His vision, although lacking depth perception, affords him an almost 360 view and allows him to detect the slightest movement for kilometres distant. His ears are placed erect on the top of his head and are so mobile that they allow him to hear the softest noise in all directions.
On top of all this is his secret weapon; an adrenalin release that can be triggered as simply as rasing his head, allowing his senses and ability to flee to heighten and accelerate in a fraction of a second.
All of these traits are what we horse lovers most admire in our horses, as in their movement and agility and are also what we require if we have sporting goals in mind.
Unfortunately, for many horses kept in a domestic situation, when it comes to being around their humans, there are not a lot of opportunities to relax. That is, they constantly feel on edge and ready to flee. You’ll see their heads fly up quickly and often and the slightest thing will have them heading for the hills. Adrenalin therefore gets pumped through their body often. Living under these circumstances causes stress, mentally, emotionally and physically and can cause a build up of toxins in the body. Liken it to living on a diet of 20 cups of coffee per day. This kind of mental and emotional stress can lead to illness and make your horse more prone to injury. A nervous horse is far more likely to take fright and hurt itself that a confident and relaxed one.
As you become a better leader for your horse, his confidence will grow. You will see him visibly relax more often and lower his head, looking at the world through confident eyes. You may even find with a horse that previously did not lie down very often, that he now feels relaxed enough to enjoy lying on the grass or having a roll. If you feel you have a particularly nervous horse, teaching him to lower his head, which triggers an endorphin release, can be of great benefit.
Typically, a horse whose human partner is a good leader and shows confidence themselves, will become so confident in their leadership, that they will stay calm and relaxed under almost any circumstance. And that’s a much nicer, longer and safer life, for both of you!
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Lesson 4, Chapter 6:
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- By Meredith Ransley, Quantum Savvy.