Horse behavior training is a very interesting subject to study. The most interesting areas of behavior are communication, whether between horses or a horse and man.

There are several ways horses communicate. Vocalization and visually are only two of them. Vocalization itself can be broken down in different kinds as well. Horse behavior training basically use the following cues and by knowing how to read the horse, one can communicate better with the horse.

Lets look at the most used and popular ones in horse behavior training:

A “neigh” is usually used as a greeting call but is most often used at times when a foal is separated from it’s mare and will repeatedly “neigh” until they are brought back together again.

Then there’s the “nicker” which used by horses to show a care response. Mostly used when the foal and mare are reunited it is also used as a sign of affection toward it’s owner.

Snorts and roars are used often used between horses, especially when meeting new horses. A very interesting thing that happens when horses meet are that they put their noses together, nostril to nostril to smell each other. Roars are also used to establish dominance in a new herd.

In terms of communicating through visual signs, the most easily observed and used in horse behavior training is the use of the ears. The ears can be held in a lot of different positions, each meaning something else. For example: when a horse’s ears are held in an upright and erect position it means that the horse is scared or alert. You will usually see this after a loud noise or when there are any new horses in the area. Horses laid back down is a sign of aggression displayed at other horses or the owner.

As you can see there are many different types of horse behaviors and with horse behavior training you can learn how to interpret them. This way you will get to understand your horse, thus making training so much easier and more effective.

By: Nathalie K

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As you’re acquiring your equestrian horse back riding training knowledge and getting enthusiastic about practising your horse training – you need to organise your tools and training areas so they’re on hand and available when you need them. Just as cricket players wouldn’t train or play amongst briars or on scrubby pitches and practise in specifically designed nets to improve their focus, you also need to have access to a variety of practise areas, so as your comfort and confidence increases with your horse back riding and horse handling skills training – you can then graduate to larger areas – WHY?- because until you’ve calmly and gently proven to your horse that you are in fact the leader, if they know they have the advantage and you let them show disrespect to you by the horse not stopping, or slowing when asked or they take off with you on their back unasked, they have gained leadership and won’t feel the need to demonstrate respect to you.

Areas you need access to are:

A yard;

A 22 ft round yard;

A 40 x 60 ft arena or fenced area of a size similar to that;

One acre;

Larger acres, a track or trail.

Remember – your horse doesn’t have the same view of YOU that you do – when you walk into a paddock of 9 horses, there is a pecking order – number 1 is the boss and number 9 is lowest ranking – when YOU walk in the paddock they ALL SAY here comes number 10! That’s right they think they can boss you! – That’s why learning the art of gentle communication and leadership is so important. When your horse is comfortable, you are confident and comfortable with your training and know that you have leadership, riding on the trail is relaxing for YOUR HORSE and you can practise a training move every now and then, get it right and go on enjoying the trail.

Many horses that have trouble with the bridle and bit prefer and respond kindly to the “Natural Hackamore”, as they soften in the body and all of their stiff unwanted muscle memories due to ‘opposition reflex’ to the bit disappear and they look forward to their work. NOTE: You need to learn about the “Hackamore” and demonstrate effective use and skill at directing, stopping and slowing your horse using the “Hackamore or halter” in the round yard and arena before attempting to use it on the trail.

Tools that you need for effective training are:

A natural halter with knots – like one by Nungar Knots;

A natural Hackamore with reins;

A loose ring jointed bit snaffle bit – a sweet iron bit is nicer for your horse;

A plain bridle with No Cavesson or dropped nose band – this is replaced by effective training;

Sports mans reins;

A 12 and 22 ft lead rope.

The 12 and 22 foot lines allow your horse to respond to you from a distance and show you respect, or if frightened to move away impulsively but still have a connection with you. These tools allow you to communicate to your horse in a way that builds the horses comfort and allows you to also build your comfort levels when you train your horse and advance your equestrian horse back riding skills.

By: Suzanne Garrard

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Don’t take the decision of a horse training guide lightly. The right guide can make all the difference between horse training success and failure.

Horse training is serious business and should not be taken lightly.

Due to the fact that horses are not classified as a domestic animal, they won’t be able to perform any tasks or activities when just taken out of the wild. Horse training is needed as an untamed horse which is very uncontrollable, won’t be useful to an owner at that particular stage.

Different tasks which horses are commonly used for are for transport which is the most commonly used task, farm work, sport or even warfare! In order for a horse to carry out any of the tasks intended for them it is vital for them to undergo training sessions so they can perform these basic tricks and tasks. A horse training guide is ideal for this.

A great training guide can unlock the full potential of your horse. When the mindset of the horse has been conditioned, it will be able to absorb the training much easier, being more open to learning new tricks.

For many people having a deeper connection to their horse is a very important to them. Building a bond of trust is also very important. Through the principles of natural horsemanship, secrets of a horse whisperer and wisdom of many contributors, a great horse training guide has been put together trough the many questions real live person’s had with their own horses. You will learn how to deal and solve any horse behavioral problems you might be experiencing.

If there is any one problem you may be experiencing with your horse you can fix it through the use of practical steps and instructions without needing to force your horse which can be totally unnecessary to both you and your loved horse. Having answers to these problems at your fingertips might just be what you needed.

By: Nathalie K

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I have been a horse nut for as long as I can remember. I had owned a number of horses which I had some training to do on each horse after my purchase. But it wasn’t until I purchased a totally untouched horse, raised in the wild that I had the challenge to correct a horse that was prone to flight. It took me a while to correct and thankfully my horse, myself and others around him never got hurt in the process. I hope this article will help you correct this problem in your horse, quickly and without injuries.

I was tired of retraining horses and tired of trying to fix a problem that someone else had created in a horse that I purchased for my own. So in order to fix this problem I found a yearling that had been field bred and spent the first year of his life in the Cascade mountains. He was untouched and totally wild. I negotiated his price, and an agreement to get him to the sellers home with the understanding that I have the use of her round pen for 2 weeks.

The first four to five days it seemed as though there was little to no progress made, but on day 6 I started to see improvement and by day 14 I had him in a straight load trailer without a fight. I was truly amazed that an animal so wild just 2 weeks before could be transformed in 14 days with just 2 to 3 hours a day of slow gentle work on my part.

This was just the beginning of many years of training. He is now 12 years old and is a wonderful trail horse and a true companion of mine. He is not fully trained as I don’t think any horse, at least any of my horses ever are. I believe in the saying, “always be training”, and I always will be. He is smart and gentle now but he was a problem to get the flight instinct out of him and make him use his brain. I would work with him and think I had him fixed until a turkey would fly up on the trail and suddenly I was without a horse under me!

A flighty horse has to be fixed and until he is, the horse will be dangerous to handler, rider and the people that are around him as well as dangerous to himself. The final straw was when I was camping, I got two horses saddled and ready to go for a ride, I tried them to a hitching post and went to the outhouse. When I came out I noticed that something was bothering my horse, I don’t know what, could have been a horsefly or something. I started over to him at a quick walk so I could untie him and find out what was going on. As I got to him, and before I could get the quick release knot untied he exploded. Now this is a big horse, about 1400 pounds, at a standing position he sprung off the ground like he sprouted wings. He came down on the hitching post which broke off at each end and was now a log tied to him which scared him even more and he took off. Now my other horse is still tied to the log and as he takes off she has no choice but to follow. There I was watching my two horses running off in the camp with a log between them. What a wreck!

From this story you can see that something very slight can create a terrible situation and a flighty horse needs to be corrected before these things happen. This was the hardest thing to correct in this horse and I attribute it to the first year of his life when he had real predators like bears and mountain lions. It took a lot to get him to think before flight but I did get that result and so can you.

Here is the horse training lesson in my online library that will fix this problem and a few others in the process. As with most things in horses, fix one thing and it will have an effect on other problems and other benefits to your horse training. [http://www.horsetack-supplies.com/horsetrainingflightyhorse.php]

By: Jackie Heinen

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The simple reality is that an average 150 pound human has no means and ways to control a 1000 to 1200 pound horse. You can use the meanest bit in the world – and the horse can just throw you in the dirt. But does that mean we have to be afraid of horses?

Obviously not. Thousands of people are riding or driving horses – and enjoy the heck out of it. Yes every now and then accidents happen – but you could just stumble in your yard and break a bone.

But: What I call the “fear factor” can greatly influence how you train, ride or drive your horse.

Many years ago I had a friend who just loved trail riding and driving. There was only one problem. Besides an old Mustang mare the girl never got along with the horses she had. After a couple years the “problem horse” got sold. It took me along time and all my psychological knowledge to find out what was really going on.

Pretty much unconsciously the girl was afraid of horses. That was the reason why she always “over-controlled” the horse. For the horse this meant that something was wrong. The horse got nervous and the problem kept growing.

In another example I watched a girl saddle a Morgan mare. She was acting way over-cautious, telling the horse in a whispering voice that everything was ok, when she put the blanket on. The horse got extremely nervous – about ready to blow – in the process. I had not ridden but handled the mare a lot. So I stopped the girl, took the saddle and blanket off and walked the horse a little.

Then I went back to the hitch rail, kind of threw the blanket and saddle on “cowboy style”, cinched up, put the bridle on – and way we went. The mare was just fine with that.

So, what is the point here?

I have observed many cases where a – often unconscious – “fear factor” had a very negative impact on the training or handling of a horse. Horses can “read” us humans often much better than we can read them. They sense tension or fear and it translates to them into some danger that they cannot make out.

How can you solve such a problem?

Well, first of all horses are not by nature aggressive. Second, most accidents are caused by a lack of attention or just wrong handling on the human side. I once got kicked pretty hard, because I did not pay attention. I tapped a horse on the butt, not noticing he had a nap and did not hear me coming.

I have written in another article about “trust”. This is a good way to overcome the “fear factor” – a bond of trust between you and the horse.

And especially when you are training horses the key is to pay attention. A raised head, folded back ears or a foot lifted ready for a kick are big red warning flags. The horse is uncomfortable or even afraid. When I work with horses on picking up their feet, I keep body contact with the horse. That way I can feel when the horse tenses up – which is another warning sign. Before I can go on I have to solve the cause of the tension.

If you encounter that a horse acts “strange” when you handle it, do some soul searching. There is a good chance that you are the reason.

By: Wolfgang Maass

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