BARKS from the Guild March 2017

Page 50

EQUINE

potentially dangerous behavior. If the horse is not reactive, he may shut down, with the result of learned helplessness. The chemicals released in the body when a horse has a negative experience, causing a negative emotional state, can also have an effect on his physical health. In terms of him doing a “job,� performance, recovery, and improvement can suffer. In terms of general health, he may be more prone to illness and injury, with recovery taking longer. Also, we may see specific injuries from physical punishment. This state of mind and body impairs learning, stops experimentation (i.e. the horse does not try out behaviors), impairs cognitive function, reduces or removes motivation to do what is asked, and can lead to a depressive or reactive state. All these things are interlinked, and although there might not be something specific to notice, the effects are there. Sometimes it is only when the horse is treated in a different way that this becomes apparent. To counter all of the above, we need to look at methods that nurture and develop the horse. First, we need to communicate effectively. Horses and humans do not speak the same language, and if we do not interpret each other correctly, the message will be lost in translation. It is, in fact, perfectly possible to understand each other’s language and communicate effectively. This starts with learning about how the mind works. Just as we do, horses have both cognitive and emotional systems in the brain. This means they have feelings, likes, dislikes, and just like us, can respond from a cognitive or emotional perspective. Knowing how the species evolved and its viewpoint of the world as a wild animal, then adding the influence of domestication (or captivity if

the species is no longer living in the wild), and finally, the personality and life experiences of each individual animal, gives us a thorough understanding of communication and behavior as a whole. As a behavior consultant, I need a thorough understanding of all these factors, but you can start a conversation with your horse whatever amount of knowledge you have. The key is to listen and consider his response, rather than work from a preconceived idea of what he is saying. What we think the horse is feeling and saying can often be different from what he is actually communicating. In the second part of this article, we will look at how we can utilize our communication skills to obtain a better understanding of our horses and to create a stronger bond and trust in each other. Learning how we can adjust our behavior, body language, and voice can be used to great effect in developing the conversation between the two species. n Kathie Gregory is a UK-based qualified animal behavior consultant, presenter, and author, who specializes in advanced cognition and emotional intelligence. Passionate about raising standards and awareness in how we teach and work with animals, she has developed Free Will TeachingTM, www .freewillteaching.com, a concept that provides the framework for animals to enjoy life without compromising their own freewill.Her work is divided between working with clients, mentoring, and writing. She is now writing her second book, about bringing up a puppy using free will teaching.

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2017

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BARKS from the Guild March 2017 by The Pet Professional Guild - Issuu