Supporting vs Ignoring the Horse

Supporting vs Ignoring the Horse

I was recently talking with a gal who was pondering why it was that frequently those folks who are in a position to influence others in the horse world, demonstrate and behave in ways that make most people around them wary and uncomfortable by their treatment and interaction with horses and humans alike.


We were also discussing why when I'm out and about at other facilities, that unless someone is asking "directly" for my input, that I don't offer to involve myself or share my opinions or ideas, even if this is what I do for a living. My answer always is, "Unless someone is ready to hear a new perspective, why push it upon them."


I learned a long time ago a "name" doesn't mean anything to a horse, nor does fame, medals, or corporate sponsorship. What does matter is the genuineness of the human and their intention?


I rode for the first fourteen years without EVER having been taught, shown, or mentioned that there is a whole dialogue that can and should happen from the ground before you ride. My horse's brain and emotions? Never considered. And this wasn't out of maliciousness or aggressiveness. Nobody I knew or rode under- nationally and internationally- acknowledged the actual horse, other than in terms of soundness and body condition.


Back to yesterday's discussion; it evolved into talking about how many folks with limited horse experience can "see" what is happening in the horse's behavior and emotions, and that somehow, the more experience a rider has, the less they put value to what the horse is offering with their communication.


Take for instance the pawing horse or one that is "swinging" back and forth at the hitching rail.


I have overheard on more than one occasion an inexperienced person comment on the horse's behavior and ask why the horse is doing that. They'll also mention that the horse looks upset.


Then there's the "experienced" person who sees the same scenario, slaps the horse on the rump, and tells the horse to "knock it off" or explains that the horse is "excited," which is why he is doing it.


I don't know how many countless times I've seen this at lesson barns, shows, events, clinics, and more.


This is where the proverbial "fork in the road" lies. We can either choose to acknowledge the horse and search for the root cause triggering the symptom of him pawing or swinging and other anxious behavior. Or we can continue, ignoring the behavior, to hurry up and get in the saddle, because our goals were to "ride" and work on x,y and z today.


Then think about the trickle-down effect the two different ways of handling the aforementioned scenario might affect the partnership, the future ride, the horse's confidence, etc.


But it typically isn't easy or convenient to take the time to support the horse, especially if his chaotic behavior isn't "that bad" or scary. So, many people ignore it or believe they'll "fix it" later. By the time they attempt to address the horse, the movement has typically morphed into a more dramatic response by the horse and is after-the-fact, meaning the human's delayed response has taught the horse that he is "on his own" when concerned, therefore he has to choose how he will "handle" (or not) something.


So if there is ever a moment of not understanding why or how a horse is behaving and you're seeking advice, and someone blows you off, disregards, or devalues it, remember, horses don't do anything randomly.


It can take time, effort, and energy to learn how to understand them. This is not something that comes naturally to humans, especially because so many people are not raised around animals these days, much knowledge has been lost from generation to generation.


One of the easiest ways to absorb and learn is if you view every opportunity when in the proximity of the horse as one for learning, not imposing personal emotion or judgment, rather watching a bit like a fly on the wall, you'll be amazed at how much you see. Then you can learn beginning, middle, and end scenarios as you watch irrelevant of if the horses are loose, are in a warm-up arena at a competition or on a group ride.

This gives you reference points and helps your brain learn how to recognize faster what initial minor behaviors can lead to, and helps you understand where, when, and how you might interject proactively, to influence a different and preferred outcome.