, Humans, & Pressure

 Horses, Humans, and Pressure

We primarily use two forms of pressure to communicate, physical pressure (the lead rope attached to the halter, the rein, the leg, the seat, etc.) or spatial pressure, (not touching but influencing the horse's thoughts and movement.) Vocal cues is the less common form.

A horse’s natural response towards pressure is to flee from it, become defensive, or to physically “challenge” it.

Pressure can be offered as a positive way to communicate.

It can be thought of as a tool that affects the clarity of communication between human and horse.  It can help teach the horse about personal space, defining literal and imaginary boundaries.  

Whether from the ground or in the saddle, it can teach the horse to follow, soften and yield to the pressure of a lead rope, rein, leg or the seat.  

It can influence and redirect mentally availability in the horse before offering physical movement.

The term “pressure” often has a negative association due to misuse when a person attempts to control, micromanage, and critique the horse.  

Pressure used to force a horse into submission whether through physical dominance, using gadgets and devices or physically wearing him down tends to evolve into a battle of the wills.  

Pressure by forcing something upon the horse until he has to choose between the “lessor of two evils” has no quality outcome. 

Physically aggressive pressure or “driving” the horse as a tactic basically scares a horse into doing something (crossing water, trailer loading, passing the scary spot on the trail) and contributes to distrust between horse and person.

Due to a misunderstanding, inattentiveness, distraction, and lack of awareness, many people unintentionally communicate a constant barrage of chaos through both spatial and physical pressure.  The “busy-ness” from a person in their activity with the lead rope/rein/leg dulls the horse and teaches the horse to shut down, flee, or become defensive.