Helping Your Horse Manage His Instincts
The behaviors that horses learn and develop at a young age may create struggles later in life. If we are aware of their conduct when the acting occurs, we can assess the situation. Helping the horse manage his behavior with proper training, he learns to manage his instincts. When a horse acts reluctant or jumpy this is behavioral-acting – the horse is following his instincts. When a horse is content with his setting, his conduct is at its best. This is acting behavior; therefore, he is managing his instincts.
Acting behavior; for a horse, is when he manages his instincts rather than his instinct managing him. He can adjust quickly and remain calm, following through with the task without resistance. If we try to control the horse’s actions, we, in fact, may make the situation worse. This creates struggles between the horse and rider. If the rider reacts, when the horse displays behavioral acting, he or she will escalate the horse’s behavioral acting. If we push a horse over or through a hurdle, we are increasing his instincts, thus enhancing behavioral acting. Some horses will stop and assess a condition before moving forward. This process helps the horse learn to manage his instincts.
When we interact with horses, there are behaviors that make us react, thus conflicting with the training. People, who react to the horse and his behavioral acting, confuse the horse. When we remain calm while working with our horse, we can maintain our composure. We must think of what we want the horse to do. If we determine precisely what we want the horse to do, we can recognize behavioral acting. When we get frustrated and discouraged with our horse, because of his behavioral acting, we must respond rather than react.
To give you an example of behavioral acting, I will use my horse Chester. When I feed him, I want him to wait until I toss his feed in the bin. If Chester places his ears back, aiming to take the feed from my hands, he is showing behavioral acting. In other words, he is acting on instinct, rather than managing it. In response to his conduct, I pull the feed away from him, to encourage good manners. If he reaches his head toward me as I am tossing his feed in the bin, he is still displaying behavioral acting. However, if Chester holds his head off to the side and patiently waits for me to feed him, this is acting behavior – he is meeting my expectations. Whether or not he changes his behavior or when he does depend on if, I respond or react. I have reacted, by bouncing the hay off his face. I believe this encourages his behavioral acting.
The more understanding we gain concerning the two behaviors, the more aware we become. It is essential to recognize the subtle changes to help us read the horse better. The more time we spend responding to our horse, as the horse ages, the more he understands to manage his gut reactions. As the horse learns to manage his instincts, he also learns acting behavior when we are in his presence. The more paraphernalia that we introduce our horse to, the more we help him manage his instinct, so he reacts less often. The less he reacts to his instincts, the more he responds to us.
Watch the video below. See if you can determine when the filly is showing behavioral acting and acting behavior.
