Why are horses fearful? Do they have nightmares or do they fear ghosts?
They are fearful because of their evolution survival instincts.
Let me do a little deeper. Nature has made horses to be a part of the fodder in the food cycle. They've been preyed upon by predators from time immemorial. That's where the evolution part comes in? Horses are fearful because they have survived by being alert and shrewd. These marks, have become part of their inherent nature, and tend to rule even when they're in relative safe settings; it is these that will make them fight or flight occasionally.
You can't entirely remove these instincts, but you can certainly curb their power over the behaviour of a tame pony.
You begin by checking yourself out. What kind of impression do you portray when handling your horses? Do you portray confident fearlessness or nervousness? When your pony abruptly shows skittishness, how do you deal with the reason behind this behaviour? Say some machine that your horse has not seen before is spooking him. Is it your initial instinct to shut down that machine?
You aren't doing your horses a favor if that is the way that you react. You are adding to the difficulty instead of solving it.
Your horse looks up to you as a protector. He comes out of a species with a herd mentality, where a strong herd leader cares for the remainder of the herd. If you have just a horse or 2, you are their direct herd leader. If you've got a herd, they will have their own equine herd leader, but you will still be a notch above that herd leader. Either way, you are the final authority.
That means that your response to situations is mirrored in your horses attitudes. If you are scared, they will be. If you're cool and courageous, they will steadily learn to be also.
To go back to the piece of machinery that spooked your pony, what you shouldn't be doing is turning it off or taking it away. Go to your horse with total poise. He may back off, but stay firm. Stay by him until he quietens down, then rub him gently at the withers. This way, you are telling him that there is no threat from the machine. You are informing him that you're feeling no fear of the machine, and neither should he. Once you've calmed down your horse sufficiently you advance toward the machine instead of away. If at any stage your pony shows nervousness again, you take the same steps and keep soothing him. Shortly enough, your horse will get so used to the machine that he won't notice its existence anymore!
You can follow this procedure or adaptations of it to help your horses out of their fear of just about anything that is not really a real threat to them.
They are fearful because of their evolution survival instincts.
Let me do a little deeper. Nature has made horses to be a part of the fodder in the food cycle. They've been preyed upon by predators from time immemorial. That's where the evolution part comes in? Horses are fearful because they have survived by being alert and shrewd. These marks, have become part of their inherent nature, and tend to rule even when they're in relative safe settings; it is these that will make them fight or flight occasionally.
You can't entirely remove these instincts, but you can certainly curb their power over the behaviour of a tame pony.
You begin by checking yourself out. What kind of impression do you portray when handling your horses? Do you portray confident fearlessness or nervousness? When your pony abruptly shows skittishness, how do you deal with the reason behind this behaviour? Say some machine that your horse has not seen before is spooking him. Is it your initial instinct to shut down that machine?
You aren't doing your horses a favor if that is the way that you react. You are adding to the difficulty instead of solving it.
Your horse looks up to you as a protector. He comes out of a species with a herd mentality, where a strong herd leader cares for the remainder of the herd. If you have just a horse or 2, you are their direct herd leader. If you've got a herd, they will have their own equine herd leader, but you will still be a notch above that herd leader. Either way, you are the final authority.
That means that your response to situations is mirrored in your horses attitudes. If you are scared, they will be. If you're cool and courageous, they will steadily learn to be also.
To go back to the piece of machinery that spooked your pony, what you shouldn't be doing is turning it off or taking it away. Go to your horse with total poise. He may back off, but stay firm. Stay by him until he quietens down, then rub him gently at the withers. This way, you are telling him that there is no threat from the machine. You are informing him that you're feeling no fear of the machine, and neither should he. Once you've calmed down your horse sufficiently you advance toward the machine instead of away. If at any stage your pony shows nervousness again, you take the same steps and keep soothing him. Shortly enough, your horse will get so used to the machine that he won't notice its existence anymore!
You can follow this procedure or adaptations of it to help your horses out of their fear of just about anything that is not really a real threat to them.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers read more
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers read more
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