HELP FOR HORSE

THE HORSE'S HATE LIST

It is often said that a horse is enjoying himself when his ears are pricked forward and he is going along at a good pace. Is this true? The answer may surprise you!

What do horses like doing best?

They like hanging around in a field all day with a few mates and grazing, taking a little nap every now and again before going in search of more grass to eat.

All horses would happily do this for the rest of their lives. The reason is very simple. This is what Nature intended them to do.

On principle, horses like to be as lazy as possible. Their preferred pace is always a slow, easy walk. There is a reason for this too. Nature has also designed them for short bursts of high energy activity. For this purpose, horses like to conserve their energy. They never know when it will be needed for an emergency. Even in our own, domesticated horses this instinct is still intact.

Certainly, they are capable of running for long distances, but this only happens through human intervention. Normally, when horses move from place to place, they amble along at the same slow, easy walk.

Horses that live the life that Nature intended are the happiest, most contented horses in the universe. So what do we do? We come along and ask them to do all sorts of things they wouldn't dream of doing unless provoked by the threat of danger ... and some things they would never dream of doing at all, like running around after cattle, or playing gymkhana games!

What they dislike most of all is anything which uses a lot of their precious energy. For the average English horse, top of the list must be ...

1. Show-jumping. Not only is it extremely high-energy, but also involves lots of twisting and turning, as well as leaping over fences which come in very quick succession.

Never in a thousand years would any choose to do anything like that!

Don't be fooled by the sharply pricked ears. The horse, very sensibly, is only paying close attention to what's in front of him. With all these potentially dangerous obstacles to negotiate, he'd be a fool not to.

Don't be fooled either by the horse that seems to 'attack' a course with gusto. This horse is actually trying very hard to run away, but his rider keeps on directing him at these obstacles - so of course he leaps over them as if stung into action. No horse is more relieved to get to the end of a course of show-jumps than the whizzy one!

2. Dressage. All that tight control and complicated movement. It is said that all dressage movement is "natural" and so it is under certain circumstances, but only when the horse feels like it. Under normal circumstances, no horse would carry himself like that for more than a few seconds. Neither would he execute such complicated movements unless he had no alternative. This is why it is such hard work and takes such a long time to train a horse for dressage. And if it's hard for the rider, imagine how hard it is for the horse!
3. Cross-country. From the horse's point of view, there is too much running at speed and leaping over fences. What a waste of his precious energy! Why can't he just stay his field happily grazing? On the plus side, courses run over a distance across country which is a more natural environment, as is more running, more or less on a straight line forward. Of course, the higher the level, the more technical the courses with complicated twists and turns which more closely resemble show-jumping.
4. Racing, even more so if over fences. Racing demands a maximum output of energy which goes completely against the grain. On the plus side, horses race in groups and on a line with only very gentle curves, which is the most natural way for horses to run anywhere. There are no tricky twists and turns. Additionally, their training only requires that they maximise their natural speed and ability, so from that point of view is not too hard.
5. Rounding up cattle & associated games are incredibly hard work for the horse and include manouvers they are not likely to use in the course of their lives. On the plus side the short bursts of speed and agility fit very well with Nature's design.
6. Gymkhana games also demand a lot of the horse (or more commonly - pony) in terms of speed and agility. All that running up and down a short distance, doing very strange things in between makes no sense to them at all. On the plus side there is a lot of standing around in between races which suits them quite well. Of course, they would rather be mooching about and grazing, but standing about doing nothing is a fair second best.
7. Endurance riding has more on the plus side than the down side. It fits very well with the migratory habit of horses, going for long distances over varied countryside. However, once under way, it tends to be solitary as riders find their own space and pace. No more is asked of the horse than his natural paces although the overall speed is considerably more than he would choose. Thus, endurance riding comes low on the horse's hate list.
8. Riding out/Hacking alone. In theory, riding out alone ticks the boxes for ease and comfort. However, horses don't like being on their own. Their sense of security and mental comfort comes from being part of a group - which is why some horses kick up a fuss. Equally, horses must be physically comfortable in order to accept this activity with equanimity. (See also Happy hackers like a loose rein)
9. Hacking/trail riding in groups. Of all the things we ask our horses to do, riding out and about in a group is the easiest and most natural from the horse's point of view. Of course, they would prefer not to be ridden at all, but if carry a rider they must, then an easy stroll through pleasant countryside, in the company of others would surely be their preference.

CONCLUSION
Horses are so generous of spirit. They give of themselves so willingly and will do whatever we train them to do. Their versatility and athletic ability is astonishing. I think it is always worth bearing in mind though, that some things come more naturally and easily than others.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.