HERD ANIMAL NATURAL INSTINCT HORSE LANGUAGE HORSE SENSE Horsemanship Learning the Basic Psychology that motivates a Horse’s behaviour such as; Herd Formation, Natural Instincts, Horse Language and Horse Sense will help us appreciate what it is like to be a horse and why they do what they do. No Horse, No Human can fulfill their potential unless the human first learns to understand the way of the horse. HERD ANIMAL NATURAL INSTINCT HORSE LANGUAGE HORSE SENSE Click on each tab above to learn more

HERD ANIMAL Many of the horse’s natural behavior patterns such as herd formation and social facilitation of activities are directly related to their being a “prey animal.” Horses are highly social herd animals that prefer to live in a group with a linear hierarchy within the herd. They will establish a “pecking order” for the purpose of determining which herd member directs the behavior of others... a horse needs leadership to know where to run. This behavior pattern also applies to their interrelationship with humans. Horses are able to form companionship attachments not only to their own species, but with other animals as well, including humans. In fact, many domesticated horses will become anxious, flighty, and hard to manage if they are isolated. Horses kept in near-complete isolation, particularly in a closed stable where they cannot see other animals, may require a stable companion such as a cat, goat, or even a small pony to provide company and reduce stress. Back Next

NATURAL INSTINCTS A horse’s natural instinct for survival is the “fight” or “flight” response arising from the “fear instinct.” This is a reactive and immediate action in response to a stimulus in the horse’s environment where every fraction of a second counts for survival. Horse’s will run, spook, pull, kick or not leave it place of safety due to the horse’s primary survival instinct. Horses will fight back only when they are backed into a corner or if they feel their foal is being threatened. The flight or fight instinct could also be characterised when a horse experiences anxiety over separation while being handled by a human, which is described as being "herd-bound". However, through proper training, horses learn to be comfortable away from other horses, often because they learn to trust a human handler, essentially ranking humans as a dominant or leader member of a "herd.” Foraging is another important natural instinct, horses can spend up to 70% of their time in grazing activities. In the wild they would have to do this to find their food, they would forage to find things like shrubs, grass, and anything else they might eat in the wild. Domesticated Horses who spend most of their day in a stall should be provided hay as to eliminated the need to forage, otherwise unwanted vices can be established in the horse. Back Next

NON-VOCAL COMMUNICATION HORSE LANGUAGE If you have ever watched horses out in the pasture, you soon realize that they don’t make a lot of noises. Horse’s have underdeveloped vocal cords, so vocal communication is limited to nickers, whinnies and snorts. Non- vocal communication (body-language) is their main way to communicate with others. When working around horses many humans rely heavily on their voices to interact with the horse. Horses do not understand human language…but learn to associated the words with actions that are followed up by the handler to produce the desired response and/or behavior from the horse. VOCAL COMMUNICATION NON-VOCAL COMMUNICATION Click on each tab to learn more.