Avoiding and Correcting Bad Behavior in the Horse - Naturally and Effectively

The spirit, strength, and might of horses are what attract so many; these traits are admirable and awesome to behold. Sometimes, however, these same traits make the horses we love not so likeable - and not so safe when being handled on the ground. Why do these traits come out, and how should they be handled when they do?

Why do our horses get horsey with us?

By nature, horses are prey animals. This means they're usually looking out for their own safety, looking for predators, and ready to flee without notice; however, within their own herd (to which we - by proxy - belong) horses are less shy. Horse herds have a social order and most horses occasionally will test to see if they have possibly moved up the ranks.

Do not make the mistake of taking these times of boundary testing personally. Horses will try and test you and these boundaries to see if they can rise in the proverbial pecking order. Sometimes horses innocently forget that the human is supposed to be the top of the list. When any of these situations occur, they usually show up as a lack of respect - either passive, or active.

Horses show lack of respect through various actions.

Some signs of lack of respect are as follows:

Walking ahead while being lead.
Crowding with the shoulder, head, or neck.
Turning the rump to the owner in the stall or pen.
Nipping, biting, striking, kicking, or threatening any of these actions.
Pinning the ears back towards the human.
Pulling on the rope - either backwards or forwards.
Tossing their head.
Stepping on your feet.
Rubbing their head against you or pushing with their head or body.