WEEK 2

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MODULE 2: EQUINE PHYSIOLOGY>PG 8

   

THE EARS

Often when riding a horse may flick one ear gently back for a little time then back to where it was.  This is because the horse is thinking and listening to your directions and aids.

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Horses who have been dominated and forcefully broken in and or trained often are very nervous and don't appreciate the rider being on their back and so their ears can often be very overly focused towards where they can feel you sitting.  These breaking in and training methods are the reason horses do things like buck you off when they get spooked.

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Or freak out and leap out from underneath you if you lose your balance.  These horses are fearful of the rider and what they may do to them so are constantly trying to get away from their rider.

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On the other hand a horse whose education has been simply relationship building and kind, gentleness adores having their rider in the saddle and works with them with a great sense of joy and achievement.  They look to their rider when they get spooked, for confidence and draw their confidence in their environment from their rider.

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For those riders who exercise other peoples horses, you may have also noticed on these horses (which are 99% dominated horses, what I call 'bucking ears'.

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You don't wanna see this ear position when you're riding.  When a horse is about to buck it's rider off it will often stiffly point it's ears bolt upright and slighlty inward toward each other.  This is a horse that wants to eject you and / or the saddle off.

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Because the cause of this is normally that the horse has been dominated rather than educated to love riding, your best defence in this scenario is kindness.  A soothing pat and re-assurance, affirmation you are not going to hurt them

(if you are going to be a bully, you SHOULD be bucked off).

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With every horse you get to handle or ride, no matter how they have been trained previously you have it within your power to build a kind relationship with the horse now.  This will undo bad training instantly.  Pat, take time, do all gently, softly, lots of 'good boy' / 'good girl'.

This goes miles with all horses and will set you up for safer handling and riding for your horse and for you.

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