IT’S NOT MAGIC
By Vicki Rhaesa
It is being aware of your partner…the horse. In the dictionary, this little five-letter word has a huge meaning. It means knowing or realizing; conscious and informed. Most people know, realize and are conscious of when situations go bad, but lack being informed as to why and how they ended up there.
I have been involved in the horse industry, in one form or the other, for over twenty-five years. I only wish that I could have had the knowledge I have today when I started working with horses years ago. I know it would have prevented a lot of disasters, frustrations, anger and many tears along the way.
About ten years ago, I went to a clinic at Seven Oaks Ranch and had the privilege of meeting Mr. Harry Whitney. During his four-day clinic, I saw him almost perform “magic” with people and their horses. I soon realized that it wasn’t magic, but it was his complete “awareness” of the horse. I have been like a sponge, soaking up everything I could from that day forward. I have traveled to many clinics, read many books, watched videos and etc. The resources on equine behavior, that is at our fingertips is tremendous. At times it can seem overwhelming trying to translate and process all of this information while at the same time your horse is giving you information all of the time. This is where the frustration begins with your relationship…not understanding the information that he is trying to convey to you, therefore; making it difficult for you to respond, in a correct manner, for him to understand in return.
With this thought in mind, I have tried to develop a condensed version of information that I have gathered throughout my travels, from clinics I have attended, to everyday experiences. But remember, all that you can learn and more importantly understand, is just as important. This shortened version is to , hopefully, help begin your awareness of and respect for the overall “bigger picture” of equine behavior.
First, we need to know the priorities of your horse:
1. Security – with security comes safety.
2. Comfort – simply being comfortable is the primary reason for everything he does.
Then we have human interaction priorities: (this is what your horse needs from you).
1. Portray a safe and comfortable attitude toward him.
2. Relate to your horse the way horses relate to each other through firmness and consistency. This is known as the “pecking order”.
The pecking order needs to be respected. Most people understand the definition of the pecking order (from the alpha horse down to the last horse in the herd), but they have difficulty in establishing the task. Horses are very clear as to who is in what position. Horses vote for their leaders every day, if not several times a day. If you are not there, the next in charge is quickly determined because horses live in the moment, by laws of nature and not by rules (certainly not our rules!).
Your horse needs to see you as his leader. You accept the position of dominant member when you take on a horse that is to be your dependent and companion. You can’t allow your horse to think he is in charge one moment and the next minute expect him to pay attention to you. When you are consistent, your horse will rarely challenge your authority. If you are inconsistent, the horse will periodically challenge that authority to see if you’re still in charge or it you are willing to step aside and let him take over.
Note: Human friendships normally are formed between peers and equals, horses relate to each other in a hierarchy.
The horse experiences everything you do when you are with him as a positive feeling )non-stressful and relaxed) or a negative feeling (stressful and tense). A horse needs to be relaxed before he can pay attention and learn. A tense horse is usually looking for a way to get out of Dodge. If he can’t find one, he will either blow or he will shut down, depending on his inclination. There is no learning going on with either one.
Concentration and being consistent starts with your horse from the moment you greet him in his stall until the moment you put him away. You have to pay attention to your horse at every moment if you want him to pay attention to you at every moment. If you aren’t concentrating or being consistent, you will be giving him mixed signals. He won’t know what to trust or not trust and his learning will be erratic, if he learns at all. The smart ones will just start to ignore you and the nervous ones will just get higher strung.
Being aware of your horse’s priorities and human interaction priorities (what he needs from you) will enable you to have better communication with your partner…the horse. Excellent communication is the key to any healthy relationship whether it is between husbands and wives, parents and children, teachers and students or between you and your horse.
Remember…communication between two individuals (being human or horse) is only complete when both parties truly understand each other. Only then, can you move forward in a positive direction towards unity!
This information was gathered from, one of the two workshops that I held at Seven Oaks Ranch last year. In the next issue information from the second workshop, on how to help your horse be a winner, will be discussed.
With becoming aware of your partner, allows you to be happy, therefore; your horse will be happy. Have fun!
Vicki Rhaesa has been fine-tuning her skills in understanding horses at Seven Oaks Ranch for over ten years. She has become one of the finest trainers in the area in dealing with horses and owners that need special attention. Those owners, that because of their lack of knowledge, have skipped so many of the things that go toward communicating with horses, and those horses that have suffered from the lack of this communicating. You may contact Vicki at: 913-592-5304.
