Why our relationship had transformed
So I started reading scientific papers on equine horse behavior.
And what I discovered is that the time horses spend with each other is fundamental to their feelings of safety.
As prey animals horses seek refuge in the herd which then builds trust between them as they are literally looking out for each other.
Under natural conditions almost all horses live in social groups and experience stress when they are isolated.
What this translates to for you is... the more 'horse' time you spend with your horse, the less anxious he will be around you.
And the less anxiety he has, the fewer "bad behaviors" he displays.
Which is why if you've been struggling with any of the Fight, Flight or Freeze issues that came out of my survey such as:
- Nervousness and spooking
- Pushiness and nipping
- Bucking and bolting
- Boredom and lack of interest
It's to be expected.
These are your horse's natural reaction to threats.
If a horse is "misbehaving" or being "disrespectful" , these are only labels we have given him. He’s just acting out of fear to the threat WE ARE being to him.
In other words...
WE are the problem in this situation NOT the horse.
So if you want to develop a real partnership and true connection with your horse…
- Forget the 'microwave culture', instant results approach - this is not how horses operate.
- Ignore anyone who tells you to dominate your horse - this often justifies the use of punishment.
- Don't outsource your relationship or problem fixing - this isn't sustainable and won't give you the result you want anyway.
Instead try to:
- Look at things from your horse's perspective and be sensitive to what he is experiencing in that moment.
- Be present and mindful as a member of his herd.
- Take time to get to know your horse by observing him.
- And allow your horse get to know you by simply spending time together.
Because once your horse can sense you understand him...
And you have his back...
It will start to build his curiosity and his interest..
And you will soon become someone he will listen to.
This is the transformation I went through during my recovery and this is now the result:
Why you've struggled until now
We have all been led to believe that because horses are much bigger and stronger than us that we have to dominate them, be the alpha or gain their respect.
But taking this approach often does more harm than good as it is not based on a proper understanding of horses’ natural behaviour - despite what many trainers claim.
And the training that comes from this mindset is focused on control and correcting what the horse is (supposedly) doing wrong.
Which is like giving a cough drop to someone with pneumonia.
It might ease the cough for a short while but the symptoms persist.
In other words...
You can't solve the problems you've been experiencing with training.
Or by going to clinics.
Or by using special equipment.
Because none of them get to the ROOT CAUSE of your horse's behavior problems.
The REAL Problem lies DEEPER than that.
And by continuing to give your horse more training you are actually making this underlying Problem WORSE.
In fact, each time you try to fix it you are adding...
Another brick in the Wall...
Teddie
