Posts Tagged ‘learner’

Most horse owners make the mistake of assuming that the horse see the world as we humans do and that is not the case at all. It is true that we are both mammals and that makes us close in great many aspects such and nutritional needs as well as need for rest. However the human evolution and the horse’s evolution brought us in two different directions and will therefore give the horse a very different reality than ours.

Horse Evolution Makes It Eat Grass
Mammals are basically divided into two categories where one (the predators) live by eating meat, being other animals, where as the other category lives by eating vegetation from trees and other plants. Humans have evolved into eating both by we are by nature primarily predators eating meat.

Horses on the other hand have evolved into eating grass and are a more defensive prey animal that just wants to be left in peace. Their most active periods are in the early morning and the late evenings where humans are more active during the day. That is just one of the many parts that separate man and horse.

Being an outdoor creature the horse has developed great bodies that are perfect for running outside and grazing plains. They also have a very adaptable mind that is a quick learner and never forgets.

Another interesting thing is that, being different from humans, a horse can go from a sleeping state to wide-awake and moving within a few seconds. Try that out in the morning if you will Horses are also fantastic runners and their body gives them the ability to go from 0 to 40 miles an hour in 3-5 seconds, which in fact is faster than most cars.

Because the horse can become a prey for carnivores it has a kick that it powerful enough to kill or at least disable anyone that wants to hurt it. The horse’s bite can have a similar devastating effect if you get too close.

The horse has many more nature evolved skills to help it in the wild and is has become a formidable survivor. Unfortunately this list also shows us how poorly our view and management of the fantastic animal is.

Signals from the senses
A horse has a great ability to feel a touch and even the slightest touch on the coat will be felt. That is probably also why a horse will be less able to stand pain compared to humans. The sense of taste of the horse is very similar to humans and it can taste sweet, salt, bitter and sour. There are three senses where a horse separates from those of human beings. Those are the ability to hear, to smell and to see.

The hearing range of a horse is not only much wider than that of a human but it can also hear sounds at a much higher frequency. This greater level of hearing comes from the unique ears with a shape and a moving capability that improves the sense significantly.

Just like dog, you will find that horse’s ability to smell if far superior to ours. Even smells that come from a mile away can be picked up. The sense of smelling is used for identifying other animals as a protection mechanism.

The eyesight of a horse makes them able to have an almost 360 degrees view with only a few black spots where one of them is strait in front of their head. Another impressive ability is that the horse’s eyes can process two different pictures simultaneously. As for colors we can’t say for certain but Horses probably can’t see the colors yellow and green.

Conclusion
Horses, being prey animals, are designed to run first and think later. This tendency can however be overcome by the trainer’s strong, calm and empathetic attitude when managing the horse. It is the horse’s nature to act the way it does and has nothing to do with being stupid.

Being able to smell better and hear better than us humans the horse will also experience at lot more from the world than we ever will. If we could read the horse’s mind he might think that humans are stupid because we clearly miss out on so much.

The key to a rewarding relationship between your horse and you is found in a two-may communication and in trusting each other. If a horse trusts you and know that nothing bad will happen to it by following your instructions, he’ll be much more likely to do it. On the other hand we will also have to accept that the horse has heightened abilities and senses that we can’t possibly understand. So building a relationship with your horse is just like building a relationship with another human. It takes commitment, trust and time but then there is nothing more to it.

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Author: Hank Westwood
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Horseback riding has grown as a long time favourite sport, and has just recently begun to become popular not just in the USA but all over the world, which is why using the correct rein contact is so important in riding. A rider’s hands needs to guide, encourage – with a little give and take without being hard or too strong. This is something riders should try. You may be delighted to see how quickly your horse will respond, as the reins are a means of communication. The reins must not be used to punish or to maintain a rider’s balance. Just following that advice will certainly add benefits and a touch of adventure to your riding! Evidence of the growing popularity of horse riding is the availability of horses. There is knowledge and experience for anyone who is unfamiliar with this sport.

Nervous riders

It will not matter if you are not an expert at horse riding, because there is always a skilled rider who will be available to give a few horse riding tips to those who are completely inexperienced, but who want the thrill of riding and owning their own horse(s). As a learner, you may be afraid of being run away with the faster gaits; jumping can also cause you to become preoccupied with keeping the horse down to a reasonable speed for control, rather than developing fluidity and freedom. This can cause a nervous rider to pull on the reins subconsciously. There is also the fear of falling off, and this fear can be transmitted to the horse, often resulting in the horse refusing. Under a nervous rider, a galloping horse will go faster, generally, because it senses the lack of control. The horse will get nervous itself, and will do what most frightened horses do – run away!

What You can do

Consider your abilities and genuine fears. You want to ride a horse and be professional like a Pro. You want to learn dressage riding – the set series of movements performed by dressage riders. There is no need to struggle on your own, without help, as this could result in you or the horse getting injured. Ride more suitable mounts under good instruction until you are more competent and confident. Get good quality help and instruction from people who have years of experience and know. Ride at a slow pace that you are happy with under instruction, from an understanding instructor. Once you follow the instructions and are confident you can progress on to the faster gaits.

You need to understand, through a good teacher, exactly what you are doing to stop the horse. You may badly want to do something, but are afraid of doing it, such as jumping or cantering or having a gallop in a wide, open space. You may be pulling back on the reins unconsciously, clinging and gripping – pulling back with your body? The epitome of fear could be the “foetal crouch”, which you may be unaware of doing.

Author: Sonia Dixon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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