What Strengthening Your Bond Will Do For Your Horse
Have you ever wondered why horses are herd animals?
I wouldn’t be surprised if you really haven’t given it much thought. They just are - right?
Or perhaps you think “they are animals of prey, it makes sense to have the advantage of numbers”.
And in a sense, that is true. But a herd offers so much more.
The structure of the herd incorporates:
An alpha that expects discipline, provides security and that they trust.
An alpha that they can ‘test’ to ensure they are being lead by the best.
Herd mates that they share affection with.
Herd mates that share companionship and will play together.
When it comes to OUR interaction with our horse, we need to spend time intergrating ourselves into a similar position of the alpha horse in the herd. By doing so, we can set ourselves the easier task of training and working with a horse that respects us, trusts us and will share affection and connection.
So what are the areas we work on with our bond?
Boundaries:
By establishing boundaries, we can reinforce manners and respect with our horse. And we don’t need to beat them back or bully them into submission to do so.
Affection:
Have you ever watched to paddock mates mutually grooming? Not only is it cute, it has the benefit of reconnecting and re-establishing bond through affection. We love our horses and want them to love us back, so when we practice exercises that encourage affection, our bond strengthens infinitely.
Adventure:
Taking a break from the regular work routine or home routine to take an adventure together is not only a lot of fun, but a great way to reinforce our leadership and to create a level of trust founded on the confidence that your horse knows you will help them process stimuli and keep them from danger.
Companionship:
Spending some time with your horse without expectations is an exercise that actually has a bigger impact on ourselves but still a large impact on your horse. It is also a great assessment of your horse’s expectations from you - their reaction to your presence in the paddock will point you in the direction of what needs more work.
Security:
We (should already be, I hope) providing the basic security for our horses physical well-being, but sometimes we neglect the emotional security. By taking the opportunity to support our horse through these times of emotional crisis, we result in a higher level of trust, more affection, and an extremely strong bond.
