Horse Behavior

Horse behavior is always an interesting area of study. Some of the most interesting areas of behavior involve communication, whether the communication is done between horses or between horse and man.

There are several ways a horse can communicate. Vocalization and visual signs are just two of them. Horses have several different kinds of vocalizations.

A "neigh" is usually used as a greeting call, but is most often used during times that a foal is separated from its mare. A foal and mare that are separated will often neigh repeatedly until brought back together.

A "nicker" is often used by horses to indicate a care response. This is most often used when a horse and foal are reunited. Horses may also nicker at their owners, which is a sign of affection.

Snorts and roars can be used between horses and are often used when horses first meet each other. Roars can be used to help establish dominance in a new herd. Another interesting thing that happens when horses meet is that they usually put their noses together, nostril to nostril, to smell each other.

In terms of visual signs a horse gives, the most easily observed are those of the ears. The ears can be held in several positions and they all mean different things.

If the ears are held upright and erect this means the horse is alert or scared. You will often see a horse's ears become erect after a loud noise, or when new horses are in the area.

If you see the ears laid down this is an aggressive posture. It is often seen when horses are aggressive toward one another or their owner.

The way a horse communicates and acts can be based on several things.

1. Personality: Just like humans, horses each have a distinct personality. Also, certain breeds of horses tend to have specific personalities. You might often hear the term "hot-blooded breed" when someone refers to certain breeds of horses.

2. Environment: Naturally if a horse is in a new or loud environment, like a show, it might act more nervous than it would if it's in your backyard. Some very experienced show horses are not even bothered by loud noises and often ignore them. When dad was riding in the indoor riding school at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police training center, the instructors would frequently shoot off shotguns loaded with blanks. This was to condition the horses to sudden loud noises as many of them were used on the Musical Ride which frequently takes place in a noisy arena. The horses are also used in parades where loud noises are frequent. To condition the horses to large crowds, they were frequently taken down busy streets and to nearby shopping malls. The grounds where they were ridden in summer were open to the public, so large crowds gathered daily to watch the horses go through their routines.

3. Owners: Animals tend to take on the temperament of their owners. An owner who acts nervous and speaks loudly will have a horse that tends to be nervous. An owner who is calm and confident can expect the same of their horse. The demeanor of the rider plays a large role in how the horse responds to commands. A nervous or inexperienced rider will prompt the horse to take advantage of the nervousness or inexperience and try and get away with something it won’t attempt with a confident rider.

4. Genetics: This goes back to the old "nature versus nurture" argument. There is no doubt that genetics plays a large role in how some horses act regardless of whom the owner is or what environment the horse is in. A good example of this was a Royal Canadian Mounted Police horse called Mount Newton. It was in a tremendous environment with plenty of care and the best of food and yet this horse was completely vicious. After several years of trying to calm him enough to make him into a horse that could take part in the Musical Ride, the Force finally decided that he would have to be put down before he killed someone. A check of his genetics revealed that both the dam and the stallion were very dominant animals. Add to that the fact that Mount Newton wasn’t gelded until he was nearly two and you could understand why he was uncontrollable.

5. Training: Good training can play a huge role in changing how a horse behaves. Bad training can just exaggerate an already bad trait in a horse.

The relationship between horse and man is thousands of years old, but man keeps learning more about horse behavior every day. By taking the time to learn what different behaviors mean, you can have a better relationship with your horse. Also remember that a horse is a very intelligent animal and many of them have a sometimes perverse sense of humor. Like a child they will try to get away with things and will test you to see what you will let them do and what you will stop them from doing. One horse that dad had a run in with was a horse that pulled the carriage of the Governor General on state occasions. This horse, Frisco, was huge and he had a bad habit of testing new recruits to see how they would react. While dad was grooming him, Frisco lifted his right front foot and placed it on dad's left foot. When dad tried to lift Frisco’s leg, he leaned heavier on it to the point that it became quite painful. At that point dad grabbed the horse’s ear and bit it. Frisco squealed and immediately lifted his foot. After that Frisco never gave dad any trouble at all. Every time dad was assigned to groom Frisco, the horse would nudge him with his nose and roll his top lip up over his top teeth in a horse grin. They got along very well. When dad was assigned Honey, a former Musical Ride horse as his regular horse, the two of them got along fabulously. The horse would do anything for him and he kept her well groomed and would slip her little treats like a carrot or a piece of apple. They got along so well that he could catch up on his sleep while riding her and she would go through all of the formations all on her own. They were so well adapted to each other that the instructors were never aware that the horse was following the commands while the rider slept.

When you can develop that kind of relationship with your horse, you will have a partnership that will endure for years.

Until next time,

Teia

Grooming Your Horse

Grooming is an important part of keeping your horse healthy. It involves more than just brushing its hair. By grooming you get a chance to inspect your horse up close for any injuries and it provides a good chance to bond with your horse. Also, it is very important to do this before riding your horse, as sand between the saddle and the horse's back can cause sores. So can little bits of hay, hay dust and straw. As a former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who trained in 1961, my dad has hundreds of hours of interacting with horses. As well as receiving 180 hours of formalized equitation instruction, he had to spend hundreds more hours grooming, feeding, and exercise riding. In addition he spent nearly 300 days doing either morning or evening stable duty. This involved cleaning out the stalls in the morning and feeding the horses and in the evening feeding the horses and putting down fresh bedding and a bundle of hay.

To groom your horse you'll need several tools. They are a hoof pick, rubber curry comb, stiff body brush, fine finishing brush, mane and tail comb, and soft cloths. You can keep all these neatly organized in a large bucket. MAKE THE BUCKET SOFT PLASTIC. If the horse decides to kick it, you don’t want a hard bucket flying through the air. The horse could also receive a cut from a hard bucket.

Before you begin, make sure your horse is tied to a secure object and use a quick release knot in case of trouble. Don’t snub the horse too close to the tie up position, but don’t leave enough slack in the line so that the horse can turn its head far enough to bite you if you press on a ticklish spot.

Start your grooming session by lifting up each of your horse's hooves and using the hoof pick, picking out any dirt or manure that is stuck to the frog or sole of the foot. When doing this, make note of any hoof cracks and make sure, if your horse is shod, to see if the shoes are properly fitted and that all of the nails are present and tight. Alert your Farrier to any problems (a farrier is a person who shoes horses and takes care of their hooves).

Next take a curry comb to any areas of your horse's coat that are dirty. Be careful, because a curry comb can be irritating to a horse's sensitive areas and in the bony areas like the shoulders and legs.

Then with a main and tail brush remove any dirt or tangles from the main and tail. It is best to start from the top of the main or tail and work your way down. Sometimes if the hair is really tangled, you can use a grooming spray to help untangle the hair. When grooming the tail be sure to stand on the side of the horse and not directly behind to avoid being kicked. You only have to make this mistake once. If you recover enough to be able to return to riding and looking after your horse, you will NEVER stand directly behind him again. (Dad saw a 250 pound police recruit get kicked 20 feet through the air and into a brick wall. He spent several days in the hospital and was VERY careful around horses thereafter.)

Now, with a good body brush, brush your horse from head to toe. This brush will help to remove all the dirt and dandruff brought to the surface by the curry comb. Use short sweeping strokes, and try to use enough force to get the bristles all the way to the skin. Do this all over your horse's body. Just like a human’s, a horse’s stomach is ticklish, so be careful.

With a soft finishing brush, groom your entire horse to help bring out the shine in your horse's coat. A soft brush will help remove the finer dust particles not already removed by previous brushing.

Finish your horse's grooming session by using a rag and gently wipe your horse's ears and nose, inside and out. Also, you can apply hoof ointment to your horse's feet to help keep them shiny and healthy. By performing a good grooming session each time you ride your horse you are helping to keep your horse heathy and clean. (Note! The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride horses are groomed at least once each day and sometimes they get groomed two or three times, depending on the number of shows they do in a day).

Until next time,

Teia

Horse Breeds - The Arabian Horse

The Arabian horse is a horse breed that is associated with elegance. Almost everyone, whether they like horses or not, has heard of the Arabian horse. They have a rich history and many unique features that make them truly a horse breed that stands apart. Many people consider the Arabian horse one of the most famous horse breeds in the world.

The Arabian horse originally came from the Middle East. There, desert tribes bred and rode the Arabian horse for war. They proved quick and agile and able to run long distances. Also, many famous people have ridden Arabian horses, like George Washington and Alexander the Great. Although originating in the desert, the Arabian is now found throughout the world.

There are many features of the breed that make an Arabian horse stand out. They have small muzzles, a broad forehead, a classic wedge and dish-shaped head, and they stand round 15 hands tall. A few other unique anatomic features include having only 17 ribs, instead of the usual 18, and having only five lumbar vertebrae instead of the usual six. It is the oldest known riding horse, most likely due to its large lung capacity and endurance.

The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) runs the Arabian Horse Registry of America, which is an association that oversees and maintains pedigrees of purebred Arabian horses in America. Membership costs are low and are required if you want to participate in any AHA horse events.

If you are thinking about buying an Arabian horse, you can visit the AHA website, http://www.arabianhorses.org to see if the horse and the owner are registered with AHA. Ask the owner to see a copy of the horse’s registration papers to make sure the horse is a purebred. If you do buy a registered Arabian, make sure you get the correct paper work from the owner so you can register the horse under your name.

By maintaining your new horse as a registered Arabian, it can increase your horse's value if you choose to sell him later. The price for a registered Arabian horse can vary from a few thousand to more than fifty thousand dollars.

Arabians are exciting horses to be around. Their beauty and history are intriguing. There is so much more to learn about this breed, that visiting the AHA website would be a good place to continue your learning.

Interestingly, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police used to make sure that their horses, used in the world famous Musical Ride, had Arabian blood. This ensured that the horses were uniform in size, colour and spirit. It also ensured that the horses could travel and perform for six to eight months of the year.

Every August, the Royal Red Arabian Horse show is held in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is THE Arabian horse show to attend with participants from all over the world. Such notable Arabian horse owners as Wayne Newton are regulars at the show. If you are interested in this breed of horse, don’t miss this show.

Until next time,

Teia