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Phone: 61+ 7 4157 9962
Mobile: 61+ 466 661 412
Phone: 61+ 7 4157 9962
Mobile: 61+ 466 661 412
Is Your Horse Really Naughty?
Very often people mistake a horse's actions of fear, frustration or pain as naughtiness, playfulness or aggression. This confusion, while understandable, results from a misinterpretation of the horse's communication. Chances are, your normal horse is just trying hard to tell you something, but you just don't get it! What do you think this usually very obedient, cooperative horse is telling her owner?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7v4CpLb6z0
Personality Differences
People express their feelings differently. Some are extroverts, while some are introverts. Extroverts share their feelings verbally, with lots of emotive words and often with strong, physical actions. Introverts only reveal their inner thoughts with others on a much reduced level, preferring to process their feelings internally.
In a similar way, horses express their feelings differently. Some horses are more extroverted than others.
An extroverted horse reacts and communicates publicly. e.g. an extroverted mare comes in season and the whole neighbourhood knows about it because of the crazy whinning and racing around behaviour. On the other hand, an introverted mare can go into silent heat without displaying any of the usual signs and a tester stallion has to be brought in to discover it.
An introverted horse might be thought to be 'a good horse' because its communications are less noticeable. e.g. it might exhibit a 'grin and bear it' personality, even while it is undergoing a painful injury such as a saddle sore or girth sore. Its only protest might be to inflate its girth area to prevent being girthed too tightly. Then again, this horse might suddenly act 'out of character' and attack a handler. The human can't understand 'what got into him.'
Pain
People often make mistakes in judgement of both extroverted and introverted horses, believing that 'if they were in pain or being injured, they would simply stop jumping, racing, cutting or other activity. Such people do not understand the nature of the equine species. Pain causes fear and it is fear that motivates a horse to move, not to stay still. Jockeys intentionally cause pain to create a fear response when they whip horses to get them to sprint - not to stand still. Spurs are 'aids' that are used to get the horse to move quickly off the leg - not to stand still. In fact, the horse's response is again a fear response. It is the pain or the anticipated pain which creates fear in the horse. This fear is many times confused with genuine respect. The rider succeeds in getting the horse to move quickly off the leg, but it is most times through fear - not respect - of the rider. Rodeos and racetracks demonstrate good examples of how horses react to injuries and pain. Most horses that are physically capable will attempt to gallop away from the fearful object and join the other horses in a bid to firstly 'feel' safe and secondly, to escape the pain. Even a shattered leg bone will not cause a fearful horse to stop moving if it is still physically able run on three legs. For example, Barbaro shattered 3 of his right hind leg bones in more than 20 places and still kept trying to canter. Shttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbaro Go For Wand also cantered - placing weight on the stump of her horribly shattered broken bone of her front right leg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=wd7_S_hySrg
Stomach ulcers are many times misinterpreted as a horse just 'being naughty' by unsuspecting owners. Your horse could be showing signs of having stomach ulcer and hindgut acidosis (inflammation) if he/she cow-kicks or threatens to bite you when you gently (i) try to tighten his/her girth or even touch the girth area one hand's width directly behind the elbow; (ii) press into the sternum area between the front legs on the girth path; (iii) press the area where the scapula joins the ribcage; (iv) press where the wither joins the back; and (v) press the sacral area over the horse's hips and spine. Check this video to see this strategy demonstrated by veterinarian Mark DePaolo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr05hMmLCY4&feature=g-vrec
Fear
Fear can quickly cause a panic reaction where a horse will 'run blind.' Strong fear motivates a horse to move away quickly. The instinct to escape danger results in bolting - running madly/blindly. Fear [for its life] is such a strong motivator that it overrides the protective sensation of pain, that would otherwise cause the horse to stop using the injured part. i.e. fear/panic drives a horse to move, despite the physical pain it might be feeling. In the wild, this is obvious. When a lion attacks a zebra, breaking its leg bone, the zebra will still frantically attempt to move away in an effort to escape its impending death.
Humans too, when fearful or in panic, will try to move, despite terrible injuries, if the immediate environment is perceived as life-threatening. e.g. Car accidents where the injured person makes heroic efforts to move away from a car that is in danger of bursting into flames.
Humans need to remember that horses CAN'T readily distinguish between a life-threatening situation and something that is simply a new experience to them. This is where novices are often injured. They might try to 'sack' out a green horse. The horse however, perceives the plastic bag or sack as a life-threatening predator and takes action to escape the danger. It is as if the horse's modem operandi is "Escape first, check out the reality of the danger later - from a safe distance." If the 'trainer' is standing in way of the horse's exit route, the horse will likely still take that exit to escape the 'near death experience.' If not injured too severely, the owner gets up after being trampled and pronounces that the horse is "stupid" and an idiot" however, such is not the case. The horse is justified in thinking the human was stupid for not trying to escape the obvious predator lurking in the bag.Horses 'misbehave' to escape abuse, pain and fear. If a human being ran away when they knew they were going to be flogged, tortured, or have pain inflicted by various equipment, most people would think those people were CLEVER for running away, pushing the threat away or defending themselves from attack. However, when horses take the same defensive, protective action, humans often consider the horses to be stupid or mean, or oppositional. The truth is that horses are not naughty. They are clever and they too, try to avoid being hurt. They need to feel safe.
Depression and/or Aggression
The trouble most often is with the human owner and our assumptions which determine our behaviour. MANY humans are accidentally abusive to the horses that they love. Tragically, many horse owners do not realise how severely they are hurting their horse on a daily basis. Hard hands, rolkur, severe bits, ill-fitting saddles, nose bands, tie downs, unbalanced riding position, girth too tight, mounting clumsily and injuring the wither/shoulders, conventional shoeing, incorrect barefoot trimming that leaves long bars, long toes and causes tight DDF tendons; incorrect feed, hitting with whips, kicking with spurs, failure to communicate clearly, failure to offer praise and reward, .... Is it any wonder the horse doesn't want to be party to a partnership with their owner - if its role demands it to remain passive [non-expressive] to the abuse it is forced to accept? The horse certainly displays symptoms similar to the hopelessness that a slave might experience when he/she knows that there is no chance of escape from slavery or of any needs/desires being validated or met. As frustration, disappointment and depression build in the horse, the usual outcomes are: (i) the horse will become seriously depressed and its behaviour become automated, robotic and broken-spirited; or (ii) the horse more forcefully attempts to communicate its frustration and owners interpret this activity as aggression and a frustrated, aggressive horse is a potentially dangerous horse.
Signs of Depression
Thankfully, for human beings, there are many horses who 'grin and bear it' because they have learned that it is pointless - even dangerous - to ask for their needs to be met or for pain to be relieved. eg. if a horse complains about pain experienced from a wrong-fitting bit, by trying to open his mouth to avoid palate pain, the owner incorrectly assumes that the solution is that the 'naughty' horse needs to wear a nose band so that it cannot open its mouth. The owner then ties the horses mouth shut which of course, INCREASES the horse's palate pain and PREVENTS further communication from the horse to the owner regards the poor fitting bit. So many horses learn very quickly that it is counter-productive to complain about pain or discomfort to a human. In fact, to try to communicate with a human to complain about one pain, often causes additional, increased pain. Such horses 'perform' the movements demanded of them, silently suffering the physical discomfort, but mentally and emotionally they are also suffering deep depression. This depression is visible in the eyes, stance, attitude and behaviour of such horses. They close down emotionally. Lights on, nobody home.
Signs of Aggression
Not all horses will have the 'grin and bear it' closed down, depressed response. Some frustrated horses will rebel and attack the handler. These horses can 'snap' mentally and become so dangerous that the owners believe there is no safe alternative but to destroy the animal. The ears are pinned back almost touching the back of the neck, nose pointing in the direction of the imminent attack while the mouth is opened wide to display the teeth; tail twitching often warns of an impending kick, but this sign can be omitted in a sudden attack. We have experienced this type of aggressive response when we have purchased rescue horses, especially those that typically originate from off the track. We have found that very often the 'aggressive' horse is able to be turned around and become rehabilitated simply by validating its communication and taking measures to prevent further pain. These horses are screaming out asking for relief, but it seems that the louder they 'scream' with their actions, the less they are heard by humans. Humans have to put these poor horses in the 'too hard basket' and they usually end up in the doggers yards. Once again, equine victims are punished for complaining about pain imposed on them by human beings.
Think how frustrating it must be to have to deal with being continually misunderstood for your whole life. Many married couples opt for a divorce in order to avoid this terribly stressful situation. But there is no easy 'out' for horses. MOST horses have to deal with frustration and pain inflicted by human beings - on a daily basis - and furthermore, many horses are punished for trying to communicate their pain to their owners. Horses are usually patient with their human owners, but sometimes, even the most tolerant horse might just get 'fed up' with our inability or unwillingness to listen to and validate their communications.
We don't believe that every horse is 'an angel.' We don't take a position of anthropomorphism - pretending horses think and feel as human beings do. But, we do recommend listening to your horse by reading its body language and attempting to interpret its behaviour.
We believe that horses are far more intelligent than we have previously discerned. Consider Lukas, a 'failed' off the track gelding found starving in a yard until a new owner, Karen took him on as a green horse.. Lukas freely performs the Spanish Walk, Passage, curtsey, bow, rear, sit, jambette and much more without any force. or whip. Also, Lukas is able to identify letters, numbers and shapes, discriminate colors and he understands the concepts of object permanence, spatial relationships, proportion, same/different and absentness. http://www.playingwithlukas.com/ See videos of Lukas here: http://www.playingwithlukas.com/videos.php
One hundred years ago in western culture, 'children were to be seen but not heard.'
Today, in some cultures it is believed that women are not intelligent and that belief causes women to be forced into silence out of fear of violent consequences (punishment). Most people in our societies today believe that both of those suppositions are false - because intelligent human beings, regardless of age or sex, have a right to be heard and respected. At Horse Sense Australia, we believe that it is time to challenge the belief that humans are the only intelligent life deserving of those rights. Do human beings have the right to suppress the expressions of the horse or other animal, when that animal is dependent upon us?
Respect and Leadership
At HSA, we know that respect is necessary dealing with large animals, including the horse, however we believe that respect should NOT be confused with domination or bullying. Many 'natural horsemanship' advocates appear to think that it is desirable to bully a horse and 'show it who's boss.' Bullying is not leadership. A horse that has not had proper social interaction as a foal (eg many racehorses) might well become a bully, but such a horse will not be respected or treated as a leader by the herd. It will not be the leader in a crisis.
Respect should be mutual and this is what normal herd behaviour teaches us.
Listen
Invite your horse to 'talk' with you and be prepared to listen.
And IF your horse IS 'being naughty' please understand that it is still trying to communicate with you that something is not right for it. It would be a win-win situation, if you try to figure out what is really going on and what your horse is trying so hard to tell you. You might need some extra help to find out, but it is ALWAYS best to start positively - not by assuming your horse is naughty.
Start by assuming that you need to get on side with your horse instead of being its adversary, you become its helper; you learn to interpret correctly the communications your horse is sending you. You learn to understand your horse's needs and give it some respect as a thinking, sentient being. It has a reason for 'being naughty.' It is the human's job to find the reason for the equine behaviour (horse language). Analyse the personality, the environment, the physical factors and then the horse's communication and the reason for its 'bad' behaviour, will most often become clear. It is after all, through its behaviour that the horse is trying to tell us something.
So next time you think your horse is being naughty, do a re-think. Your horse might not be being naughty - it might just be trying to communicate something that you really need to know about him/her. If you would like some assistance in starting your journey of discovery about your horse, send us an email [can include video] at: [email protected]
Personality Differences
People express their feelings differently. Some are extroverts, while some are introverts. Extroverts share their feelings verbally, with lots of emotive words and often with strong, physical actions. Introverts only reveal their inner thoughts with others on a much reduced level, preferring to process their feelings internally.
In a similar way, horses express their feelings differently. Some horses are more extroverted than others.
An extroverted horse reacts and communicates publicly. e.g. an extroverted mare comes in season and the whole neighbourhood knows about it because of the crazy whinning and racing around behaviour. On the other hand, an introverted mare can go into silent heat without displaying any of the usual signs and a tester stallion has to be brought in to discover it.
An introverted horse might be thought to be 'a good horse' because its communications are less noticeable. e.g. it might exhibit a 'grin and bear it' personality, even while it is undergoing a painful injury such as a saddle sore or girth sore. Its only protest might be to inflate its girth area to prevent being girthed too tightly. Then again, this horse might suddenly act 'out of character' and attack a handler. The human can't understand 'what got into him.'
Pain
People often make mistakes in judgement of both extroverted and introverted horses, believing that 'if they were in pain or being injured, they would simply stop jumping, racing, cutting or other activity. Such people do not understand the nature of the equine species. Pain causes fear and it is fear that motivates a horse to move, not to stay still. Jockeys intentionally cause pain to create a fear response when they whip horses to get them to sprint - not to stand still. Spurs are 'aids' that are used to get the horse to move quickly off the leg - not to stand still. In fact, the horse's response is again a fear response. It is the pain or the anticipated pain which creates fear in the horse. This fear is many times confused with genuine respect. The rider succeeds in getting the horse to move quickly off the leg, but it is most times through fear - not respect - of the rider. Rodeos and racetracks demonstrate good examples of how horses react to injuries and pain. Most horses that are physically capable will attempt to gallop away from the fearful object and join the other horses in a bid to firstly 'feel' safe and secondly, to escape the pain. Even a shattered leg bone will not cause a fearful horse to stop moving if it is still physically able run on three legs. For example, Barbaro shattered 3 of his right hind leg bones in more than 20 places and still kept trying to canter. Shttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbaro Go For Wand also cantered - placing weight on the stump of her horribly shattered broken bone of her front right leg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=wd7_S_hySrg
Stomach ulcers are many times misinterpreted as a horse just 'being naughty' by unsuspecting owners. Your horse could be showing signs of having stomach ulcer and hindgut acidosis (inflammation) if he/she cow-kicks or threatens to bite you when you gently (i) try to tighten his/her girth or even touch the girth area one hand's width directly behind the elbow; (ii) press into the sternum area between the front legs on the girth path; (iii) press the area where the scapula joins the ribcage; (iv) press where the wither joins the back; and (v) press the sacral area over the horse's hips and spine. Check this video to see this strategy demonstrated by veterinarian Mark DePaolo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr05hMmLCY4&feature=g-vrec
Fear
Fear can quickly cause a panic reaction where a horse will 'run blind.' Strong fear motivates a horse to move away quickly. The instinct to escape danger results in bolting - running madly/blindly. Fear [for its life] is such a strong motivator that it overrides the protective sensation of pain, that would otherwise cause the horse to stop using the injured part. i.e. fear/panic drives a horse to move, despite the physical pain it might be feeling. In the wild, this is obvious. When a lion attacks a zebra, breaking its leg bone, the zebra will still frantically attempt to move away in an effort to escape its impending death.
Humans too, when fearful or in panic, will try to move, despite terrible injuries, if the immediate environment is perceived as life-threatening. e.g. Car accidents where the injured person makes heroic efforts to move away from a car that is in danger of bursting into flames.
Humans need to remember that horses CAN'T readily distinguish between a life-threatening situation and something that is simply a new experience to them. This is where novices are often injured. They might try to 'sack' out a green horse. The horse however, perceives the plastic bag or sack as a life-threatening predator and takes action to escape the danger. It is as if the horse's modem operandi is "Escape first, check out the reality of the danger later - from a safe distance." If the 'trainer' is standing in way of the horse's exit route, the horse will likely still take that exit to escape the 'near death experience.' If not injured too severely, the owner gets up after being trampled and pronounces that the horse is "stupid" and an idiot" however, such is not the case. The horse is justified in thinking the human was stupid for not trying to escape the obvious predator lurking in the bag.Horses 'misbehave' to escape abuse, pain and fear. If a human being ran away when they knew they were going to be flogged, tortured, or have pain inflicted by various equipment, most people would think those people were CLEVER for running away, pushing the threat away or defending themselves from attack. However, when horses take the same defensive, protective action, humans often consider the horses to be stupid or mean, or oppositional. The truth is that horses are not naughty. They are clever and they too, try to avoid being hurt. They need to feel safe.
Depression and/or Aggression
The trouble most often is with the human owner and our assumptions which determine our behaviour. MANY humans are accidentally abusive to the horses that they love. Tragically, many horse owners do not realise how severely they are hurting their horse on a daily basis. Hard hands, rolkur, severe bits, ill-fitting saddles, nose bands, tie downs, unbalanced riding position, girth too tight, mounting clumsily and injuring the wither/shoulders, conventional shoeing, incorrect barefoot trimming that leaves long bars, long toes and causes tight DDF tendons; incorrect feed, hitting with whips, kicking with spurs, failure to communicate clearly, failure to offer praise and reward, .... Is it any wonder the horse doesn't want to be party to a partnership with their owner - if its role demands it to remain passive [non-expressive] to the abuse it is forced to accept? The horse certainly displays symptoms similar to the hopelessness that a slave might experience when he/she knows that there is no chance of escape from slavery or of any needs/desires being validated or met. As frustration, disappointment and depression build in the horse, the usual outcomes are: (i) the horse will become seriously depressed and its behaviour become automated, robotic and broken-spirited; or (ii) the horse more forcefully attempts to communicate its frustration and owners interpret this activity as aggression and a frustrated, aggressive horse is a potentially dangerous horse.
Signs of Depression
Thankfully, for human beings, there are many horses who 'grin and bear it' because they have learned that it is pointless - even dangerous - to ask for their needs to be met or for pain to be relieved. eg. if a horse complains about pain experienced from a wrong-fitting bit, by trying to open his mouth to avoid palate pain, the owner incorrectly assumes that the solution is that the 'naughty' horse needs to wear a nose band so that it cannot open its mouth. The owner then ties the horses mouth shut which of course, INCREASES the horse's palate pain and PREVENTS further communication from the horse to the owner regards the poor fitting bit. So many horses learn very quickly that it is counter-productive to complain about pain or discomfort to a human. In fact, to try to communicate with a human to complain about one pain, often causes additional, increased pain. Such horses 'perform' the movements demanded of them, silently suffering the physical discomfort, but mentally and emotionally they are also suffering deep depression. This depression is visible in the eyes, stance, attitude and behaviour of such horses. They close down emotionally. Lights on, nobody home.
Signs of Aggression
Not all horses will have the 'grin and bear it' closed down, depressed response. Some frustrated horses will rebel and attack the handler. These horses can 'snap' mentally and become so dangerous that the owners believe there is no safe alternative but to destroy the animal. The ears are pinned back almost touching the back of the neck, nose pointing in the direction of the imminent attack while the mouth is opened wide to display the teeth; tail twitching often warns of an impending kick, but this sign can be omitted in a sudden attack. We have experienced this type of aggressive response when we have purchased rescue horses, especially those that typically originate from off the track. We have found that very often the 'aggressive' horse is able to be turned around and become rehabilitated simply by validating its communication and taking measures to prevent further pain. These horses are screaming out asking for relief, but it seems that the louder they 'scream' with their actions, the less they are heard by humans. Humans have to put these poor horses in the 'too hard basket' and they usually end up in the doggers yards. Once again, equine victims are punished for complaining about pain imposed on them by human beings.
Think how frustrating it must be to have to deal with being continually misunderstood for your whole life. Many married couples opt for a divorce in order to avoid this terribly stressful situation. But there is no easy 'out' for horses. MOST horses have to deal with frustration and pain inflicted by human beings - on a daily basis - and furthermore, many horses are punished for trying to communicate their pain to their owners. Horses are usually patient with their human owners, but sometimes, even the most tolerant horse might just get 'fed up' with our inability or unwillingness to listen to and validate their communications.
We don't believe that every horse is 'an angel.' We don't take a position of anthropomorphism - pretending horses think and feel as human beings do. But, we do recommend listening to your horse by reading its body language and attempting to interpret its behaviour.
We believe that horses are far more intelligent than we have previously discerned. Consider Lukas, a 'failed' off the track gelding found starving in a yard until a new owner, Karen took him on as a green horse.. Lukas freely performs the Spanish Walk, Passage, curtsey, bow, rear, sit, jambette and much more without any force. or whip. Also, Lukas is able to identify letters, numbers and shapes, discriminate colors and he understands the concepts of object permanence, spatial relationships, proportion, same/different and absentness. http://www.playingwithlukas.com/ See videos of Lukas here: http://www.playingwithlukas.com/videos.php
One hundred years ago in western culture, 'children were to be seen but not heard.'
Today, in some cultures it is believed that women are not intelligent and that belief causes women to be forced into silence out of fear of violent consequences (punishment). Most people in our societies today believe that both of those suppositions are false - because intelligent human beings, regardless of age or sex, have a right to be heard and respected. At Horse Sense Australia, we believe that it is time to challenge the belief that humans are the only intelligent life deserving of those rights. Do human beings have the right to suppress the expressions of the horse or other animal, when that animal is dependent upon us?
Respect and Leadership
At HSA, we know that respect is necessary dealing with large animals, including the horse, however we believe that respect should NOT be confused with domination or bullying. Many 'natural horsemanship' advocates appear to think that it is desirable to bully a horse and 'show it who's boss.' Bullying is not leadership. A horse that has not had proper social interaction as a foal (eg many racehorses) might well become a bully, but such a horse will not be respected or treated as a leader by the herd. It will not be the leader in a crisis.
Respect should be mutual and this is what normal herd behaviour teaches us.
Listen
Invite your horse to 'talk' with you and be prepared to listen.
And IF your horse IS 'being naughty' please understand that it is still trying to communicate with you that something is not right for it. It would be a win-win situation, if you try to figure out what is really going on and what your horse is trying so hard to tell you. You might need some extra help to find out, but it is ALWAYS best to start positively - not by assuming your horse is naughty.
Start by assuming that you need to get on side with your horse instead of being its adversary, you become its helper; you learn to interpret correctly the communications your horse is sending you. You learn to understand your horse's needs and give it some respect as a thinking, sentient being. It has a reason for 'being naughty.' It is the human's job to find the reason for the equine behaviour (horse language). Analyse the personality, the environment, the physical factors and then the horse's communication and the reason for its 'bad' behaviour, will most often become clear. It is after all, through its behaviour that the horse is trying to tell us something.
So next time you think your horse is being naughty, do a re-think. Your horse might not be being naughty - it might just be trying to communicate something that you really need to know about him/her. If you would like some assistance in starting your journey of discovery about your horse, send us an email [can include video] at: [email protected]