for you, the horse, and the automobile.
7. Cows, goats and chickens can all strike
fear into a horses heart, so if at all possible
take the time to expose your horse to as
many animals as you can. Sometimes you
can borrow them from friends just to use
for a few hours in training. If a cow isn't
around take your horse to where there are
cows. I know it sounds silly, but a lot of
horses find cows to be something fearful,
in the movies they go hand in hand, but
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -107-pleasure horses not used in ranch work
may have little understanding of what a
cow is.
8. Flags and things that fly. Things that
flap in the wind can cause a horse to bolt.
Run through everything that you can find
that flaps or flies. Flags, bedsheets on the
line, kites, and helium filled balloons.
Tarps are also a huge concern to horses
and should be worked with from the
ground up. A horse will need to be able to
walk across a tarp on the ground, move
past one covering something like a car or a
woodpile and stand still while one is
flapped around it. Tarps are everywhere
and they are a scary object to a lot of
horses.
9. Balls. Things that roll or bounce or that
can fly through the air like balls or regular
balloons. I found this out the hard way in
the last parade I rode in. My horse is still
working on her training, but I consider her
pretty steadfast in most situations. It was a
4th of July parade and someone had
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -108-handed out red, white and blue balloons to
the children in the crowd. Not the helium
filled type, just blown up balloons. One of
the kids must have lost their balloon as it
was rolling and floating across the ground
out into the street we were riding on. My
horse didn't blow up but she was fixated
on the balloon to the point of sidestepping
into another horse and rider, if she wasn't
so steadfast it could have ended in her
bolting through a group of children to flee
the scary red balloon and that could have
been deadly.
10. Mailboxes and signs. Mailboxes that
are decorative or different from the
standard mailbox can throw a horse into a
state of nervousness, sometimes it can
help to expose your horse to mailboxes
and signs while on a walk. Signs seem to
be more of a problem than mailboxes.
Horses seem more afraid of things that are
up higher and are of weird shapes and
colors. Stop signs and yield signs have
been known to spook horses.
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -109-11. Garbage cans. This one should been
done using a dirty garbage can. Our
garbage stinks, it smells of decay and a
horse has learned to stay away from
anything that smells of decay. I think this
comes from the fact that as a prey animal,
the smell of decay signals of death. Where
there is a dead animal, there is usually a
predator. It is back to that primitive
instinct driven beast that will avoid death
and injury at all cost. Take your old
garbage can, if it has bags of garbage in it
even better and put it in the pen. DO NOT
LEAVE IT UNATTENDED THOUGH.
Some horses may try to eat the plastic bag
or get into stuff in the garbage that could
harm them after they feel comfortable.
After smelling something, tasting is next
on the list to understanding it completely.
That should get you started on
desensitization of the basic problems a rider will
encounter while riding. There are also pot holes,
mud puddles, and drain grates. Look down, look
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -110-up, and look around always. There are so many
things to be aware of. You need to truly think like
the horse be looking everywhere anticipating
ANYTHING that may set off the flight instinct.
Be aware and see any problems BEFORE
your horse does. You can start talking her through
it and calming her down before she goes into alert
mode.
This is not to say you enter the saddle a
nervous wreck worried about every leaf dropping
from the tree. No, you need to be confident for
your horse. You need to be confident that even if
something does happen, you can make it through
it just fine. If you don't have that confidence, and
trust me if you figure that out when your horse is
blowing up and rearing all over the place, you
shouldn't go out riding alone. Riding a horse can
be dangerous – IT IS NOT LIKE IN THE
MOVIES. Horses are flighty, easily excitable
animals at times. Even gentle well mannered
horses can be set off in an instant. NEVER put
your wants above your safety, this is disaster
waiting to happen. If you feel even the slightest
apprehension about doing something alone on a
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -111-horse, one word, DON'T.
I do not want you to fear your horse, this
will only end in a disaster. I want you to have a
healthy respect for his size and power. A horse for
the most part is a docile, passive animal. When
you take the time to learn what he is saying
through body language you can co-exist with him
quiet enjoyably. There is the ever present danger
of being harmed by a horse if you act in haste or
overestimate your own abilities. Horsemanship is
all about being honest. You need to be really
honest about your own abilities. You need to
honestly evaluate your own skills and know your
strengths and weaknesses. Understand that your
horse knows them very well. Your horse can feel
your heart beating in your chest through your legs
when you are mounted on his back, that is how
sensitive his senses are. He can feel it speed up
when you are anxious about a situation. He can
hear how you are breathing. He can feel the
tension in your muscles when you are afraid. All
of these details he is processing for survival.
Lets say you have a fear of riding down a
certain steep hill. The second you start to tense up
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -112-and feel afraid, so will your horse. He is saying
inside something is the matter with this hill. My
rider is afraid of this hill and you will notice his
reluctance to go down it without your full
confidence. Where a more confident rider can ride
up to the hill on the same horse and go right over
the edge without any resistance from the animal.
The more relaxed and confident rider is telling the
horse there is nothing to be afraid of lets go and
the horse will follow suit easily.
That is why when people send a horse off to
a trainer to be worked with it rarely ends in a
result that is pleasing to the owner completely. A
trainer has had years of experience to build up a
certain confidence with horses in general. His
knowledge far surpasses that of the average horse
owner. He works with horses every day and has
had the bumps, bruises and broken bones to
prove it. He also has learned to speak the
language hopefully a little more fluently than the
average Joe who has a few horses he wants to ride
for pleasure.
So when Joe sends his horse off to the
trainer, the trainer gets the horse and might not
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -113-even get the experience of seeing the horse act out
the owners problem just because the trainer has
more confidence in dealing with the animal. The
horse may feel safe when being lead by the trainer
and never feel the need to act out of fear.
Lets say your horse gives you a fit when
loading into the trailer. This is a scary experience
for the novice horseman/horsewoman. Why?
Because someone who doesn't understand horses
and already has a preconceived notion that trailer
loading is a difficult situation will approach this
with that mindset and bring an anxious energy
into the environment. Some people are also afraid
of being in such tight quarters with an animal as
large as a horse. They have a fear of being crushed
along the inside of the trailer or kicked or
something else. So they bring a lot of nervous
energy to the whole situation from the get go.
They don't feel comfortable so the horse doesn't
feel comfortable. So they manage to get a friend
who will help them get this beast up in the trailer
and after much commotion they get him in and
lock the trailer door and off to the trainer he is
sent.
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -114-The trainer unloads the horse and puts him
in a stall and listens to the owner as she describes
what a harrowing experience it was to get this
beast onto the trailer and he assures her he will do
everything possible to retrain this horse into
loading without any problems in the future. They
shake hands and part ways.
The next day the trainer goes out, pulls out
the horse, walks him up to his horse trailer,
swings open the door and walks the horse right up
in the trailer. The horse goes in just fine, not one
ounce of resistance at all. He does this same
activity for days to come and finds no problem
with the horse loading at all.
He calls up the owner explains that the
horse is loading just fine and he wants her to
come out and see for herself. She is elated to here
this and comes out the very next day.
The trainer goes out to the barn walks the
horse up to the trailer and in it goes without
flinching. She is so excited. The trainer explains
that the horse is such a good loader that even she
can do it now. He backs the horse out and hands
her the lead and she takes the horse right up in
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -115-the trailer. She is amazed at this trainers ability to
cure this problem so quickly and she thanks him
again and again as she writes the check for his
services.
She gets the horse home, unloads it
without problem, and puts it back in the barn. A
week goes by and she needs to take the horse
down to the vet for his vaccinations. She goes out
to the barn and gets her horse and as she walks up
to the trailer. She starts to feel nervous without
the professional trainer there to help her. She
opens up the door and looks inside. She starts to
feel anxious about being alone with this animal up
in that tight space. She sucks it up a bit and
musters all she has and pulls on the lead rope and
the horse won't budge. He say huh uh lady, I feel
that nervousness, I am not moving.
So what happened? Nothing happened.
The horse didn't learn anything new from the
trainer and the lady probably paid several
hundred dollars to get back the same exact horse
she sent there. It isn't the horse that needs to be
trained, it's you. Without the strong confident
presence of the trainer there, she didn't feel
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -116-relaxed and confident in leading her own horse
into that space. Without that feeling in the
atmosphere , not only from the owner being more
relaxed but also the trainer directing the horse
through his confident body language, the horse
says no I do not feel comfortable with this at all.
A horse learns through repetition and so do
human beings. As your horse is learning to trust
you through coming through fearful situations
successfully, you are learning to trust him/her
too. It can take a very long time to build up that
confidence to be able to do anything you want to
with a horse. A professional trainer has had
several thousands of experiences to get it. You as
an average horse owner are lucky to get a few
hours a week. That is why time is so valuable
when spent getting to know the ins and the outs of
your animal. All of the training exercises that you
do are not only for the horse, you are in training
too.
Everything you do with your horse helps
develop the horse and yourself. It is a very
satisfying feeling to work and learn alongside this
great animal. It is a series of desensitization
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -117-against all things fearful, for the horse and for
you.
Let me walk you through the basics of what
desensitization means and what to expect in the
way of results.
You will introduce something new to your
horse and for explanation purposes lets use a
plastic grocery bag as the object. Whenever you
use these steps in the future just replace the
plastic grocery bag with whatever object you are
trying to desensitize your horse with.
You enter into the horses space carrying
the object out in front. Be honest with your
animal, don't hide it behind your back and then
pop it out in their face at last moment. At first just
carry it like you would anything, don't make a big
deal out of it, just carry it. Don't move slow and in
a stalking manner, again this just raises the horses
suspicions that you are doing a sneak attack. Just
act normal, feel confident and don't make a big
deal out of it.
If the horse takes off and tries to run away
let him, but DO NOT chase him. When a horse is
running in fear his flight instinct has kicked in.
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -118-Your job is to get him to be unafraid and that will
stop the running away. Attack the fear, not the
flight.
If you take off chasing him down he will
only have his beliefs confirmed that the bag is out
to get him. In fact walking in the opposite
direction will let him know it is not chasing him.
Walk and stay calm.
Some horses are like cats though, they are
curious as all get out. They will muster up enough
courage to come and check it out, the curiosity to
understand this new thing will drive them past
their fears, curiosity is a sign of intelligence.
You need to just stay relaxed, be aware of
your body, don't tense up in anticipation of the
horse fleeing you. Treat the new object just like
you would anything else that the horse is already
comfortable with. If the horse is comfortable with
the halter, imagine you are carrying a halter in
your hand. Stay relaxed in every situation. Stay
quietly confident in every situation. I know it is a
lot to be aware of but over time it becomes like
second nature. You will assume a certain attitude
and stance when dealing with your horses.
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -119-Do NOT push it on the horse unless you
feel this horse can handle you advancing him at a
faster pace. Certain horses you can take hold of by
the halter and work them through something a
little faster, some horses you can't. Some horses
will submit to working at a faster pace with just a
little resistance and some will blow up and be
uncontrollable. Work with your particular horse,
not against it.
This is where judgment and understanding
comes in. You will need to make educated
judgments based on your understanding of this
particular animal.
I like to move onto touching the animal on
the body and neck BEFORE I stick the object
anywhere near their head. By soothingly stroking
and petting the horse with an object he will start
to relax. Some horses who are curious will want to
smell the object first, that is OK too. If they make
the first move go ahead and let them. It is a good
sign that this desensitization of this particular
object is going to go smoothly and quickly. If they
don't offer to smell it, try the rubbing of the body
first. Wait till you see a physical sign of relaxation,
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -120-a heavy sigh, the head dropping, the eyes relaxing
to proceed further. Look at your horses body, see
what it is saying. If it is saying, OK this isn't that
bad, then move to the horses face. Offer to let him
smell it then gently touch his face all around.
If its something that makes noise like the
crinkling sound of the plastic bag, crinkle it in
your hands. Do this whole process till the horse is
as comfortable with this new object as he is with
old objects he has already been desensitized too.
You do this over and over with everything
you can think of that the horse will encounter in
his new unnatural world that man has made.
The basic thing to learn here is that
desensitizing a horse to various situations and
objects will produce an unnatural confidence in a
normally fearful animal.
The best thing about a horse is that once
something is repeated a few times without any ill
effects to him physically, he just moves on, totally
ignoring it as a fearful stimulus any longer. He
doesn't today accept the plastic bag, and
tomorrow see it and throw you off UNLESS he has
a bad experience later on that proves to be
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -121-harmful to him by the object.
So to the best of your ability be a strong
and successful leader by keeping your horse safe.
Double check everything that could harm him and
show him that you can competently lead him
through his life without allowing injury to inflict
him because of your poor judgments.
Think about it for a second, no one really
wants to harm their horses intentionally. It is the
little mistakes we make in our care of them that
can cost them severely.
Imagine if you failed to replace the boards
in your trailer after noting that they had a few soft
rot spots and your horses leg went through it
while loading, or worse while driving down the
highway. What if you put off fixing that broken
fence post and your horse impaled himself on it
while you were sleeping? What if you put off
removing that sharp old rusted machinery from
the barn and your horse cut its leg so badly he had
to be euthanized?
Just like when you have a baby crawling
around your house, everything low must be locked
or put up. They depend on you to provide them
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -122-with a safe environment that they can live in
without hurting themselves. The baby who gets
under the sink and gets into a toxic cleaning
product is far more tragic than the horse that gets
into the unlocked grain room and gorges itself
into a severe state of colic, but none the less it is
still tragic.
The worst part of tragedy when it happens
is that it usually always avoidable with a little
common sense and a little work.
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -123-IMPORTANT NOTE:
Both Sides Are Equally Important
When doing ANY work with a horse be it
gentling, desensitizing, or training repeat it on
both the left and right sides of the horse. A horse
sees differently and processes information
differently than humans. You must always repeat
the behavior on both sides for them to fully
understand what you are trying to teach.. Try
leading, mounting, and dismounting from the
right side just as often as from the left.
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -124-Chapter 5
Up, Down, Back, Forward,
Side to Side
I want you to open your mind for a minute
and understand something about horses. Horses
already know how to move before we come into
Human Equine Relationship Development
H.E.R.D -125-their lives.
A horse can move forward at a walk, trot &
lope all by itself. It can go backwards, it can go up,
and it can go down all by itself. We are not
teaching them how to move when we are training,
we are teaching them cues that signal we want
them to move in a certain way.
When we approach this task we need to
learn how to communicate clearly with our horse.
I liken it to a human being taking directions from
another human being. It is much easier to accept
direction from a human who speaks in a clear
concise voice. If the person giving you directions
is mumbling his words and we can't really hear
him, we will become confused.
Horses are unique in the fact that they
learn many more detai