Basic Body Language with Horses 

To you, I recommend The Path of the Horse ( a documentary that can be found on RU-vid).

@@jamiehollaway5430 I know you recommend this over a year ago, but I just found this comment and watched the documentary and it was amazing! Thank you so much for recommending! It changed the way I look at everything.

Jamie Hollaway will do

Same

That's probably exactly why I am having problems with understanding the minds of horses often. Had dogs, cats, bearded dragons, snakes. All of them predators. So I am good with them but completely lost with animals like horses and cattle

Oh absolutley

Amy , do predators ( dogs, cats ) need the same rules? Or is it just the theory of learning , aversives , and humane based training that are the explanations. Horses dont need assertive or whips to learn anymore than any other species does.

@@pain002 , all animals learn the same

+Deborah Peisen-Sawyer Thank you Deborah!

Deborah Peisen-Sawyer I agree. It is a good channel and great explanation. I just gave one of my Student a First lesson in groundwork and body language today. And also sent her this now. Great addition for todays lesson. Just subscried today it is really a nice channel.

Same with me :)

Not more sensitive than a cat, just slightly different. Felis familiaris is both a predator and prey, so they are equisitely sensitive to their surroundings. However, many cats become somewhat de-sensitized to their owners, especially when indoors. Take the cat outdoors, and it may show you where the term 'scaredy cat' came from. Horses often do the same thing. One example is horses that are dead quiet in the ring, but a bundle of nerves when ridden out.

@@Jefferdaughter more sensitive than a cat shut up.

Yes, I’m teaching (trying) my mare the same, with the smallest amount of pressure to respond.

If I ever have the means, I’d love to rescue one or two and become best friends/family 😭🥺

Lianne van Buuren

Thank you!

i have just begun riding horse; if i could share my experience and get some tips from you, i think it would be easier for me to learn quicker!

You need a dead broke horse to learn with and from.

Maybe volunteer at a local riding stable and just groom the horses. They love it, and it will calm you down just brushing a horse all over. Pick up their feet and clean their hooves, its therapeutic for both of you. Plus it’s helpful for the stable to have free labor.

Shari Carr I volunteer with horses too since I don’t own a horse. I have developed a relationship with mom and daughter horse at a public farm where I help out at.

glorianne papolis The horse knows where her focus is, and sunglasses prevent her from squinting or frowning - which the horse may interpret as being unfriendly. Also, I am 99% certain she does not want to make direct eye contact. Predators stare so horses don't like eye contact. As for the twirl, timing is key. If a dominant horse wants to move another in the pasture, she gives a couple subtle cues and if the other does not move they will get bit or kicked. In the video she is giving subtle cues with her posture. The twirling lead rope is similar to another horse reaching its neck out to bite. It is a warning. Twirling harder and faster would be the next level before popping the horse with the end of the rope. This is a very good video imho.

patty huber you don't have to pop him in the face, horses don't bite each other in the face, I have seen her make direct eye contact in other videos, she says it herself , direct eye contact to make them do something, and she is not wearing the sunglasses to prevent from squinting or frowning as you say, that does not make sense, if that was the case she would always be wearing them,

glorianne papolis Obviously my comments were not stated clearly or completely enough - a common problem with Internet posts or tweets. I did NOT say to pop the horse in the face. Twirl the rope, yes. Hit the horse in the face? Definitely not.

glorianne papolis 👍

gl

Mistie Plotts let them smell u first so it knows that’s it’s not food and then u can pet them

It could be a tooth/teeth are bothering him? I’d check he doesn’t have any spurs or rough edges, etc.

LilacWoods Farm Is he bored?

where?

Yep, horse was like “what’s going on girl? Should we book outta here?” Lol

Since I posted here, I have experimented with mine, further proof of their attention. I have been in his stall with the door open, and I turned and looked intently out the door. He stopped eating immediately, and looked too. Then I turned back to him as if giving the all clear and he also resumed eating. Now when we ride out (only short distance up the road as he is only 5, and still has two years left to grow), I will look at something I think will concern him, then look away, he has been very good so far, flags, trash bags, dumpsters, dogs, other horses, cars driving slowly past (we have yet to go on the open road), if anything, its noises that make him react more than visual things. But the body language thing really is very powerful. I have now trained my cats to hand signals, the same as the horse... proving, even though it looks like they are ignoring, they are not.

My gelding ised to do this. He thought it was funny. He eventually just bored himself with it and the bahavior went away. We never did anything bout it.