Horses live in
the wild like most animals and travel around in herds to protect each other
from predators. When a horse is domesticated, it is hard for it to adjust quickly
because of its wild nature. Some of them might even think of us humans as
predators, which could be true. They are hunted for parts and horses have no
problem remembering all the horrible experiences, such as being hunted, because
they can store information for 10years or more. So bearing this in mind, new horse
owners and trainers should expect them to act stubborn and seem brainless.
Horses can be
tamed when they are understood and believe they can trust the trainer. How do
you gain their trust? A trainer will need to build a strong relationship with
the horse by being very patient, understanding and spend quality time together.
You will find out at this time that our horse can be as loyal as other domestic
animals.
When humans have
that good bond with horses, it’s like an extension of their behaviour in the
wild. Since they value their own horse relatives, they are open to new,
non-threatening friends. Their excellent memory capacity which they use for
problem solving strategies allows them to remember their human friends even
after long separation.
However, when
the horse-human bond is established, there is one thing a trainer or owner needs
to consider when trying to make the relationship stable; dominance. To
dominate, you need to act like the alpha horse. The alpha horse makes
decisions, it decides when to eat, walk, play and rest. Also the foundation of
you being the alpha is important as it is something they will use to recognise
you. Therefore it would be good to be in your full riding gear; horse riding boots,
clothing and riding helmet when you approach them in the barn. The trainer
should then communicate with the horse verbally and non-verbally from the
moment he or she walks the horse out of the stalls. Dominance can be maintained
if you display gestures which the horse can relate to, such as the movement of
different body parts from time to time. When you are assured the horse recognises
your leadership, you can then start to spend time with it in the field. The
more time you spend around the pasture with the horse, the quicker the horse
will view you as a friend and in turn will make it easier for you to train it.
In summary, if
you feel that you are struggling to connect with your horse, these are the
questions that you should ask yourself:
·
Do you observe your horse?
·
Do you honestly understand what
they do naturally?
·
Do you practice acting like
your horse to break down the language barrier?
·
Do you stay patient and
positive when things don’t go as planned?
·
Do you spend time with your
horse?
·
Do you practice being gentle
and reinforce good behaviour with your horse?
When all the
above questions are answered with a ‘yes’, the bond between you and your horse
will not only help the horse but it will also aid you when training and riding
the horse through the development of trust and confidence with the horse.
