PLAY

Horses play dominance games with each other As foals they nip and kick and jump on each other, preparing for more serious dominance games within the herd to establish the pecking order for water, food, and breeding rights. Hierarchy is an important part of survival and horses constantly challenge each other, looking for the upper hoof! They do this with people, too

Once a horse feels safe around people, it often becomes pushy and plays with you as if you were another horse. It is a sure sign of dominance when a horse casually, or forcibly, pushes into your body, your hand, your leg, nips, and charges into or invades your personal space

Play is also a sign of curiosity and you can indulge this play drive by channeling it into learning Horses with a high play drive are super-learners. When playful horses are under-stimulated they get naughty and pushy... you need to give them plenty to do, upping the quality and teaching them new things to avoid boredom.

The best approach with horses that have a lot of energy and a high play drive is to be the perfect combination of friendly and bossy You need to get them busy and feeling successful rather than wrestling with them Give your horse tasks and goals. It’s amazing how smart horses are, you just need to know how to access their mind. That’s what psychology is all about - getting to the mind, not just the body