Horse Behavior Article"Speaking Horse"Horse behavior can seem like such a mystery sometimes. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful relief to have a translator to give you the power to clearly and effortlessly speak with your horse? Then he would understand you and comply with every instruction without resistance or hesitation. You (and your horse, too) would be able to say goodbye to moments of confusion or frustration. We tend to look at horse-human communication as a way to get our horse to do what we want him to do. This one-sided perspective is often the reason that your horse gives his best impression of a brick wall when you ask him to do something. Or, he’ll take it to the next level and seemingly behave with downright disobedience. Even though what you’re telling him makes perfect sense to you, from his point-of-view you’re speaking Greek. Horses can’t understand “human,” nor can they adapt to our way of communication. Since our language is meaningless to them, we must learn theirs. It takes active listening to hear what your horse is saying. A flick of the ear, a soft sigh, an impatient stomp, a long fluid stride, a clamped jaw, a hollow back, a resting foot – these are the “words” that your horse uses to express himself. While there are those individuals that express themselves subtly and others that are withdrawn because they haven’t been encouraged or allowed to share their feelings, most horses are more than willing to let you know how they feel. 
As a general rule, horses are quite frank when it comes to expressing their fears, desires, or opinions of your horsemanship skills: I hate those clippers, so I’m outta here! I’m going to go over here and eat grass, because I can! You can’t make me get in that trailer! Plastic bags are dangerous! Run!! It’s easy to say that your horse has “bad attitude” when he’s disobedient, but his behavior could be completely justified. For example, if your horse has been pinched by a hastily tightened cinch a few times, he’s bound to become resentful during the saddling process. When he moves away or tries to take a bite out of your arm because he’s hurting or anticipates being hurt, those actions are his voice. Physical behavior is your horse’s primary means of communication. I am not of the opinion that whatever we want to do should be tolerated by the horse. To me that shows complete disregard for the horse and throws a wrench in the development of the horse-human relationship. Our focus should be on understanding one another and figuring out the best way for everyone to feel purposeful, fulfilled, and successful during the process. Sure, there are times when a horse needs to be scolded for crossing the lines of leader-follower propriety, as any other dominant equine worth his salt would do. However, while punishment may be a quick fix, it is not a long-term solution. That’s the greatest benefit of listening to what the speaking horse is saying – the opportunity to identify the source of the behavior. Is your horse expressing dominance, insecurity, anxiety, or pain? With that information, you have the tools you need to effectively tackle any problem. Interpreting the meaning behind your horse’s behaviors can be tricky. It takes time, practice, and an open mind to be an accurate horse-reader…and you’re still bound to get it wrong sometimes. When I’m working with a horse, I frequently step back to make sure I’m seeing things as they truly are. In fact, I recently worked with a horse that was described to me as “aggressive.” Well, the actual word that was used to describe her was a lot less politically correct! She pinned her ears, dragged me behind her on the lead, and was high-headed and pushy. She spent much of our first few sessions in the round pen bucking, charging, and rearing. When her owner rode her, she bucked and reared some more. For all intents and purposes, this was an aggressive horse. Like anyone else, my inclination was to treat her as such. However, taking the time to really see what was going on, I realized that most of her antagonistic behavior was caused by tremendous insecurity. After learning more about her past experiences, I discovered that she had been rushed and intimidated in a previous training situation. While at home, she intimidated her owner. This was a horse that had experienced both extremes of weak and aggressive leadership. She felt insecure around people and reacted out of self-defense. This was further fueled by physical discomfort, tension, and an extreme lack of balanced movement. She hadn’t been taught to move with forward natural gaits, nor had she been allowed to travel with a relaxed topline either on the ground or under saddle. Since this mare is strong-willed, smart, young, and inherently energetic to boot, she reacted to her insecurities by lashing out. The behavior was aggressive in nature but not in intent. If I had treated this horse as though she was aggressive, I would have done nothing to alter her view of people or help her to become a pleasant horse to handle and ride. I would have done her harm. That’s why is so important to go beyond what seems obvious and delve deeper to identify the root cause behind your horse’s behavior.
For example, when your horse wanders around or jumps away when you squeeze the trigger on the fly spray, he is telling you something. No matter how many times he’s been sprayed in the past, he is Your horse’s actions and behaviors reveal everything you need to know about what he’s thinking and feeling. The secret to understanding your horse’s language is paying attention and learning how to interpret what he’s saying. Then you will have the tools to be a well versed communicator and to build a true partnership with your horse.
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