BY J.J. MACKENZIE, D.V.M.
WILD WORLD NEWS—When a horse sees you, he has only one question—will this creature hurt me? You might think that something so powerful and fast wouldn’t be afraid of anything. You’d be wrong.
Millions of years ago, the ancestors of horses were hunted by large cats. To survive, they developed highly tuned senses and the ability to run as fast as the wind. Modern horses are rarely chased by lions, but they still run away from anything that frightens them.
If you want to be friends with a horse, you have to speak his language. That way, he’ll trust you.
TO SPEAK HORSE, YOU MUST MOVE IN A WAY THAT HORSES CAN UNDERSTAND.
Horses communicate with their bodies. They sometimes use sounds like whinnies and neighs, but most of their signals are sent by the way they stand and the way they move. To speak horse, you must move in a way that horses can understand.
SAY HELLO
Let him see you. Always approach a horse from the side. Never walk up behind a horse, or approach from directly in front of him. If you startle him from behind, he might kick you. If you stand directly in front of him, he can’t see you. There is a small area right in front of his face that he cannot see—a blind spot—and if you stand in the blind spot and touch him, it may startle him. Approaching from the side is friendly and safe.
Keep cool. No matter how excited you are about riding, stay calm and quiet. If you squeal, shout, or jump up and down, the horse will think you are a threat. Horses have very good memories. If you make a bad first impression, it will be hard to break. Horses like calm people.
Get to know each other. Tell the horse your name. (No, it is not dumb to talk to a horse.) Stand quietly for a minute so he can get used to you. Once he is comfortable, with his eyes and ears pointed toward you, it’s time to let him smell you.
Extend your hand. He’ll lower his head and sniff it. This might tickle. A horse’s muzzle has tiny hairs on it that send information to his brain. If he raises his head suddenly or backs up, that means you startled him. Step back, stand quietly, and wait for him to calm down. Then try it again, more slowly this time.
Go slow. Because horses are always ready to spook or startle, moving slowly is a way of reassuring them. Some people say you should pretend you are moving underwater.
Shake hands. Once the horse has seen and smelled you, you should pet him. Always ask the horse’s owner or stable manager before you touch a horse, just as you would ask the owner of a dog if it’s OK to pet him. Touching is the last part of saying hello. The horse has a very strong sense of touch over his whole body. When you touch a horse in a friendly way, it is very reassuring to him.
The best way to touch a horse is to slowly bring your hand up to his jaw, his neck, or the side of his head. That way he can see you, take comfort in your slow movement, and anticipate the touch. Some horse people say it is better to gently scratch a horse than to pat him, because a pat feels aggressive. You can try both ways to see what the horse prefers.
BODY LANGUAGE
Your horse tells you all kinds of things with his body language. Pay attention to his signals so you’ll know what he’s feeling and what he might do next.
Ears. Horses rely on their hearing to warn them of danger. A happy, curious horse holds his ears up straight so he can hear everything around him. He may swivel his ears from side to side to figure out where different noises are coming from. When a horse is annoyed, frightened, or being aggressive, his ears will lower. If this happens, watch out. Never approach a horse whose ears are lying flat along his head. The horse is upset about something, and he may bolt or kick. Ask an adult to help you.
Head. When a horse is happy to see you, he’ll hold his head in a relaxed upright position. If he feels really relaxed, he may lower his head to munch on some grass. If he raises his head suddenly, something is wrong. He has seen, heard, or smelled something that he doesn’t like, and he is raising his head high to get more information about it.
Tail. The horse’s tail is the world’s best fly swatter. It also acts as a flag for the horse’s feelings. A happy, proud horse will carry his tail high. A horse that is irritated at something will flick his tail to the side.
Legs. Always keep an eye on the legs of a horse. When he’s excited, he may lift his hooves up and down, prancing like he wants to get going. If something is bothering him, a hind foot may slowly raise up off the ground a few inches, then stamp down. If he’s startled or upset by something, he may kick.
Watch his leg muscles. They are so powerful and big, it’s easy to see them rippling under the horse’s skin. If the leg muscles tense, then the horse may be preparing to run or kick. If the legs are relaxed, your horse is relaxed, too.