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Horsemanship 101, Understanding the Horse, Human Relationship
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Horses are Natural Born Followers
By: Christopher J. Bohenek, Horse Clinician & Horse Trainer
Horses are natural born followers; they look for competent leaders within the herd, one that will protect, provide and produce a peaceful coexistence within the herd.
When the human is involved, the horse will in turn look to us for that leadership, reassurance, guidance, protection and/or approval. But what happens if the human cannot provide those qualities?
When a horse feels that the human is not capable of providing that leadership, reassurance, guidance and protection, the horse's natural
tendency is toward self- preservation and its survival mechanism takes over. And this is where problems begin to develop.
This can be seen in the most common behavioral problems, for example: Bucking, rearing, running off, kicking, biting, being hard to
catch --- you know the symptoms and signs. This goes all the way down to the subtlest of problems such as difficulties with bridling,
grooming, trailer loading, shoeing, crossing water and many more. While the actual behavior may vary, the usual cause does not.
Horses can go from having the least noticeable problems such as lack of forward motion, erratic transitions, lack of a soft feel to the
much more severe types of problems such as those mentioned above. If you are reading this, then of course the key is to understanding the problem, the cause and the remedy.
 If the human, being the superior species, can find some way to relate or convey to their horse what
is being asked of them in a manner that is clear, direct and consistent without fear of punishment or
failure, then the horse really is capable of understanding and absorbing the information given to it.
By making the situation more comfortable for the horse to learn and retain information that is being presented, the more successful the outcome will be. Sounds simple in words but again, the key is to
understanding and making it work in action.
Horses in fact love to learn. Just like people, they need a job and a purpose in life. So if we simply
learn how to set up the right situation for them, get out of their way both mentally and physically, the
horse will have a much easier time finding it on their own. This will make the learning process for the
horse far more receptive and in the long run will save time and energy. In this way, the horse will come to learn that when something is being asked of it, they will always be given all the time needed
to find the correct answer without fear of punishment of any kind. In a horse's world, physical
punishment will immediately cause them to want to "fight" or "flight". I prefer the alternative which is "join up".
For the horse, successful learning without excessive human interference or pressure will mean far more than repetitive, relentless
pressure. Each new lesson with your horse will be that much more positive and constructive if it is done without constant reprimand
and punishment. Remember, the horse is not trying to disobey you - you are simply not communicating clearly to your horse what you
are asking for. Getting angry is your problem, not that of your horse!
This concept is probably best seen in the style of training called Condition Response Training, where no time is allowed for the horse
to absorb new information. As simple as it may be and with the slightest error in the lesson, this approach brings spurring and jerking
upon the horse out of human "fear." In fact, the only thing that is happening is that both horse and rider are scared due to a lack of
knowledge. Our goal is to be knowledgeable about what we want from the horse before we actually ask anything of the horse.
We want the horse to have as much time as needed to sort out this new information coming at it. By using the basic methods of what I call Hunting and Gathering, the horse will be allowed to search around until it hunts up the release and by doing so, it will gather all
of the information we are presenting in each new lesson.
What happens when we don't give the horse enough time to sort out new information on its own? This is when we will see a horse that
becomes filled with anxiety, fear, anger and eventually, resentment. In the horse, you can see it in his expression; ears pinned, tail switching, feet stomping, rearing, kicking, biting and so on.
These problems, once developed, are very difficult to reverse over a short period of time. The horse must first and foremost (and we
must remember this in order to be successful with horses) rely on its self-preservation and natural instinct to survive. Second, when the
human is brought into the picture, the horse will be molded to whatever that person teaches them.
So this is a very important job that the human must take very seriously, for whatever is done to the horse good or bad, it will not be
hidden. Remember, the horse does not lie. Eventually, everything you have taught or not taught to that horse, will show up at one
point or another, exposing our strengths as well as our weaknesses, our understanding or lack thereof.
This means that whatever we teach a horse will become what that horse knows as its "second nature." When their second nature is to
brace to an offered feel or to escape through the feel, this can present a dangerous situation in a very short amount of time. Even the
simplest action you teach your horse, will either come back to reward you or bite you and with a 1000 pound animal, you want as many rewards as you can achieve.
For an individual to fix or overcome what the horse has now learned, what we call its second nature of problem behavior, remember
that the horse still thinks this is correct behavior because he learned it from a human. What this means for us, is that we must restart
the horse offering only the best deal possible, setting up our lesson so that the horse never fails, only succeeds. Once this new process
is established and be forewarned that it can take a very long time, depending upon your horse, the "second nature" will start to change
and become one of softness, understanding, gratitude and learning ability.
When we offer feel to a horse in a way that they can understand easily, they will find comfort, stability and safety, making each new
transition to more advanced learning attainable, pleasurable and rewarding to both horse and human.
Remember The truest reflection of oneself is not found in a mirror, but rather in the eyes of a horse.
Good Luck and may you and your horse enjoy the circle ahead! Sincerely, Chris Bohenek
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