Most animals spend their lives in herds, packs, flocks, and prides. Horses rely on their mothers and their herds to provide a safe, trustworthy environment where they can learn behavior regulation, communication skills, exercise their intellect and bodies, and learn how to live in a social structure. When separated from their parents, horses suffer deep trauma, grief, confusion, and depression.
Domestication usually means separating horses from their mothers and herd long before puberty.
Newly separated horses who are allowed positive bonding experiences with sympathetic humans will begin their new lives successfully. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. The new experience of living in the world of humans may mean additional trauma because of rough or indifferent handling. Traumatized horses may aggressively attempt to keep humans at bay, or may become lethargic, spiritless, and lost. Such survival tactics can prompt increased abuse from human handlers who use rigorous training techniques based heavily on pushing, pulling, kicking, and punishment. In the end, these damaged horses may pass from owner to owner until they are permanently emotionally and physically injured. Frequently, severely traumatized horses are destroyed.
What Every Horse Needs
What must an empathetic human provide horses? Provide what was lost. Every horse needs empathy, encouragement, and support. Every horse needs:
- Someone with whom the horse can attach and trust and who will attach to the horse unconditionally; who will take the time to learn the horse’s language and understand his feelings and behavior.
- A safe haven where the horse can learn how to regulate his/her emotions, thoughts, and behavior.
- A safe haven to play and exercise both body and mind.
- A mentor and role model who inspires and encourages.
Equine Baggage
If your equine companion comes to you with personal baggage:
- Take it slow.
- Protect yourself. While some traumatized horses are lethargic, others are aggressive. It may help to keep a dressage stick in your hands at all times to protect your personal space by asking the horse to step beyond the stick’s reach.
- Enlist the aid of another horse person to help you.
- Don’t scare or worry your horse. If your horse becomes tense, STOP! Redirect your horse to a calming activity that he or she enjoys and can do easily. Analyze why your horse became tense and solve the problem.
- Neither tense horses nor tense handlers make good thinkers!
- Keep the time with your horse happy and stress-free.
- Don’t attempt to teach too much at the same time.
- Don’t bore your horse with too much repetition. Change activities.
- End your time with your horse on a good note, before he or she is bored or tired.
- Be patient. Teach new activities one at a time.
- If you’re having difficulty teaching a new idea, break it down into smaller parts or wait for another day.
- Always end the lesson with a special treat such as a cube of sugar.
When Things Go Really Wrong – Stop & Heal the Relationship
- Realize that you and your horse merely had a communication breakdown which momentarily hindered your confidence in each other and that you both need to take a break to re-establish your confidence and trust.
- Rebuild trust, don’t worry about the activity.
- Don’t try to retrain or confirm the lesson, don’t reprimand or punish or further confuse or traumatize your horse or yourself.
- Do something fun and calming with your horse—take a walk, play with a ball, groom, massage, and always smile and talk to your horse with encouragement in your voice.
- Then go back to a previous activity that your horse was doing well.
By Chris Forté
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