SECTION Health
West Nile Virus
SECTION Training
Schumacher Dressage Clinic
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Self
Preservation ~ Stay Put, Fight or Flight
The
strongest motivator of equine behavior is the will to live. When
horses encounter unfamiliar objects or creatures they are likely to react
in one of three ways. (1) If reassured by the calmness of his
herdmates or a trusted human companion, the horse may decide that it is
safe to stay put and evaluate the situation. (2) The horse may
attempt to frighten, threaten or destroy the object, or (3) he may turn
and flee in an attempt to outrun the perceived problem. What
can you do to help? If your horse chooses the fight
or flight options, you can try to determine what is alarming him and then
do your best using calming verbal tones and a quiet casual attitude to
restore his confidence.
The Need to Eat ~ Anxious, Agitated, Impatient, Kicking Out
All
equines need to eat to survive. Horses are a grazing animal and
therefore like to eat almost all the time. Horses not "on grass
pastures" often do not have this luxury and their urge to eat can
become an annoying problem. Stalled horses during feeding time can
become irritated or impatient and kick, paws, whinnie and even buck in the
stall until their hay and grain arrive. Wondering when their next
meal is coming cannot be good for horses. Impatience while waiting
to be fed can sometimes not be good for the barn. What
can you do to help? Evaluate your feeding
schedule to make sure it is adequate for your horse's needs. And
very important; feed on a regular schedule every day of the year.
The Need to Remain Comfortable ~ Pinned ears, Agitated
Awareness
of this instinct requires that you carefully observe your horse's body
language and reactions. Horses fear physical punishment from
humans. Whether you "hit" your horse or not, somewhere in
his past another human may have punished your horse and he may be quite
concerned when you raise a hand or whip quickly when he is nearby.
Horses often just smell the veterinarian coming and become agitated
because they can remember discomfort during medical treatments. Some
horses are difficult to tack up because their equipment is uncomfortable
or they have had unpleasant riding sessions. Horses who are trying
to avoid pain often will keep their head low, pin their ears and try to
get away from their handler. What can
you do to help? Be sensible and considerate when
working around your horse. Avoid quick, offensive movements and
gestures. When possible, place a reassuring hand on your horse
during medical procedures. Practice routine checks on your equipment
(the saddle in particular) to make sure the fit is proper.
and....don't hit your horse.
The
Need to Reproduce ~ "Mare-ish" & Unruly Behavior
Behavior
patterns stemming from this instinct are often misunderstood by human
caretakers. During the time when a mare
is sexually receptive she may squeal often, hold her tail to one side and
urinate frequently. When you are riding a mare "in season"
she may be more sensitive to your leg pressure on her sides.
Stallions and certain geldings will respond to a mare's seasonal behavior
and they might exhibit dominant behavior toward people and other
horses. This sort of behavior is almost always seasonal in nature
and usually goes away in the late Fall and Winter months. What
can you do to help?
Horses
that are extremely aggressive or are quite agitated may need hormonal
treatment and evaluation from the veterinarian. Horses that exhibit
this behavior year-round may need treatment as well.
The Need to Protect Offspring ~ Pinned Ears
& Threats
Horses exhibit "mother's instincts".
Some mares will do whatever they feel it takes
to protect their foal. Even well-meaning humans can get the pinned
ears and head shaking warning from Mama that means...stay away
period. Most domesticated mares trust and respect their caregivers
and welcome an active participation in the foal rearing. What
can you do to help? Be sensitive to the mare's
needs especially at the time of birth. Move slowly and quietly
during the first few days around the newborn foal. Follow the mare's
leads as to when and how much you can assist her in raising the foal.
The
Need to Communicate ~ Vocal & Non-vocal
This instinct and it's effect on
equine behavior is perhaps the most studied and discussed amongst
horsepeople. Horses are very social creatures and we refer to
them as "herd" animals. Countless studies have been done
in order to determine how horses communicate with one another. Watch
them in the pasture or paddock as they mutually groom each other.
Observe them standing side-by-side and nose to tail to keep flys off each
other. Notice how they can run and buck and kick out at each other
and no one gets hurt. Pretty impressive. All horseman have
observed the nickering of one stable-mate to another when they are
parted. Invariably, this occurs during your Championship class
at the big show of the year. What
can you do to help? Keep the companion in
sight at shows. Whenever possible, turn
your horse out with other compatible horses so that they can "be
horses". Become
aware of your horse's obvious as well as their subtle communications to
you and other horses. You don't have to be a "Whisperer"
to understand most of your horse's messages. Respond appropriately
and it will mean a lot to your horse's well-being.
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