BUSTING THE 'NAUGHTY PONY' MYTH

By Shelley Wolhuter

There is no such thing as a naughty pony! Here we will explain why…

THE BRAIN

To begin, let’s look at some brain basics. Each part of our brain has a specific function or job. There are many different regions for the many things the brain does, but for this article we just need to look at the front section of the brain – the frontal lobe.

The frontal lobe lies at the front of our brain, near the forehead. It is responsible for things like planning and reasoning. In people, it makes up quite a large part of the brain. In horses and ponies, the frontal lobe makes up only a small part of their brain.

Brain scientists (neuroscientists) have explained that this means horses and ponies are not capable of reasoning and planning. They live in the moment. What this means is that they do not wonder what the weather will be like later or if they will get their dinner; they simply experience what is happening in the here and now. Ultimately, horses have straightforward thoughts and react to the world around them as they experience it. At any given time, they might be concerned about if they have access to grass, water, friends, shelter and safety, but they aren’t planning for the future or planning their ride later.

This means that a horse’s brain is simply not able to plan and make ‘naughty’ thoughts. They can’t think, ‘I hope I can throw my rider off later, so I can run back to the barn’ or ‘I’ll pretend to be sore, so I don’t have to work’. They just don’t have the bit of the brain needed to do it!

All of this means that ponies and horses cannot truly be naughty. Instead, they are acting out for one of several reasons, but NOT because they are deliberately difficult! It’s important that we remember this so that we view our horses and ponies sympathetically and investigate when there is an issue. The most likely causes of problems that make our horses and ponies appear naughty are stress, fear, pain or confusion. Let’s unpack each one.

STRESS

There are many reasons a pony could feel stressed. Maybe there has been a change in their routine? Maybe they have been separated from their friends? Maybe they are visiting a new place for the first time and feel stressed about that? Some ponies even feel stressed when they do not understand what is being asked of them, so never underestimate what can cause stress in your pony - instead, be a pony detective and investigate it!

FEAR

Fear is similar to stress, but there is a difference. It is quite normal for ponies to be afraid of ordinary things because they are prey animals. This means that no matter how safe YOU know they are, they will always be aware of the possible dangers around them. When we keep this in mind, we can be more understanding towards our ponies and help them overcome their fears.

PAIN

It is important to remember that ponies and horses will often hide when they feel pain, so it is not always easy to tell if your horse is sore. When prey animals show pain or weakness, they are more likely to be hunted by a predator. Think of a lion hunting a herd of zebra; they will select one of the easy targets, which might be the one with a sore leg. Because of this, horses, and all prey animals, are safer if they hide their pain, so they are not viewed as weak. This means that if you notice your pony is slightly sore or even just slightly off, don’t ignore the signs because it is probably much worse than it seems.

CONFUSION

It is no secret that ponies love to please us. Why else would they let us ride them and haul them around to shows? They are naturally very willing and will try their very best to do what we ask. However, when a pony is confused about what you’re asking them to do or what you expect from them, they may act out. Sometimes the way we ask a pony to do something doesn’t make sense to them, and they try other behaviours to see if these give the solution. Often, at this point, we will become frustrated, and then our pony will become more anxious and confused and try even more behaviours to see how to find an answer to the question and get away from the pressure.

TAKE HOME

Horses and ponies are highly intelligent animals, but their intelligence lies in different places to ours. The way they communicate with each other with a flick of an ear, or a curl of a nostril, is quite remarkable. They have an incredible emotional intelligence that puts ours to shame. Their physical talent is second to none. Therefore, it is important to understand what our differences are so that we can use our skills and their skills in the best way possible for both of us. Appreciating our ponies’ strengths and being patient with their weaknesses can help us to deepen our bond with these magnificent beasts. So, the next time your pony seems to be acting naughty, remember that it is almost certainly something else!