How a Horse's Mind Works Instincts In all the years of domestication, many changes have been made to the conformation and appearance of the horse, dividing them into easily recognized breeds. But all the years of domestication have not affected the instincts at all. A horse is sort of like a cat. If turned out to live in the wild, 95% of them would have a fairly easy time adjusting. - The Pecking Order - Pressure and Release - Instincts, Sensitivity and Memory 1. Pecking Order... We have already discussed the pecking order. As before said, keeping the highest spot in the pecking order is an instinct that your horse will never unlearn. 2. Flight... Every one knows about the flight instinct in a horse. Your horse will spook and try to run when something frightens him. No matter how old or gentle he is. How apt he is to make a big deal out of it, depends in a large part on how much energy he has. For example, if he is getting a lot of hot feed, or if he has not been worked a whole lot, he will probably spook harder. The racing industry makes full use of the instinct to run. The reining horse industry has made full use of the instinct to turn and burn. Without training, he will run first and think later. Why think, when you can run. By training, you can teach your horse that thinking (problem solving) is another alternative. Which is why John Lyons, Ray Hunt, and many other round pen methods are so effective. Problem Some horses figure out that if they spook, the rider has to deal with that before continuing in the work they are trying to get done. Those horses will spook at anything, a blade of grass, horse and rider shaped shadow right next to them, a slightly larger gust of wind than the last one. In this case, you will have to build discipline. What has worked for me is driving the horse right back to the spot he spooked from. I usually use a sidepass, to stop the spook, and to bring him back to the spot we just left. Problem I have seen some horses, TBs and other hot natured horses, that will spook at the same thing (like a sign on the arena fence) every day, each and every time they come by it. The worst one I had would only quit after 30 min of intense work. I wish I could tell you what to do about that... 3. Herd... Staying with the herd is imperative for survival. About the only good thing about that is, when one horse gets out by himself, he is not likely to leave the other horses, and will stay around the place. Even 2 horses are likely to stay put, if the majority of the bunch is still in the corral/barn. The problems that arise from that, are horses that are barn and buddy sour. This will only be helped with training, and then with experience. Once a horse has enough experience being by himself, he will eventually learn to enjoy himself on the solo rides. Problem Descendants of the great horse Doc Bar are known to be exceptionally nervous by themselves or if tied to the fence, with no opportunity to run if threatened. I have found that tackling the problem head on (tying them for a long time, or separating them in a safe place), actually makes it worse. In my experience, letting them gain experience under saddle, being handled and controlled, will eventually build the confidence they need to handle being restricted and alone. Horses are very sensitive. Sometimes students tell me that their horse just don’t feel the leg pressure they put on him. That cannot be true. Have you ever seen a fly land on your horse’s side? Just how long does it take your horse to swish that fly off with his tail? So don’t let your horse tell you he can’t feel your leg, or your bit, or any other cue you might give him. If he won’t respond to your leg, wear spurs, (see the page on the Pecking Order) and give him something to respond to. Once he respects the spur, you don’t have to use it any more. He will move off your leg aid, if he knows the spur aid is coming next. Horses have long memories. Horses are second only to elephants in memory. They will remember anything. That means they will also remember the bad training they had. If your horse is hard in the mouth, or unresponsive to your leg, you can teach him to be more responsive. But he will always remember when he didn’t have to, and will occasionally test you on it. Learn to walk the fine line between advancing your training, developing muscle and coordination and enforcing your upper spot in the pecking order. Check out the Online Clinic...