Although Man has the power of speech – and horses also vocalise – a major aspect of communication is body language. When in close proximity to each other, horses vocalise very little but communicate all the time. And so does Man. Understanding the nuances of speech is much easier if the other person's facial expressions and body stance can be observed.
When horses communicate, it is surprising how much of it is physical. Horses are very physical creatures and anyone who spends time with them will quickly learn to read even the smallest nuances. What Man needs to do is find an equivalent that he can do easily and that the horse can understand just as easily. Here are some basic suggestions:
Positive Communication
These are the nice things to 'say' to each other. Horseman often pat or stroke their horse or give treats and horses soon learn that these are rewards. They are variations of the horse's own rewards to each other.
- Scratching – horses will scratch each other with their teeth around the neck, crest, withers and rump as a sign of affection. Humans can easily emulate this by using their fingers. It's a good way of helping a tense horse relax – which is why grooming horses can have a calming effect too.
- Rubbing – horses will rub their heads against each other or will press their head against another's flank when seeking security.
- 'Cuddling' – Horses will often stand with their heads over another's back, seeking close contact. Man can mimic this by resting an arm across the horse.
- Whickering – a low sound, which man can replace with a soft voice.
Negative Communication
Man has often been guilty of using weapons against the horse which give him an unfair advantage. Whips, spurs, ropes, chains etc. are all used to punish the horse – yet the horse has no access to such weapons. From the horse's point of view, if a reprimand is needed, who needs a weapon? With horses, since they understand the threat, they rarely require the punishment!
- Teeth – Horses will lay their ears back and bare their teeth before either a) biting or b) punching. The aim will almost always be for the neck, flank or rump. Whilst Man should never punch a horse around the head, he can imitate the biting and punching of the horse with a slap or thump on the neck, flank or rump – often the stance of Man threatening such action is enough for the horse to accept the clear meaning.
- Feet – Striking out with the front feet, kicking with one or both hind feet – this is serious punishment! So often, if Man gets kicked, his reaction is to pick up a weapon and beat the horse for the 'crime'. Yet, if Man simply swung his own leg at the horse, threatening like with like, the horse would recognise the threat much faster and probably evade the threat, conceding the point.
- Driving Out – This is the second highest form of punishment amongst horses. A serious offence will result in the Matriarch driving the offender out of the herd and keeping it there until some form of submission is displayed. In the wild this could have serious consequences if predators were in the area. Natural Horsemanship has based its techniques on this particular behaviour pattern and developed it as a basis for the technique of 'Join Up'.
- Putting to the Floor – The ultimate horse punishment. The offender is either wrestled or driven to the ground until it lies prone. The perpetrator then has the ultimate power over the fallen horse and can either permit the offender to regain it feet or, in extreme cases [usually stallions fighting for supremacy], deliver a 'death blow'. Some trainers drag horses to the floor using ropes in order to achieve ultimate dominance over the horse. 'Parelli' uses games to teach the horse to lay down on command.
Human Terms
It is relatively easy to teach a horse to associate certain words and voice tones with specific actions – whether as a command to the horse or a threat of a reprimand. A soft tone, or a stronger command, or a growl, or a harsh shout – all can then be used when necessary.
It is important to get the context right and to be consistent at all times. Problems can arise with horses which have been around a while and had training from others. It is impossible to know all the techniques used, or issues which may arise from previous incidents. Even if we could have access to all the details of a horse's past, upbringing and training, it would still be impossible to calculate the horse's reactions in the future. One more reason why we should always be assessing and re-assessing our horses.
Christine Turner-Crowe - I've been around horses for forty years in a wide variety of spheres and specialise in problem horses, riders who have lost their ...
