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.