| Being able to understand your horse's psychology and | | | | extreme anxiety when separated from other horses. |
| behaviour is the first step to creating a mutually | | | | This behaviour is often referred to as being "herd |
| beneficial relationship built on trust and respect. The | | | | bound". This behaviour is not evident with horses that |
| behaviour of horses is driven by their instincts. Even | | | | trust humans (or a specific human) and feel |
| though horses have been domesticated for thousands | | | | comfortable and secure with them. |
| of years, they still have the same instincts as their wild | | | | 3. Communicating through Body Language. Horses' |
| cousins. | | | | main form of communication is through body language. |
| 1. Prey Psychology. As prey animals, horses know that | | | | They are able to communicate very quickly to a large |
| their survival depends upon their ability to recognize | | | | group (i.e. the herd) and over long distances. As long |
| potential danger and be able to run away from it. If | | | | as they can see another horse, they can |
| they are unable to flee, they will stand their ground and | | | | communicate with each other. Horses also translate |
| fight "for their lives". This fight-or-flight instinct can be | | | | body language to determine if another creature |
| triggered whenever the horse feels stressful or | | | | (including humans) are predator or prey. Humans tend |
| threatened and results in many of the behaviours not | | | | to move like predators. However, we can adjust our |
| desired by riders - spooking, shying, flightiness, freezing, | | | | movements so that horses see us as non-threatening |
| bolting, bucking, rearing, striking, kicking, biting. The | | | | and even as a higher ranking herd mate. Horses can |
| feelings of stress and fear are minimized or eliminated | | | | also read when a human is fearful or lacking |
| in horses who have developed a bond with humans | | | | confidence and will interpret this to mean the human is |
| based on trust and respect, and the horse therefore | | | | lower in the herd. The horse's perception of the |
| views the human as friend rather than foe. | | | | human's role (i.e. threatening or fearful) along with his or |
| 2. Herd Dynamics. Horses, as herd animals, have a | | | | her own temperament affects his or her behaviour |
| strong need for social interaction and hierarchical | | | | with the human - aggressive, fearful, pushy, dominant. |
| structure. Each horse has a role in the herd with the | | | | In the wild, horses' survival depends upon their ability to |
| Alpha Mare being the leader. She takes responsibility | | | | perceive potential danger, communicate to their herd |
| for the safety of the herd, determines when to move | | | | mates and quickly flee from danger. These instincts still |
| them, and the best route to take. This hierarchy keeps | | | | exist in our domesticated horses - even after |
| the herd running smoothly with little energy spent on | | | | thousands of years of living with humans. They affect |
| serious conflicts which could end in injury. An injured | | | | the behaviour of every horse and pony. By better |
| horse, unable to keep up with the herd, is vulnerable to | | | | understanding the ethology of horses, we can work |
| predators and unable to get to food and water. In the | | | | with horses in ways that make sense to them. Rather |
| wild, survival depends upon the cooperation of each | | | | than using coercive methods that force the horse to |
| member of the herd. Horses that create conflict or | | | | do our bidding, we can create bonds based on trust |
| disrupt the herd hierarchy will be pushed out of the | | | | and respect where the horse becomes a willing |
| herd either temporarily or permanently. As isolation | | | | partner and views the human as a benevolent leader. |
| means certain death (in the wild), horses can feel | | | | |