Mariam Ma is a freelance writer for Drop In Bucket, a great source for horse care supplies such as horse fly masks and horse fly sheets to keep those pests at bay.
Despite mankind's top level status in the evolutionary chain, understanding and making friends in the animal kingdom has a lot of rewarding benefits. Whether the formed relationship is for companionship, working purposes, or both, it helps to when one can learn the language of the animal counterpart.
The great thing about animals is their honesty. They give signs of what they are thinking and feeling and it's up to you to decipher the message. It's no different with horses as you have to understand their mindset of where they are coming from.
Horses are herd animals. They are also prey animals so they can get a bit twitchy if they perceive you as a hunter. In the wild, a herd is governed by a boss mare. She protects the herd's safety by looking for dangers and motivates the herd into flight from predators. When the boss mare is on alert with her head up and her ears are pricked forward along with tense muscles, the herd knows it's a danger sign and is prepared to run at her signal. However, when the lead mare is relaxed with her head down grazing, the rest of the herd knows it can relax too. You can tell that a horse is at ease by the position of its head, the relaxation in the ears, the drop of the tail and yes, even a deep sigh too.
For her leadership, the boss mare is given complete obedience from the herd. She controls the space, food and water resources of the herd. This is the status that a horse trainer would want. A trainer will need to be accepted as part of the herd and take the position of a leader by providing safety and food resources.
In training a horse, it's about a trainer's ability to control his body language as well. He must not back away from a horse or else lose his position in the herd hierarchy. He must also control his breathing and his muscles as the fear will be sensed by the horses. The task is to establish leadership by portraying the ability to care for the herd and showing fear certainly won't inspire confidence!
By taking an interest in the nature of horses and how their minds work, it makes the relationship more beneficial to both the horse and the trainer. A relationship based on bonding rather than fear and pain makes natural horsemanship the preferred method in horse training.
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
- Solution for Common Problems of Horse Training
- Horse Training: It Just Takes A Little Bit Of Time
- Horse Training Secrets - the Right Regimen
- Horse Training The Natural Way
- Finding Horse Training Tips Online
- Understanding Herd Mentality in Horse Training
- Read on for Horse Training Basics for Anyone!
- Horse Training Tricks for the Beginner!
3 Simple Steps to Prevent Cat Health Problems
By: Laura Ramirez | 05/01/2010Taking steps to prevent cat health problems is a smart way to take care of your pet. In this article, you will learn three simple steps that you can take that can add quality years to your pet's life.
Feline Immunity Support - A Simple Plan For Caring Pet Owners
By: Laura Ramirez | 05/01/2010Feline immunity support is an important part of pet care, whether your cat is young, old or anywhere in between. This is because, like us, cats are exposed to all kinds of environmental stressors that can compromise their health. In this article, you'll learn how to boost immune system function in your cat.
Pearl Cockatiel - Main Characteristics And Behaviors
By: Thomas Roberson | 05/01/2010Pet bird lovers will surely love the attention-grabbing mutation of the pearl cockatiel. making this brilliant pearl cockatiel more endearing is their tender nature. They are not as loud as other species and they are adaptable to some changes in their surroundings.
Surgeonfish Overview
By: Indrani Muniandy | 05/01/2010The Surgeonfish family of marine fish represents one of the most recognizable saltwater aquarium fishes in the trade. They are all relatively large with the smallest of them obtaining a length of about 8 inches in captivity. The largest of them can reach lengths of over 3 feet. They are found throughout the worlds tropical seas and are some of the most colorful fishes in the wild. They fall under the family Acanthuridae, which means thorn tail as all surgeonfish have a small blade like protrusio
Flame Angelfish
By: Indrani Muniandy | 05/01/2010This is a guide on the Flame Angelfish.
How To Teach Your Dog To Sit
By: Jon Marley | 05/01/2010Teaching your dog to sit is one of the most important commands they will ever learn. It allows the owner and the dog to communicate with each other effectively, and effective communication is a good way establish a lifetime bond with your dog or puppy that will help reduce behavioral problems. It also doesn't matter how old or young the dog is, you can teach an older dog to sit, just like the puppy however it may take a little longer and more perseverance.
How To Walk Your Dog The Right Way
By: Jon Marley | 05/01/2010Walking your dog is one of the best activities that you can have with your furry companion, but what few people understand is they have to overcome the leadership mindset of the dog. Dogs are pack animals and have a tendency to either follow the leader or become the leader themselves. If you do not establish your dominance over the dog, then walking the dog will not be fun as the animal will do what he wants to do and nothing else.
Puppy Potty Training
By: Jon Marley | 05/01/2010Puppy house training is one of the most important things a new dog owner needs to teach their puppy. When a dog is properly potty trained an owner's life will be made much easier. Dogs will be less likely to urinate inside and more likely to perform their business outside quickly and without resistance.
Getting Rid of Dog Fleas
By: Mariam Ma | 05/09/2008 | PetsHow to stop the infestation of dog fleas before it turns into a nightmare.
Dog Allergies - Your Dog Suffers Too
By: Mariam Ma | 05/09/2008 | PetsAllergies are not just a human ailment. Find out the common type of dog allergies and how you can help!
The Inspiration Behind James Bond
By: Mariam Ma | 03/09/2008 | MoviesIan Fleming created the most famous spy in history. Was his creation autobiographical?
Learning CPR for Dogs
By: Mariam Ma | 01/09/2008 | PetsHaving man's best friend status requires that dogs get proper health care - including CPR for dogs.
The True Story Behind Reality TV
By: Mariam Ma | 19/08/2008 | TelevisionExamining if reality tv truly reflects everyday life.
Clearing the Obstacles - A Guide to Show Jumping
By: Mariam Ma | 19/08/2008 | PetsThe relationship between horse and rider is crucial in navigating through an obstacle course. This is one event where experience trumps youth.
The Name is James Bond, And Why You Love Him
By: Mariam Ma | 15/08/2008 | MoviesHis smugness and his life-style should make you hate him but find out why you just can't say no to 007.