Common Sense, Horse Sense

My husband has been nagging me for years to write articles about horse related topics, especially those little tidbits of advice that I give my clients that seem like common sense.

I am going to give this a try:-)

One common sense tidbit that we often hear is never walk behind a horse. This always makes me cringe, especially when someone who has no horse experience is being introduced to the horse and one of the first things they hear is, “Don’t go behind him. He might kick you.” Why on earth would anyone want to groom, pick the hooves or even ride a horse when the first warning is don’t walk behind him. Fearful feelings and horses are like a magic potion for flight responses and scary aftermaths.

Yes you can walk behind a horse, here’s how. Approach him at his shoulder, place a hand on him, like you would a person you haven’t seen in a while, as a greeting. Next, keeping a hand on him, walk around behind him to the other side. See how he sees you and follows you with his ears. This keeps him engaged with you and makes him feel safe about what you are doing.

Approaching a horse from the rear is not a friendly or safe approach, you may startle or even be viewed as an aggressor. This may trigger the horse’s natural defense instincts. Then explain what those are for a horse in the context of an animal and how he relates to his environment. It is so important for us to understand the horse and interact with him using his language and respecting his natural instincts. It’s like going to a foreign country and not knowing the laws, language or customs. You are bound to insult and offend while having an unpleasant experience yourself.

Have a healthy respect for the horse, understand him, but do not fear him.