The Principles of Ethical Horsemanship

 

The biggest key element, based on our experience, is that the relationships between facilitators and horses need to model at all times authentic, real and mutually respectful communication, trust and genuine affection. Human leadership must have been earned from horses through mutual trust, learning to play together, and developing mutually beneficial relationship – in that order and not through domination. This is because its ethical and because the clients will spot (consciously or sub) anything modeling manipulation, domination, and different people/horses being valued and respected differently. Reinforcing such attitudes and belief systems would be counter-productive. Similarly, any sign of not having the horse’s trust and respect can diminish client’s trust/respect towards facilitator. Respect must not be confused with submissive relationship where the horse has lost charisma.

Lack of trust in facilitator is easy to detect in clients. But accidently reinforced attitudes and beliefs need to be detected when they come out in seemingly harmless jokes, comments and verbalized observations – “ that fat little pony is clearly the lowest in pecking order..that handsome horse there is the boss…”

In natural horse training most models tend to work the horse in a round pen and with the horse in halter and long rope. Driving the horse in round pen and changing his direction etc. is “natural” in that stallions and stallion-like geldings also do that (sneaking etc.) to get mares obey them without “discussions” every time– so they can keep mares safe, basically.

People have taken the same concept to tame wild horses and from there it has spread to “natural horsemanship” wanting to get control over horses without physical force. Seemingly soft, but mentally and emotionally not always so. The basic principle of join up is to instill discomfort on the circle and “safety” with the human. Although that does result in the horse following freely etc., that does not represent truly free-willing co-operation the same way that horse friendship relationships model. Stallions are able to steal mares this way who don’t want to leave own herd. Abusers are able to keep family members without locked doors because people feel they cannot get away.

Friendship model is also based on natural horse behavior. Strong, lifelong friendships are formed in horse herds and can be formed between people and horses, too. In such relationships horses follow each other’s suggestions, respect each other’s boundaries, take turn in “leading” or making decisions, play and protect and groom each other. Such relationship does not mean no boundaries. The human facilitator ‘s now-I-am-serious- order is obeyed because it is to keep the horse safe and the horse trusts that. Halter and rope is used when it isn’t needed anymore for basic “control”. Friends don’t have to force or dominate each other into submission to control. Friends are “controlled” with mutually respectful and genuine friendships. The same can apply to relationships between human and horse facilitators. To get that, the horse and facilitator make friends and play on a large arena or field with the horse at liberty. We don’t put the horse into a small space or attach a rope until the horse and human play together and more confined area does not cause any fear, need to flee etc. This normally takes about a day.
E.g. mares bond for life if allowed, and so do stallions/geldings and mares unless they are broken apart by people, death or other stallions in the wild. The horse is with you because he wants to, not because he has no real choice. The human is responsible for own 50% in the relationship. Like with people.  

Working with clients with horses that have learned to make friends with people and horses, and have a good relationship with the facilitator, help avoid accidently modeling and reinforcing something that would not support clients in their human relationships. Working with horses trained and  handled in the other style of NH models something else. We do also progress into reinforcing leadership and working horses in “conventional way” at liberty, riding, and driving. We just build on this friendship and horses are very relaxed yet willing and curious this way.  

Guiding clients to build a relationship with a horse through one or the other of these models will have a very different result under the surface. Attitudes and beliefs guide our thinking and emotional reactions, yet they are difficult to change with plain talking. Experiential learning challenges attitudes and beliefs, and offers new ways of seeing self with others. Relational work with horses makes experiential exponential. Therefore it is vital that the relational work with horses is in line with individual therapeutic goals, and doesn’t accidently present a “hidden message”. – E.g. unless we want a client to dominate people in her/his life, we should not guide equine assisted activities that require dominating the horse.  

This relationship work requires becoming very aware of potential hidden messages. We sometimes see an idea in EFL that getting a horse to obey in roundpen or riding enhances client’s self-esteem. I am sure it does but what is the deeper message and value basis? That feeling good about oneself is related to having power over others? I need others to respect me to feel good? Or, would my self-esteem like it even more if the horse chose to play with me on a large arena where he really had a chance to go away if he wanted to?

Another example: E.g. a victim of teasing or assault benefits from learning to keep own boundaries with horses. But there is a big difference between marking own boundaries around oneself and a bucket of carrots, and learning to keep horses outside, or learning assertiveness through making a horse do things in small space (mental force with no real escape possibility). In one version I protect my boundaries and all is peaceful as long as no one bumps into them. In the other version I go after the other one’s boundaries to gain control over him/her (to protect my boundaries) and actually metaphorically do what my teasers have done – push me around.

Physical and emotional safety of the horse and the rider is our number one priority

Horse is calm when people around him...

A calm horse …

The horse's body and mind is designed for nomadic grazing in a herd. In the wild he eats grass around 16 hours a day wondering slowly over a wide territory. The horse has developed over more than 50 million years and it is only when we remove him from his natural environment and way of life, and use him for our own purposes, that he needs our care, attention and grooming. He’s needs and instincts haven’t changed. Every foal born in a stable is in essence wild until tamed by man. Try to permit your horse as natural life-style as possible and, if you are worth it, he will call you his friend.

 

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