Millions of Americans read the book or saw the movie, “The Horse Whisperer,” and were amazed at the connection between trainer and horse. How can a human being communicate so effectively and intuitively with a creature that doesn’t speak our language? The answer is pretty straightforward- by learning to communicate like a horse. Natural Horsemanship is based on understanding the natural herd hierarchy or pecking order, how horses use body language to communicate and the understanding of horses’ ‘explosive flight’ instincts that have helped protect them from natural predators.
What is Horse Cribbing and How can I get my Horse to STOP?
WHAT IS CRIBBING?
Do you know that CRIBBING is not only rough on barns and fences, but it also may be detrimental to a horse’s health? The horse wears down his teeth and swallows air, which can lead to inappropriate digestion and colic. Cribbing can lead to serious health problems, such as poor digestion, colic, and various dental problems.
Owning your first horse can be a dream come true. Yet many new horse owners may find their new-found dream less-than-perfect as they struggle with issues of behavior, manners, training and respect. Perhaps they are inadvertently harming the very creature they’ve fallen in love with. Even though they’re large, majestic animals, horses require a lot of gentle TLC. Unfortunately, many of the long-standing practices in traditional horsemanship may be harmful. Growing numbers of horse owners are seeking more humane ways to train, ride and care for their horses.
Horses are amazingly beautiful and sensitive creatures. Horses require not only understanding and patience to have a horse as a pet, it also requires a whole lot of care.
Herd Mentality:
Observe horses in the herd system, each horse’s welfare in the wild depends upon an instinctive submission to the discipline of the herd. The instinct is for immediate action. To the horse, action is survival. When horses live in an herd environment, they often take turns sleeping and standing guard for any predators. When the leader of the herd signals danger they take flight.
Weight control is one of the most important issues facing many horse owners. Fat, lazy horses are simply unhealthy horses and they are more likely to live a shorter life than their in shape brethren. How do you control a horse’s weight, while still providing him with the right amount of food and vitamins? It is a delicate balance between healthy and obese, but these are a few ways to walk that line.
