S
POOKY OR
STEADY?
How Can We Inspire Horse’s Behavior? Story and Photos By Alessandra Deerinck
When riding happens cooperatively with the horse it is definitely enjoyable, but can be a source of fear or upsetting moments, when riders experience situations where they feel they can’t control the equine partner. In these times riders often act in a way that can lead a horse to not trust their behavior, or to not want them on his back. Common examples of such instances are when the horse spooks or does not want to proceed in the direction we choose. While stopping is a behavioral choice that horses make consciously because they perceived something and became attentive to it, spooking is a reflex, an unconscious response to something moving that surprised the horse. It is actually a behavior that the horse cannot control, and it is different than when a horse purposefully moves abruptly to unseat the rider.
TRAINING & Showing
Behavior is the complete expression of any living individual and is highly influenced by genetics, and sensory perception. The genetic traits include instincts and personality, which are subjects that is possible to study and always keep in mind. The sensory perception of a horse or any living being is influenced by the environment, and is also something we can purposefully influence with our behavior. Most importantly, we should always be aware of what the horse that is sharing time with us is perceiving, so we are aware of the same situation and not get surprised if the horse spooks or stops. When a horse stops to observe something, he is becoming attentive to it, and the way we behave can actually inspire him to follow our input if they feel it makes sense, or to unseat us if we push him to it and it does not make sense for him. There are many ways to influence animal behavior. Individuals who perceive the behavior of another living creature respond with their behavior coupled with the not so evident process called learning, which is the processing and memorizing of information, that can later be expressed in the form of behavior in similar circumstances. Thinking in terms of cells and molecules, learning produces behavioral changes, through exposure to an instance and the repetition of an action. This process produces in an individual the stimulation of neural cells, which causes the production of new molecules (proteins). These changes at the cellular level determine the new way the individual will behave. This is true for humans and for horses or any other type of living animal. In order to be cooperative while being with a horse, on the ground or on his back, we have to keep in mind his needs, how deeply our actions reach the horse and how he feels 56
about our behavior. it is very important that communication and understanding between humans and horses really works both ways. When people get upset and punish horses for not complying with their requests, they might actually be reinforcing the unwanted behaviors with their reaction. If horses do not respond the way we want to our request, they may not have perceived or understood the request. If we want to be successful in our interaction, we should make sure the horse will be able to perceive with his sensory organs our request, which needs to be correlated to what we are asking and to the situation, in a way that the horse understands immediately without having to be trained. Instead of punishing the horse using force, or letting the horse get away with his behavior, we should change our request in a way that gives our actions the proper form that horses could immediately perceive, understand and will want to consider.
www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
