A Good Article from Epona Consulting ...

I once read that if you really want to understand your child, you have to
step into his world and look through his eyes. Trying to step back and
think like a child isn’t all that easy, yet we were all children once.
Then imagine how much more difficult it is to put ourselves into the
skin and body of another animal? And this is our challenge if we want
to make a difference in our horse’s life.

As horse-owners and  horse-lovers it is our moral and ethical responsibility to take care of
not only our horse’s basic needs, but also their psychological and
emotional needs as well. To do this well, we need to understand the
past if we are to get the most from our horses today.
Thousands of years have passed since the horse was first domesticated, yet very time
we witness a horse’s behaviour, we have to remember that it is adapted
from a prey animal – a free-running lifestyle in a very different
environment to those in which our horses are now kept. It is testimony
to the horse that they have adapted so well and cope with the many
demands we inflict on them.

The ‘bad’ behaviour we label as unacceptable is often totally natural to a horse. It is our
responsibility to learn the basics of a horse’s psyche and his natural
instincts. With understanding comes empathy and patience and with this
comes the key to a successful partnership. The ability to ‘think like
your horse’ will transform your life and your relationship with your
horse. You will be able to build his trust and his confidence so he
will not have to act like the prey animal.

Adjusting to a different world

In the natural world, horses live in small herds, with each member
co-operating for the good of the collective. Living in a herd provides a
horse with security, friendship and the chance to reproduce. A herd
will eat, sleep and move together with some members taking the decision
when to do what. Horses take turn being on ‘guard duty’ and when danger
is sensed, the message is conveyed throughout the rest of the herd.
Horses are prey animals and in order to survive they have two options –
fight or flight. Horses are survivors and they have got there by
learning to work together. They have a strong set of communication
skills and use body language and voice to convey their emotions and
instructions.

In the domesticated world, we have changed and restricted their environment. We keep them in confined areas like stables and small paddocks, and restrict their socialisation with other
horses. Often they are kept alone and frequently they are placed with
groups of horses they may not normally choose to socialize with. We
expect them to carry a rider and perform any number of activities from
herding cattle to jumping fences to long distance endurance riding. We
expect them to walk into small confined spaces which then rattle and
move erratically. We expect them to lift up their feet to have metal
plates hammered on, have syringes with foul tasting paste thrust in
their mouths and travel on roads with rumbling trucks and hooting taxis.
Horses have to learn to cope with all this, to subdue their natural
instincts and reactions for self preservation and survival, and behave
in a way we as humans find acceptable. If they don’t, they quickly
become labeled the ‘problem’ horses, the ‘bad tempered horse’ and the
‘trouble maker’.

A horse has to learn to adapt and compromise in order to exist comfortably in our world. When they come across humans
who understand how they think, it is easier for them to make this
transition. We can encourage a horse to become a left-brain thinker – a
horse is clever and can problem-solve and think rationally – if they
hadn’t been capable of this, they would not have evolved into the
magnificent creature we know today.

Just as we learn from our own mistakes so a horse can learn from theirs. They can learn it is not
necessary to regress to the reactive instinctive behaviour which we see
in ‘problem horses’. Horses need to learn to be responsible for their
own actions and we are responsible to ensure they learn the necessary
life skills.

Anyone who works with a horse needs to understand their nature. The first thing a person needs to do is let go of our ego and admit that what we know about horses is pretty small and that we have the opportunity to learn something new every day for the rest of
our lives. World renowned horse trainers such as Monty Roberts, Kelly
Marks or Michael Peace often comment on this. We have to bear in mind
the need to be fluid and dynamic and adaptable when working with horses
yet keeping a definitive goal in mind – horses are not an engineered
object which comes with a user manual, simple switches and dials and a
step by step start up guide to getting the perfect horse.
We have to drop our preconceptions and realize that we have the responsibility
to set up the horse for success. We have the ability to adapt and
change the training schedules and exercises and make the learning
process as enjoyable and progressive as possible – for both of us.
As horse owners we often forget the importance of telling our horses they
have done a good job, that they have made the right choice – it’s the
power of positive reinforcement. When we are learning something new, we
don’t like being told we have done something wrong time and time again.
It makes us feel bad if our teacher or boss is continually pointing
out our mistakes. A horse’s natural response to these situations is
exactly like ours – they either resist and fight, or withdraw and sulk.
With a horse, it is better to correct the wrong move by showing him
what is right or making it easier for him to do the right thing. Horses
respond more positively to this kind of training.

My hypothesis is that working with a horse is no different to working with a person – it
should be easier to work with a human as you can communicate verbally
and sign written agreements. However, we still know and have
experienced partnerships which fail or are unsuccessful due to failures
in communication, an imbalance of power or simple misunderstandings. In
any partnership we strive for a balanced relationship where both
parties know what is the common goal or vision, what is expected of them
to reach that target, each with their own roles and responsibilities
and equal sharing of power together with mutual respect. Is this not
the same as working with a horse?

My challenge to you in your relationship with your horse, can you demonstrate an equal partnership between equine and human or do you feel the balance of power sits with
one or the other? When you enter the field, do you have to walk after
your horse to catch him? Does he turn away from you when you enter the
stable? Does he refuse to jump or box or stand still for the farrier?
By understanding your horse and putting mechanisms in place which make it
easier for him to understand you so you are both speaking the same
language, and by setting rules and regulations that both parties agree
to adhere to, a start can be made to ensure every horse is confident,
happy, safe and loving.

The Partnership Agreement

 
• Both the horse and the owner have their own specific responsibilities and some
shared responsibilities e.g. a horse just has to be a horse, and the
owner must ensure they are safe, have food and water and shelter.

• In order for the partnership to be successful, both parties must give
100% and the relationship should be 50/50 with neither party having more
‘power’ or having to make more effort than necessary. However, it is
necessary for the human partner to control the situations the
partnership encounters. The pony who wont be caught in the ring or the
horse which drags the owner off – this is not a partnership. This is
the horse dictating on his terms and getting his own way.

• Both parties should work for the common good. As in a natural herd, all the
individuals will stand together to protect each other from a perceived
threat, In your partnership with the horse, together you will take on
the perceived threat and support each other until the threat has gone –
even if it is only a flapping plastic bag.

• Each party must show the other respect and courtesy – e.g. they mustn’t barge you over when you
are leading them and you shouldn’t disturb them when they are eating
their meal

• Each party must pay attention to the other and be aware of each other’s changing needs and motivations.

• Neither party should exploit the others weaknesses and anxieties.
• The human party should be aware of the level and pace of the lesson so
that the horse partner learns without stress or boredom.
The Horse-Owners Agreement to the Partnership
• We must let go of our ego
• We must make an effort to really understand the nature of horses in all aspects
• We should set up the horse (and ourselves) to succeed
• We should set realistic and achievable goals
• We should appreciate a horse takes 7 minutes to assess a problem and work out a solution
• We should select and present lessons carefully to optimize the horse’s success
• We should be committed to the training and be consistent and fair
• We should let the horse know we are working with them and are there to help them
• We should make it easy for the horse to make the right decision and then praise them for doing so

The Horse’s Responsibility to the Partnership
• Horses are acknowledged cooperators for the common good of the herd (or partnership)
• They are perfectly capable of being responsible for their own actions
• They are perfectly capable of solving problems and subduing their natural instincts
• They are perfectly capable of learning whatever we want to teach them
(and they can learn the bad habits as easily as the good!)

So how can you start with the partnership and agree to go on?

1. Respect each other - ask your horse’s permission before entering his
personal space and likewise do not allow your horse to encroach into
your space without permission

2. Get your horse’s attention – if you don’t have his attention and respect, he’s not going to listen to you.

You need to get and keep his attention – set the horse up for success by
working in an area where there are no distractions. If your horse is
paying attention to you, he will be following your every move, with his
head lowered, his eye soft and watching you and his whole body relaxed.
3. Let your horse know you are on his side – get your horse to do
something good and praise him – horses like being told they have done a
good job. Concentrate on building your horses self confidence and put
him into situations where he cannot do anything wrong. Horses are very
sociable animals – if he does something right, give him a rub on the
head and tell him he’s done well.

4. Be clear about what you want – you must be clear in your own mind about what you want to do and how you are going to do it. The horse needs to know where you are going and
will follow a leader – remember they are very conscious of body language
and can read and perceive your every action.

5. Be consistent – you will confuse a horse if you are harsh and impatient one day and loving
and soft the next. If you have had a bad day at the office, don’t take
out your anger and frustration at the stables. Even if you don’t say
anything, your stress and tension will be picked up by your horse.

6. Work second-by-second – don’t get too hung up on achieving the goal in
the period of time you have set. Be aware of your horse’s attitude the
whole time and work with him when he is responsive and focused. Always
finish on a good note. Under this philosophy, a bad situation should
never develop because you are working second by second and setting your
horse up for success.

Learning to think and communicate like a horse and understand their natural psyche is a skill which takes time to develop and refine, but you will be rewarded by a magical partnership.
No matter what breed, sex, size or age, your horse will be able to relate to you.

True horse people co-operate with horses so that each equal partner in the relationship benefits from the arrangement. The end result is that life is more enjoyable for both parties. Each is able to learn in an environment of trust and patience. Both horse and
human feel safe, comfortable, respected, confident and loved, and are
ready to face whatever comes their way – together.