The FIRST LIFE Lesson for a horse.
Story and Photos By Alessandra Deerinck When we welcome a horse into our lives, we always prefer to know his personality, and experiences, and aside from the training a horse received, the first life experiences are always very important because they leave a strong influence on an individual. It often is difficult to be able to access this kind of information, but knowing the instinctual behavior of a horse and the behavioral traits that are characteristic of the equine species is definitely always possible and helpful.
O
ne day,
TRAINING & Showing
before beginning to train horses I took a moment to meditate, and did it while standing by the pasture where the new foals were housed. These horses always attract the attention of people that come by the ranch. On that day the last newborn was just attempting to stand up, the mare was very comfortable and was watching her foal, while the owners were standing by, with their dog on the leash. Foals start learning immediately to stand up, to suck milk from their mother’s udder, to use their senses to perceive and to be alert. Their behavior is a blend between instincts and newly learned behavior from the very first moment. The most important thing that happens is the bond that starts between the mare and the foal, which will have an influence on the rest of the foal’s life, and it is very important for us human beings not to interfere in its mechanics. When horses live naturally the bond is created easily, while in the domestic environment there can be many interferences. There are even training techniques that actually have the purpose to intrude in this bond and train the horse to think that we are his keen. To me it is trying to put the circuits of a small radio into a large appliance.
We can be present to the birth of a horse but we should make sure that the mare is comfortable with our presence and actions.
the presence of other objects and living beings. It is the result of the combination of instinctive elements, which may have constant characteristics in individuals of the same species, and other elements learned from the life experience that influenced the original natural behavior. Behavior also has emotional components, largely involuntary, which are characteristic of each specific individual.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION of the RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT
Observing what happens when we approach a horse that has freedom of movement and is looking at us, like when we approach to put the halter on, before we start working, can let us see that there is no problem in putting the halter on if we get close, and the horse sees us, and stays alert and still. On the other hand, if the horse turns the head away and looks around, or moves away, the more we insist One fact that is always easy to see is how a horse responds in the approach, the more he will tend to move away. to movement since the first moment, and how this behavior At the first sign of the horse moving away, we should stop stays with the horse for the rest of his life. Every foal instincimmediately, but then try again to get closer only if he is tually moves away from something that approaches him, standing still, while we look at him, and he looks at us. It is even his mother, because otherwise he could get stepped very important to stop if the horse moves away or hesitates, on. At the same time the foal learns to always follow his because stopping our approach tells the horse, in terms mother, which is the source of his nutrition and safety. Being of movement, that his message has been understood. The with the mother is a necessity. Being next to the mother is horse expresses himself very clearly through movement. instinctual, and probably related to the ability that horses His act of walking away means that he does not trust us to have to move in tune with their herd, or with another indiapproach him, so if we continue to chase him, we show vidual they trust and respect. that we have not understood his message or, even worse, that we do not care. The next step is to make him curious We can be present to the birth of a horse but we should and inspire him to allow us to shorten the distance that make sure that the mare is comfortable with our presence separates us, and eventually let himself be touched. It is and actions. Working with horses that have freedom of not necessary to use food to attract the horse, the simple movement, and developing a positive relationship socially act of stopping can intrigue him to the point that the horse significant from the equine point of view, makes it possible decides to approach us to perceive who we are and what to get the horse to interact with us as it would with another we want using his touch, smell and taste. From a distance, of its kind. in fact, he can only use sight and hearing, so our body language will be what inspires him to approach. Once we are Behavior is the most complete expression of each individu- close, we both will have other sensory resources to draw al, and it is influenced by the situation of space, time and upon to communicate.
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