Veterinary Medicine.

www2.vet.upenn.edu/labs/equinebehavior/Miller, R.M. 1995 to 1997. Behavior of the horse.

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. Volume 15(1) to Volume 17(4). Timney, B. and T. Macuda. 2001. See and Hear

in horses. Journal of American Veterinary Medicine

Association. 218:1567-1574.