[CanadianWrangler]

(Trying to keep it short and sweet)

Many people feel that handling any horse without a halter or bridle is careless, or that when horses are handled that way, the horse is "displeased" (ears pinned and tail swishing). Maybe you had better take a closer look, and set aside your preconceptions about horse handling techniques.

I can say that the better you can control a horse without rope/restraints the better communication/understanding/trusting relationship you can have with your horse. This in turn allows better handling with a halter, lead, bridle, etc, etc.

To communicate a person being dominant/alpha, the person has to be aggressive, and assertive, and demonstrate it to the horse in a fashion it understands. Being no different from a stallion rounding up a mare telling her which direction to travel in. Only a stallion enforces their ‘commands’ through nipping, biting, and occasionally kicks, if his ‘directions’ aren’t heeded. But the mare knows what the stallion is telling her. This is easily observable in any mare and stallion horse herd.

These methods of horse training are much easier for a horse to understand, and react correctly to, as they are closer to a horse own language. Yes it takes more time, and patience, but leaves you with a better, and more trusting relationship with your horse. The horse views you as its ‘partner’ that should be respected and not a predator that it must obey, and fear. You never actually have to use a lot of force. Halters and ropes work on pressure, and pain to enforce discipline. Respect comes from mutual trust, and communication, rather than fear of painful consequences. Achieving a method of communicating between you and your horse is the goal of any training.

There are still consequences when a horse doesn’t respond to non-restraint training; they are just not a quick and decisive as the snap of a whip. Remember that the goal of non-restraint training is to make the right things easy/comfortable for the horse to do and the wrong things hard/uncomfortable. In this when the horse responds correctly they are allowed rest, and to be comfortable/rewarded. If they do not respond properly they are ‘reprimanded’ by having to continue to work, and be uncomfortable. This is a simple psychological tool for any animal; “If that didn’t feel good the first time I did that then I won’t want to do that again!” Also known as: Negative Reinforcement vs. Positive Reinforcement’

* Negative reinforcement is a consequence that causes discomfort (Punishment 1) for an action taken.

* Positive reinforcement is a consequence that causes a pleasure/comfort (Rewarding 2) for an action taken.

1. Punishment: is the least amount of discomfort necessary to be applied as a consequence for an improper behaviour to elicit an accumulated effect of extinction of that behaviour.

2. Reward: is the application of comfort/pleasure applied as a consequence for a proper behaviour to elicit a preference for that behaviour.



By positively reinforcing/rewarding a correct action you can thereby make the horse WANT to repeat that behaviour. By negatively reinforcing/punishing a wrong action you can thereby make the horse NOT WANT to repeat that behaviour.

With consistent and persistent use of cues, and properly used reward vs. punishment for the horses actions. You can train a horse to completely stop doing undesired actions, and only do correct actions.

Communication

The human power of observance and understanding is all any person needs to learn basics of “horse talk”. By going to the school of “Just sit on the fence and watch the horses.” you can learn a great deal about how horses communicate between each other. Everything you need to know about a horse they will tell you. There isn’t even a need to interact with horses to learn from them. Just observe horse interacting with other horses. Granted it’s hard to learn about herd behaviours when one is inaccessible, but even two horses speak ‘horse talk’ to each other.
The school of “sit on the fence and watch the horses” only involves going through the mo-‘tions’.

The mo-tions are:

 Observation – observe the behaviour/action.
 Recognition –recognize the reaction to that behaviour/action.
 Comprehension – comprehend the meaning of the behaviour/action.
 Imagination – think of a way of emulate that behaviour or action to get the reaction it evoked in other horse.
 Imitation – imitate the body language the horse used to signal other horse.
 Variation – vary your strategy, and technique of imitation.
 Modification – modify your body language presentation and position.
 Communication - communicate with your horse efficiently, and effectively.

This lays a course of thinking on how to progress your communication with, and understanding of, your horse/s.

Horses give many subtle cues as to what their next move will be, and being able to read these signals is a skill that is a definite advantage for your own safety. In general you can tell what a horse is going to do before they even try it, IF you know what to look for and how to interpret it. This is no replacement for experience, but a definite advantage to add to it.




Non-predatory Approach

Another area that learning to control a horse, without restraints and ropes can be beneficial, is when dealing with wild, never handled horses or mustangs. Instead of getting the horse afraid of you, by even attempting to get a rope on them, you can build trust and understanding even prior to touching the horse.

You can accomplish gaining an ‘untamed’ horses trust through firstly trying to appear as little like a predator (something the horse feels will hurt it) as possible. This is done through controlling your body language and positioning in relation to the horse.

Horses have 2 main reactions when it comes to dealing with a perceived threat. Firstly is flight; to run away from whatever has scared them. And secondly, if unable to flee, they will fight. By having this understanding in mind when handling any horse is a must, and can help you avoid getting into a potentially dangerous situation. Non-restraint training has much to do with both horse and human being safe around one another, as much as learning skills, and responses from cues.

Handling an untamed horse is started by determining their "comfort zone". Any horse has a certain distance away from you they "prefer" to be. When you enter this "comfort zone" they will try to move away from you to get you back to the "preferred" distance between you and them.
What you have to do is get them comfortable with you being IN that space. This can be done by slowly and calmly approaching the horse.

When approaching; avoid direct eye contact. Wild/nervous horses are very sensitive to direct eye contact, and view it as being "predatory". As such it is a threat to them which they will instinctually try to get away from it/you. Evolution has determined that as a predatory species, a human’s eyes are positioned forward in there heads, as with most predatory mammals (bears, canines, cats, etc… ). This allows predators to focus on a target and better judge distance and rate speed. What this adaptation gains in focus it lacks in peripheral vision (seeing beside and behind them). A prey animal like horses, cattle, and other herbivores, have adapted eyesight which gives them tremendous peripheral vision by locating their eyes on the sides of their heads. A horse has a vision range of slightly less than 360 degrees (full circle). This allows them to spot predators approaching from almost any angle, and flee.

The best area to look at and watch is a horse’s ears. They tell you more about where a horse’s attention is directed, and is not viewed as threatening to them.

When you enter their “comfort zone” only take a few slow steps at a time, and don't walk directly at the horse (again direct approach is viewed as "predatory"). Slightly ‘zig-zag’ towards the horse, and angle your body at a 45 degree angle to the horse. This will keep your profile narrower, and also less threatening. When they begin to want to move away from you stop approaching. Take a couple small steps back from them, and then just stand there and let the horse get a feel for your being closer, in their ‘comfort zone’. Backing up and stopping helps convince the horse that you are not a predator going to hurt them, as predators don't back away. Eventually you will be able to get up close to the horse without it moving away or trying to run. With enough time, patience, and consistency you will be able to make the horses comfort distance away from you less and less.

This can be done with the horse in a fairly larger area so that they don't feel crowded, and can move away from you freely if they wish. An added point here is that in a tight space a horse will try to run past/over you to get you to their "preferred" distance if they are cornered and especially if scared. It is better to respect the horses comfort zone and get it smaller slowly rather than have the horse injure itself or you by it trying to get away from you.

While doing all this you have to be patient, quiet, and not make any sudden movements. Sudden movements will scare them, make you seem predatory, and break their trust/confidence that you are trying to build.
Always be conscious of trying not to seem like a predator to the horse. If your horse feels you are going to hurt it then it will try to get away from you as soon as possible.

It is up to you to be the one using your knowledge, experience, imagination, and understanding to learn how to communicate to a horse. They do not have the mental abilities of us, and need us to use ours.

(ok so its not quite sooo short)

[caden]

I totally agree with you. We contantly handle all of our horses this way. I especially like how the stallion reacts with me. He is very social which a lot of stallions are, but he especially likes the time we have just walking around sometimes playing. Rarely does he ever get pushy and if he does it just takes the sound of my voice for him to know he's wrong, and you can actually see the I'm sorry in his eyes. There are times when we just hang out for hour this way.
And when it comes time to work I never have an issue with him.

Sally&JIm

[Idrivetrotter]

I'm not 100% sure of what you are trying to get across here. Not all horses would be able to be controllable with this ie racehorses, fit eventing/endurandace horses, or a hot horse. Control equals safety not just for handler but for horse as well. Do what it takes to have control without making it abusive. I have a mare that needs a lip shank when she leaves the barn area to go to lasik for racing, I also have a colt that would follow you without a leadrope, but just because I CAN doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. If it works for you or your horses fine, just don't make it a lofty goal for ALL horses or handlers, some handlers do not have that "touch" to do this.

[Dawn]

I'm confused. How does no halter/leads have anything to do with aggresive body language in the horse?

Great post, but I don't see the connection.

[caden]

Your statement is very good IDriveTrotter. I spend so much time with my guys that this works for me. I have have always had very good success with horses I have trained, but all horses would not repsond to this, so I was bit premature in my last statement. I have kept this kind of temperment in my bloodlines, and know what I have here.
Don't want to get anyone hurt. But I have seen good horses ruined by people who call themselves trainers. Being able to read the horse how this all started is something some people will never be able to do, and the people who are a bit imtimidated don't stand a chance.

Sally&JIm

[ridegrrl]

This is the first post here that I've noticed, that really describes approaching a wary horse in a non-confrontational way to build trust using body language the horse understands.

Putting these things we do reflexively, into words that make sense, takes a lot of thought. Great info.

[ShadowFax]

i loved reading your post and have been following the same principal for some time with my 6 y.o gelding. His home is in a massive pasture with no riding or educating facilities whats-so-ever so he's become very in tuned with his roots (and his horsiness) lol. He would do fine without any human contact and when he first arrived that's what he preferred.
However, i wanted him to like me so i started spending a lot of time with him. Just sitting in his pasture, not caring if they moved away from me. I ate a lot of grass during that time too (seriously!!!). Until he'd come to me and sniff me (and what i was eating). To this day, i believe that speding this time with him as well as him being so well natured, allowed us to get closer.

[CanadianWrangler]

Originally Posted by CanadianWrangler

I can say that the better you can control a horse without rope/restraints the better communication/understanding/trusting relationship you can have with your horse. This in turn allows better handling with a halter, lead, bridle, etc, etc.

I realize this is a long post, but the point is that ANY horse (yes I have handled HOT, and very flighty horses in this way). Like I tried to convey with the above statement it AUGMENTS the horses being handled WITH a halter and lead.

The main message I am trying to convey is that building a better communication, and understanding relationship with your horse/s benefits both you and your horse.

I tried to give a GUIDELINE to how to go about it. Yes the finer finesse details, are above those who lack experience. But did make mention that you should use YOUR observation, imagination, and understanding to THINK and LEARN of a way to better understand YOUR horse/s on your own.

I never gave specific details on how to use these techniques with any given horse, only basic horse reactions/psychology, and hints on how to have a bit of understanding of it.

[ridegrrl]

~to the top~

[EventingBandit4]

very ncie points of view everyone...I'm really not going tot ake a side because you're allr ight...It depends on your horse...at least what I think...
~MS