Horse Behaviour & Psychology

horse training, horse journal, canadian horse, horse canada, horse sport, western horse, english horse, horsemanship

Although food rewards can definitely reinforce a riding lesson, in my experience the drawbacks of using food rewards far exceed the benefits. While it is important to reward horses to affirm every correct response, I feel there are other more valuable ways of doing so.

horse diet behaviour, equine diet behaviour, horse cribbing, horse wind sucking, wood chewing horses, horse feed sugar, horse feed starch

Cribbing is a compulsive behaviour or stereotypy that is bothersome to many horse owners because of the damage it may cause to both the horse and the farm itself. While cribbing, the horse places his upper incisors on the surface of the object, flexes his neck, pulling against the object, and sucking in air. There are many beliefs as to why horses begin and continue to crib. Most believe that horses crib in response to boredom or frustration. Others feel these stereotypies are learned behaviours. While there is evidence of a heritable component to cribbing, studies have shown that very few cases are a result of watching other horses perform these behaviours. A decrease in gastric pH has also been shown to increase the frequency of cribbing in horses.

Horse Shaming, april clay, horse rider psychology, equine psychology, horse psychology

What’s the Antidote? We are inundated with images and stories of shaming these days. Some are humorous, some very hurtful. Shaming is attempting to make someone feel pain and remorse for something they have done – or worse yet, for just being themselves. Shaming and blaming are close cousins.

horse resolutions, horse new year, horse new year resolutions, Canadian horse, horse journal, Canadian Horse Journal, horse Canada, horse sport, horse fun, horse joke, horsemanship

If our horses could share their New Year’s Resolutions, we bet they’d go something like this…

building trust with your horse, horse trust, equine trust, anne gage

Many horses have some level of separation anxiety. If the anxiety is mild, it may only be annoying or a minor inconvenience. But, if your horse is so herd-bound that her behaviour makes you feel anxious, it may be endangering your and your horse’s safety.

racetrack horse, anne gage, high point farm, relieve horse's stress, build confidence in horse, build trust with horse, anxious horse, nervous horse

How to Relieve Your New Horse’s Stress and Build Trust and Confidence. Q - I recently adopted a horse from the racetrack. She is kind, but nervous and gets really anxious when taken out of her paddock.

optimal horse fitness, horse peak performance, equine athletes, Dr. Sebastian McBride, understanding horse temperament, horse temperament testing, horse care, Psychological Factors Affecting Equine Performance, temperament of a young horse, Psychology of Performance Horses, Margaret Evans

It is common knowledge that a horse must achieve optimal physical fitness in order to deliver a peak performance, but what kind of impact does psychological condition have on equine performance? In a competition environment, equine athletes in any discipline may show symptoms of stress, but to what degree does the expression of that stress affect the quality of a jumping round, dressage test, reining pattern, etc.?

“Whether it be a football player studying ballet or a dressage horse learning to work cows - cross-training is a central pillar to athletic success and longevity,” says Dr. Brianne Henderson BVMS MRCVS, Ferguson Equine Veterinary Services & Toronto Equine Hospital.

horse at fence

A common problem that many horse owners have is dealing with a horse that doesn’t want to be caught. This is particularly frustrating when the horse will allow itself to be caught some days, but not others, or will come for the barn manager but not for his owner. The reason a horse does or doesn’t want to be caught is basically about the relationship between the owner and the horse.

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