by Mary Gallagher
Don't be afraid to look at things from another point of view.Or start over with a different approach.
Here at Freedom Farm, things are very different than they are at most barns.
For instance, take the way our horses live in herds. When I was growing up, all the stables I rode at kept their horses stalled. When I started my own business, all my horses were stalled. It wasn't until I did research on natural living conditions for horses that I considered running my business differently. The changes came slowly and I am grateful for that. There was - and still is - so much to learn (and unlearn).
One of the things I had to get over was the whole fear that the horses were going to hurt each other by kicking and biting. Somehow I had it in my head that if they played, someone would get hurt and the horse would become unusable. But in reality, they are playful animals and have things to learn about how to move and behave, like all kids running around and playing with others. Depriving the horse of this natural way of life is the cause of many unwanted behaviors.
One of the things I learned was that the herd environment naturally teaches the horse the value and safety in ranking. This is an important behavior to have in place as we show the horse that in the human environment there is LEADERSHIP as well. This ability to rank the horse below us keeps us and our horse safe, just as the older seemingly weaker lead mare can still be in command of the well-being of the herd. The human can be the dominant member in the hierarchy of their relationship with horses.
In parenting we want the best for our kids and sometimes that means we have to let cause and effect or nature be the teacher. Sheltering our kids or stalling our horses from the consequences of life in the end produces unwanted behavior. In horses this can translate into a horse that is looking to fight rather then cooperate inside the herd of two. Horses that live together learn to play respectfully; this is a valuable behavior to have as we share our lives with these great animals.
As you spend time at Freedom Farm you will see how the horses are eager to interact with everyone, and how respectful and trusting they are. All they ask is that we become good leaders for them.
To your horsemanship!
(Originally published March 2013)
