Understanding – The First Of The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse

28 18:09:32

Yesterday we talked a little about the 6 Keys for a
Life Long Partnership with your horse, today I would
like to visit with you about the first key,
*Understanding.*

Have you ever wondered why your horse acts like he does
how he thinks and moves? If so, then you need to
understand the prey-predator relationship, but before
we start it’s important that you understand, if your
going to effectively communicate with horses you need
to *think like horses*. You need to look at and approach
everything from the *horse’s point of view*.

If you understand that horses are prey animals and that
*horses perceive people as predators* and realize that
each thinks differently, you can begin to understand how
your horse thinks, acts and moves, and why you react the
way you do. Understand, Both the horse and human are
simply considering all factors then adjusting to the
situation.

If you understand that horses are Prey animals by nature,
are programmed to be cowards and are herd fear-flight
animals, in other words when they perceive danger they
run and continue running until they feel they have
escaped the danger, then you can begin to develop a
deeper apreciation of why your horse acts, thinks and
moves like he does.

To horses we *humans* look and smell like *predators*.
If your going to communicate with your horse in an
effective manner then it’s necessary to prove to your
horse that you are not a predator. You need to
understand what type of behavior you need to show if
you are to get a certain behavior from your horse.

Once the horse accepts that you are not as bad as you
seem and you are not a predator he becomes gentle, in
other words he no longer perceives you to be dangerous.

In a herd of horses there is always a pecking order
and once your horse decides that you are not a danger
to him he will put you in a pecking order to fit into
his world (remember all of this is about the horse his
world and perceptions not yours) you will be placed
higher or lower depending on respect and authority.

*Remember the horse is a prey animal and is supposed to
act the way he does.** It’s your task to help him act
less like a prey animal and more like a partner. To
accomplish this you need your horse to be sensitive or
aware of your cues and communication rather than danger.

You need to turn his flight from fear reaction into
forward motion or impulsion. You have to work at getting
him to want to be with you, to take the herd instinct
and turn it into bonding with you.

The concepts you and I have discussed today are much
easier said than done. Why, because horses and humans
think differently and this is often a source of
conflict.

Let’s wrap up what we have discussed today. You will
gain respect from our horse if you uphold your
responsibilities which are: Not act like a predator,
be where you need to be emotionally when communicating
with our horse, to think like a horse and not a human
and focus on where you are headed and what you want to
do, if you do your horse will sense this, respect you
and follow you as the leader.

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In the next article we will discuss Mind Set; Your
Attitude= How you communicate. Being assertive
vs.aggressive and being evenhanded. Your mind-set
(attitude) affects the mind-set (attitude) of your
horse.

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*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in this article
is of my personal opinions and beliefs and should not be
taken as anything more.

About The Author:

Mike Gorzalka has spent the better part of his life
around horses. His dad, Mike Sr., taught him the
importance of understanding the horse and how to use a
firm, but kinder and gentler approach to helping horses
understand what it is we humans are trying to
communicate.