Horsemanship Jr. - Communication - Chapter One continued
Your horse is consistent in his behavior because of instinct and knowledge (learned behavior).
Below is an introduction to Instinct and learned behavior. Study this list as it will help you to understand what your horse knows and how he learns.
- Instinct – your horse’s inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of all horses.
Basic instincts are related to a horse’s survival as a prey animal.
a. Fear, sometimes called the fight-or-flight instinct, is an immediate response by the horse to his concern for his own survival.
b. The herd instinct is an inborn desire to be part of the herd and an instinctive understanding of how to fit in the herd.
c. The horse has a strong awareness of his surroundings and is very sensitive to other horses and to people.
- Knowledge – your horse’s behavior because of what he/she has learned or will learn in these three ways:
a. Comfort point – for instance, introduce the horse to something new like shoeing. If the horse is frightened and will not stand still, take him away from the shoer and put him on a longe rope. When he tires, bring him back to the shoer and if he stands quietly he has reached his comfort point. This may take a long time, but you will know when he has reached his comfort point.
b. Visual learning – horses can learn from other horses and people. Be careful of your horse watching you and learning how to open your latch up gate.
c. Repetition – this is consistent teaching behavior on the part of the owner. To be successful, this requires mutual understanding and trust.
It will be so much fun and so much easier to teach your horse if you give him the benefit of his instinct.
Horsemanship Jr. will be teaching you what all horses know by instinct, but you can also learn what your horse knows by watching and studying him.
You and your horse are watching and studying each other to improve your communication and mutual understanding of each other through trust. The meadow is a great place for you to observe the behavior and signals of your horse. In fact, horses do communicate with each other, and often the first encounter is one of kicking and biting.
My mare, Colorado Bar, started biting and kicking when we brought in another mare, Scooten Tooten, to share the meadow. It took a few days before it stopped and fortunately neither horse was hurt. Colorado Bar was telling the other horse she was the leader. And she did remain the leader as long they were together, which was several years.
Have you seen your horse bite and kick and put back his/her ears when introduced to a new horse in the meadow?
A happier thing to watch is when your horse comes running to you as you approach the fence. Perhaps he is thinking you will have an apple or he is just happy to see you. This is proof that you are communicating and developing a relationship.
Try to think of any examples of situations where you have watched your horse and you believe you have understood what his behavior or his signals meant. This could happen in the meadow, in the barn, or on a ride.
Remember, communication is a two-way street. (A) (see footnote A below)
Both of you must watch and study each other. Your horse is watching and studying you. He will learn from you if your behavior and signals are consistent! You may have to repeat your communication. If your horse refuses your commands he may have a reason and you should ask your parents or a trainer to help you understand why your horse refuses to obey you.
So, what behavior or signals have you given your horse? Do you think he understood what you meant? How did he react?
This is a little difficult, as you are not sure if he is responding to you or to some other person, horse or situation. For instance, suppose you turn your reigns to the left and your horse goes forward. He is definitely not responding to you, but you must look at the complete situation, and perhaps there is danger to the left. You communicated what you wanted him to do, and he said ”No” (for a good reason). You will have to accept his signal, but don’t worry, your turn to tell him “no” will come soon enough!!!! You both have to learn to understand each other and trust each other.
A. Communication is a two-way street – means - both horse and owner must study & watch to achieve communication. These 3 words together (two-way street) are defined as an idiom (which means several English words put together to express one thought).