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[RC] Being the Herd Leader - k s swigartJonni said: I never, ever allow my horses to bite, kick, chase, squabble, or even make pissy faces at each other if I am nearby. I do NOT want in the middle of a fight, as chances are, I will get hurt. They MUST learn you are the herd leader, and to knock off the crap when you are out there with them. While I also do not allow my horses to bite, kick, chase, squabble, etc. when I am nearby, and for the very same reasons. However, what your horses MUST learn is not that you are the herd leader (trust me, the herd leader doesn't give a shit if the other horses in the herd squabble among themselves); what your horses must learn is that you are NOT a part of the herd, you are a HUMAN, and consequently, such horselike behaviour is totally unacceptable when you are around. Despite many people's contention to the contrary and all the constant repetitions in the popular press (and here on Ridecamp, I might add), one of the first steps to safe horse handling is to teach your horse, "I am NOT a horse, and therefore, may not be treated as such. Your relationship with me will be different from your relationship with all your horsie friends." If the "be the herd leader" concept helps you to establish a working relationship with your horse, then by all means use it. But if it doesn't, that's okay....because it is a bullshit concept, and I guarantee you, no matter how you may be decieving yourself, your horse does not think of you as another horse....and a good thing too. I have seen the way that horses treat each other, and I want no part of that kind of a relationship. :) By all means, it is extremely important to teach your horses that they aren't allowed to squabble among themselves when you are around. But the underlying premise of this is "because I am a human, and we people don't play that way." Being domesticated animals, horses have absolutely no difficulty in coming to grips with the horse-human relationship (it is, after all, why they were domesticated in the first place :)), just so long as they have humans who can explain it to them. If the humans don't, THEN is when you get horses continuing to engage in dangerous "horseplay" when people are around. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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