(This blog was originally posted on June 20,
2014)
 |
| Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan |
One of the most important
components of having a “good” relationship with your (or any) horse is that you
respect each other. I described the importance of respect in the human-equine
relationship in my blog titled When
Respect Equals Love, Part 1. I also suggested some techniques to increase
your horse’s respect in the blog titled, When
Respect Equals Love, Part 2. When we work with them, we expect the horse to
identify us (humans) as their herd leader. We expect them to stay out of our
personal space and to move in the direction we ask, when we ask. However, for
this relationship to work we need treat the horse as a sentient individual that
has its own emotions, thoughts and motivations. Even though we assume an
assertive or even a dominant role in our interactions, ideally we communicate
what we want the horse to do rather than dominate and try to overpower it to
get our way. These attempts to overpower and force a horse to do what we want
rarely, if ever, work. An average-size horse outweighs the average-size man by
nine or ten times, it is capable of running 30 to 40 miles per hour, and it can
land a very powerful (and potentially lethal) kick when it feels cornered.
The irony is that we are
probably more likely to be injured working with or around our own very gentle, docile and affectionate
horse than another equine we don’t know as well at the barn where we ride. Why?
Because the routine we have with our horse—grooming, riding, bathing, feeding,
giving treats, etc.—is familiar, comfortable, a known. Many of us find that just being around our horse is
incredibly relaxing and even comforting
(I certainly do). But relaxation around horses can and often does translate
into carelessness. We duck underneath our horse’s neck to get to and groom the
other side of his body. We walk into the pasture to catch him while he is
turned out with other horses, discounting or ignoring the fact that the treats
we are carrying for our horse will also attract his herd-mates. This scenario could
quickly become very dangerous if our horse and the other animals try to bowl us
over to get to the treats. We forget (or neglect) to wear sturdy boots to the
barn to make sure that our horses have been fed and have enough water for the
night, and our diligence is rewarded with a gentle stomp on our unprotected
instep. Or, you forget (or neglect) to put on a helmet before heading out on a
short trail ride. When a bird suddenly, noisily explodes out of a nearby bush,
your terrified (bombproof) gelding bucks, spins, and dumps you on the ground as
he bolts back to the stable.
Now, imagine a different
scenario in which you are riding or grooming a horse that you don’t know very
well. For example, I am almost a different person when I handle any horse other
than my own. Whenever I lead my trainer’s stallions to or from the turnout, or
groom or clip any of her other mares or geldings, it is like I am crossing
every “t” and dotting every “i” in terms of following safety protocol. I don’t
really know any of these animals as well as I do my own horse, which means that
I must consciously (and subconsciously) be more aware that I should always be
on my guard in case one of them, well, acts like a horse. I know each of those
horses well enough to be able to identify their individual behavioral quirks
and idiosyncrasies; but at the end of the day, even though each animal is
bigger and stronger than me, when I am working with them I am the alpha in the herd.
While we expect our horse to
respect our role as the herd leader in the horse-human partnership, humans must
reciprocate this respect for this relationship to be successful. Whether your
horse is a hunter/jumper, cutter, dressage, endurance/trail horse, etc., he or
she is a very intelligent and powerful and likely highly trained animal. The
horse has opinions about what is going on around him or her, and has opinions
about what he or she wants (or doesn’t want) to do. Even though we know,
consciously, that our horse is not an over-sized puppy, the kind of love he or
she really needs from us does not come from the carrots we offer, or the kisses
or the marathon grooming sessions we provide. Our horses need to know that they
can’t push us around, run us over or scare us away from horses and riding
forever when they shy because a leaf just crunched under their hooves. Even though
we love and sometimes love “on” them, we must respect our equine partner(s) for
being a horse and all of the physical
and symbolic power this implies. And we will show our respect by being the
leader they need us to be.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a
certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with
honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2015
