as the
EQUATION
between
HUMAN
◄ When we are on the ground the
horse can see how we respond to
a situation and if our relationship is
working cooperatively they often are
as comfortable as we are. If we have
to intervene we can easily help them
perceive by letting them control the
orientation of their head and body to
better cover the surroundings.
them; as a consequence of our interaction, their behavior
became attentive and comfortable even with situations
that were new or difficult. Our goal is to always support the
horse in his experience during each instance in order to
avoid reactions or stressful behaviors and always have a
safe situation for both human and horse. The way perception
happens is different between animal species, but
when they interact, what matters is the behavior resulting
from the mutual action, more than the physiological details
of the perception.
We found that the state of attention shown by the horse
can be helped by the rider or handler through managing
the distance from the focus of attention and by the direction
of our approach. This is to augment the possibility of
the horse’s perception input by sight, hearing, touch, smell
and taste. Each stimulus requires different actions depending
upon the sense receptor that is perceiving that stimulus.
Time is also a critical factor, and we need to allow the
horse to cognitively process the input from his senses at his
own speed.
Traditionally, the interaction between human and horse
happens through training by conditioning horses to respond
to certain stimuli. People have even tried to avoid
64 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com TRAINING & Showing
letting horses perceive stimuli by using devices designed
for that purpose, ignoring the fact that in horses awareness
is more prompt than in human beings. In reality, for the
possibilities of the equine behavioral response, the trained
actions still coexist with instincts, experience, and emotions;
components that can be difficult to control when the horse
does not comply with our request.
Human Horse Sensing establishes a dynamic dialogue
by behavior that gives us a way to always manage the
relationship, and not be limited by the stiff boundaries of
training.
Interactive behavior is the result of the combination of different
individual’s physiological processes such as perception
and cognition, and can have a variety of possible outcomes.
Perception puts an individual in contact with the
surroundings, and after the information has gone past the
sense receptors, the rest of the cognitive process is up to
each individual. It becomes even more complicated when
we add the difference in species between the participant
individuals, which requires an adequate meaningful communication
between them.
When we are with horses, we always influence their perception
because we hold them by the head, with halter
and leads on the ground, or with bridles when we ride.
Learning how to do it in a cooperative manner can make
a big difference in our relationship.
During recent training we monitored the heart rate of a
horse and a rider at different moments on the ground or
while riding and recorded the experience in written form
and video. Our work aimed at documenting and expressing
the reasons why we were attaining a cooperative
behavior even when the horse was in a state of attention.
Horses are always aware of their surroundings and can
become attentive and focused on something at any time.
During the course of the experience, in order to detect the
attentive state in the horse, we measured the heart rate.
It actually becomes lower in this instance. When horses
focus on an object, the outcome of their perception will
be displayed in their behavior. They could feel the need to
investigate the subject of their attention, which can result
approaching it if horses feel attracted to it and want to use
touch, smell, or taste to further their perception. Another
outcome could be avoidance, if horses feel they need
more distance in order to explore the object, or to be safe.
In our experience, while relating with them we worked to
facilitate their perception of the situations to which we led
EQUINE
BEHAVIIOR
and
Story & Photos By
Alessandra Deerinck
When we interact with horses, we should always aim at establishing a cooperative situation, where we both
contribute and have a positive experience. This is even more important if we compete in equestrian disciplines,
because our action will allow us to excel and win when the cooperation with our equine partner is ideal.
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