The saying goes, that if you ask 10 different horse people for their opinion on a subject, you will get 13 different answers. This has never been truer than in this current age of information, in which we can watch multiple different training videos of all different approaches, read countless blogs on every aspect of horse care, and have virtually any online questions answered in a myriad of different ways from all walks of equestrians from all over the globe all in the same day.
If you have ever found yourself completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice in your average grocery store cereal isle, then you have experienced the state of freeze brought on by too many choices to be made all at once, otherwise known as “analysis paralysis”. This is an easy state to fall into with the sheer number of options available for us, but when it comes to our horses and the amount of (often conflicting) information out there about how to best care for and work with our equine friends, the sheer volume of information out there is mind boggling. When we add in the often-heightened emotions that can be connected to our role with horses it can get even more overwhelming. Feelings such as guilt over previously doing things in a way which we now view as inappropriate or even abusive, shame over others perceptions of our level of skill or knowledge, or feeling like we “aren’t good enough” for our horse, complex relationship dynamics around trying to forge a friendship with an animal who doesn’t think the same way we do, and doesn’t speak our language….. it all combines to make one very large and often confusing picture. While the prevalence of social media can be a helpful tool to allow us access to all kinds of information, and a real-time view into what other people are doing with their horses, the flip side is that it can often feel like we are operating under a microscope, in which our every move we make with our horses, from the way we feed them to the activities we do with them, is being seen and judged by others. This feeling only intensifies the difficulty in choosing what works best for our horse, because we know that at some level, someone somewhere is going to disagree with us. While it is easy to say, “just don’t worry so much about what other people think!”, it isn’t that simple to do. We as humans are hardwired for social engagement, which means a feeling of safety, belonging and acceptance within our community. So, when we feel like we are unable to forge that connection with others because of our opposing views and opinions, it cuts to the core of our very nature. Ultimately, wherever you land on the wide spectrum of horse enthusiasts, whether you don’t ride at all, ride for fun, compete, or work with horses as a profession, you have to try to land on a system that works for both you and the horses under your stewardship, whether that method comes completely pre-packaged or whether you cobble something together that is uniquely your own.
Given the huge range of choice available, how on earth do we know what training method, trainer, discipline, feeding regime, or husbandry practices are right for us and our horses?
Here’s a few things to consider:
Are the horses’ needs being met?
Physical needs.
As far as the horse’s physical needs, we can look at “are the things that I am doing with my horse causing him physical harm?” i.e. is the horse worse off after you work with him, or progressively getting worse over time. This might look like tension, back soreness, lameness, muscle atrophy, ulcers etc. If this is the case, can this damage be balanced out by proper saddle fit, veterinary or farrier intervention, regular bodywork/chiro etc? If not, then it might be time to look at changing either what you are doing, or the way you are doing it. This might look like adding in cross training, taking more lessons or clinics, trying different coaches, or even changing disciplines. If the horse’s physical condition is being maintained, or made better/stronger etc by what you are doing, then you are on the right track!
We also must look at the horse’s living situation for the 23 hours a day when we aren’t working with them. Do they have access to enough forage throughout the day to prevent ulcers and keep their digestive systems happy? Do they have the freedom to move enough to maintain strength, balance, proprioception, coordination, joint lubrication, and digestive function? More and more research points to the need for ample turnout for the horse’s physical well being. If you are not sure how much is enough, keep checking in on your horse’s physical health, and use that as a gauge. Consult regularly with your horse’s vet, farrier, bodyworker etc to help you know if you need to make any changes to your horse’s training or living situation for their physical health.
The horse’s emotional needs are equally important.
Much like us, horses deserve to feel safe and emotionally well-balanced in their day-to-day life. This can be difficult to tell though, seeing as they cannot speak. There is even much conflicting information out there as to whether horses even feel emotion, or if they do what emotions do they feel? If we look at current research, we can probably safely assume that horses do feel emotions. The Selected Principles of Pankseppian Neuroscience effectively mapped out 7 primary emotions thought to be felt by all Primary Process species (animals with a nervous system and a brain). These emotions are care, lust, play, seeking, fear, rage and sadness. Now it is important to note that while horses might FEEL many of the same emotions as us, how they process those emotions/think about things is different due to their less developed frontal cortex, which makes Tertiary Process (creative or abstract thinking) less available to them.
How Do We Tell?
So how do we know which emotions our horses are feeling in any given moment? We need to become very very good at reading our horses. This goes beyond just the basic “ears pinned means he’s angry” level of reading. We need to learn to interpret the smallest changes in our horse’s facial expressions. The EquiFACS facial coding system is a great tool to start to learn more of the minute expressions horses can make. Once you have a good understanding of all the facial expressions that are possible, it makes it much easier to observe horses and start to form an understanding of what each facial expression might mean when you connect it with the whole picture. A lot can be learned from careful observation of horses interacting with each other in a herd environment.
One of the hardest, but most important things to be able to read is when a horse is in rest/relaxation vs in high-functioning shutdown. A horse in a shutdown state might appear very obedient, quiet, or even “bombproof”, but there will be very subtle signs that all is not well. A horse in shutdown might be described as “dull” or a little slow to respond to the aids. He might not react much to the environment around him. He might hold just a little too still, with a tightly clamped mouth, not very much blinking, or just an overall level of tension throughout his body. A horse in relaxation, however, will show a little more movement – he may move his ears to listen to a sound, his muzzle may quiver, or his tail may swish, and he will most likely respond and interact to those around him. While the subtle signs might be small, the difference in terms of the state of the horse’s nervous system, and thus his welfare, are huge. Just think of the sheer amount of leg pressure – or even spur pressure a “dull” horse might endure in a single ride. Pressure that he is physically incapable of responding to in a soft/responsive way due to being in a state of freeze. Additionally, operating with a nervous system in a near-constant state of dysregulation increases the likelihood of physical maladies. Just look at all the research out there on the effects of chronic stress in humans!
In addition to reading the horse’s facial expressions and body posture, we can also observe the horse’s behaviors, both while in work/being handled and while “off the clock”. If the horse is showing stress or pain behaviors such as biting/kicking/bucking/balking etc while in work or during a certain activity, it is likely tied to that activity, and we need to look at changing what we are doing or how we are doing it. If the horse is exhibiting signs or stress on his own time, such as stereotypic behaviours, chronic stress behaviours such as spooking, lack of sleep, or lack of interest or engagement with other horses or the environment, then we may need to look at changes to the way we are keeping the horse. Does he have access to friends to fulfill his needs as a herd animal? Does he have enough space/freedom/stimulation to stay occupied and moving? Does he feel safe enough in his surroundings to relax/sleep?
Aside from observing and tracking our horses’ behavior and expressions to, it may be valuable to use our intuition to help gauge how our horse is coping. This is something that many of us find difficult, as it is something that has been conditioned out of us for the most part in our modern society, but like anything it gets easier with practice. If you get a knot in your stomach when watching a certain trainer work with a horse, that is valuable information! Don’t ignore it! If you get the “warm fuzzies” when looking out at your horses in the paddock, don’t discount that as a piece of the puzzle to tell you that you are doing something right!
So now we’ve talked about our horse’s needs at great length, but let’s not forget the other important piece:
Are your needs being met?
Yes, you, the human. Your needs matter too! “The horse comes first” is a very important statement, especially as an antidote to humanity’s entire history with horses in which the horse’s needs have been by and large treated as secondary at best, or completely ignored and violated at worst. However much like anything, it can be taken to extremes, and if you the human are having your boundaries violated or your primary needs not being met, then it isn’t a completely healthy or happy picture. Now it is important I think to distinguish between our “wants” vs our “needs”. We might really really want that blue ribbon, or to jump bigger jumps, or to ride for 5 hours every day, but we don’t “need” those things, and the horse certainly doesn’t owe us any of that. (Which is not to say that the horse can’t, shouldn’t, or won’t do those things with us, it is just to say that it is something which we must earn and work towards in fairness, not demand with no thought to the horse’s perspective).
What our NEEDS might include could be:
Physical safety.
We need to be physically safe while working with or riding our horses. Well, as safe as we can possibly be. Riding and working with horses is an inherently dangerous activity at the best of times. But we shouldn’t feel like we are always two steps away from risking great injury every time we are around our horses. If the things we are doing with our horse are making us feel like we are in grave danger, then it is probably time to change things up, or seek the guidance of a mentor or professional to help us.
Emotional safety
We also deserve to feel emotionally safe. This falls more onto the shoulders of our coaches and trainers, as well as our barn buddies, coworkers etc – the Tertiary Processing members of our community if you will. Horses aren’t capable of doing things to harm us emotionally on purpose, therefore it is our job to try to not take their behaviour personally. Humans are another story however. Nobody deserves to feel bullied, unheard, or otherwise emotionally unfulfilled in our journey with horses. Your feelings and opinions matter. Your experience is valid. If a coach or trainer can’t help further your education or training while also honouring your opinion and experience, then it might be time for a change. Nobody deserves to feel like they are “less than” just because they might technically know less about a certain subject or have a different view on something. If you find yourself putting your guard up or feeling anxious about seeing other boarders at the barn then it may be time to have a tough conversation or to move barns.
Are you meeting your goals?
Whether you have specific competition or development goals, whether your goal is to build a better relationship with your horse, or whether your goals is just to have fun, you should feel like whatever program or whichever professional you are working with is helping you achieve those things. (As long as the horse’s needs are not being overridden to make your goals happen of course). While there might be some days that you feel less accomplished than others, if the entire picture overall isn’t moving you in the direction you want to be moving in, then it might be time to switch it up. It might be helpful to set out what your goals are, and then seek out other equestrians in your area with similar goals and find out what’s working for them.
Does the method align with your core values?
Whatever your core ethics and values may be, it is important to follow method and work with trainers who share similar values and ethics, to allow you to stay true to yourself. If you have a good idea of one or two non-negotiable core values that you hold around horses, it is then easier to ask yourself whether you agree with a certain method or not. Which isn’t to say that your core values can’t shift over time, but it can be helpful to take the time to come up with a few clear statements that you can use as your north star to guide your decisions.
Putting it all together.
So now maybe we have used the above ideas to help us rule out some of the techniques, styles, tack, or trainers which we don’t want to use. We might still be left with an overwhelming number of things we want to try, or people we want to work with. The question is, how many things should we try at once, or how many things should we change at one time? This depends on a few variables. While there is something to be said for having a wide variety of methods to draw on, if we try to take on too many ideas at once it might become confusing very quickly, especially if some of those methods contradict each other. If you are just starting out, it might be valuable to start with one method or trainer that works for you, and then once you have a solid grasp of the methods or principles, start to expand to other similar trainers for a slightly different spin on the same thing that complements or adds on to what you already have. That being said, if things are going very badly, you might need to try something completely different for a more drastic change.
The same goes for care and husbandry. If you are looking on making minor changes or improvements, it is always a good idea to only change one thing at a time, that way it is easier to monitor what is working and what is not. However, if your horse is in a very bad way either physically or mentally, it might be necessary to make multiple drastic changes at once. This is where the advice of experienced service providers and professionals is invaluable before we make the leap.
In short, when making decisions around trainers, methods, husbandry and more, we need to do what we feel is best for ourselves and for our horses, with the help of trusted professionals when needed. We need to do what works for our individual situations, not go with the status quo or cave to peer pressure, and we need to try to continue to educate ourselves on the latest research, rather than sticking with tradition for tradition's sake. And most importantly, we need to be open to listen to the horses, so that they can have a say on what their needs are. If we keep all this in mind, it will make it much easier to know what’s right for us and our horses, which will help alleviate stress for both parties, and allow us to get back to the basics of why we started out as equestrians in the first place: Being with horses because we love them.
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