1
When confronted with a child’s fervent love of horses, some parents may find themselves remembering their own childhood love for horses and endless hours of doodling, reading horse books, or even pretending to be a horse. Non-horsey parents, however, may be unsure how to respond to this inexplicable passion — some may have the first impulse to firmly say “no,” while fervently hoping that the interest will quickly pass. Others will wish to be encouraging, without knowing quite how to go about it. In either case, parents wonder about the cost involved, the time commitment, and the safety risks.
Whatever your own response, know that you’re not the first parent to feel what you’re feeling. The good news is that there are lots of wonderful resources available to you — and your child — to help explore this interest safely, knowledgeably, but most important, together.
Talking the Talk
Hands. Describes how the rider holds the reins; “hard hands” hold the reins too short and tight, while “soft hands” maintain a gentle, even contact with the horse’s mouth.
Seat. This is the rider’s position in the saddle; a “deep” and “balanced” seat is highly desirable, as it means the rider is in good contact with the saddle and, by extension, the horse.
Tack. The equipment used for riding a horse; specifically, the bridle, saddle, girth, and saddle pad.
Tacking up. Putting the riding equipment on a horse, preparatory to riding.
English and Western Riding
Learning to ride a horse involves a great deal more than just sitting in a saddle and letting the horse do all the work. The focus is on the relationship between the horse and rider, of course, but it’s also about what the horse and rider are doing together. Many experienced riders enjoy pleasure riding or hacking — being on a horse for the sheer joy of it, not working toward any goals, not trying to accomplish anything, just enjoying the experience for its own sake. They may ride in a ring or go out on trails, usually with friends, to enjoy beautiful scenery and variable terrain.
Other riders spend hours working toward specific goals within a particular discipline. The two main styles of riding are English and Western, each with its particular equipment and way of sitting on a horse. Within each style, riders can choose from a number of disciplines, as described below. Some disciplines, such as pleasure or trail riding, can be enjoyed by either English or Western riders. Both styles of riding require a secure seat, good horsemanship skills, and confidence. In any discipline, even the finest riders will say that they are always learning and the horse is their best teacher.
At its best, Western riding teaches the skills of the cowboy, the vaquero, the charro — riders who had to get a hard day’s work done from the saddle.
More about Western Riding
While English riding arose primarily from the cavalry tradition, Western riding was developed for hardworking cowboys who spent many hours in the saddle and needed to be able to perform a number of functions (herding livestock, roping animals, fixing fences, and so on) while on horseback. The clothes and tack used in Western riding reflect that need for safety, comfort, and practicality while on the job. Not all Western riders are cowboys, of course! Western disciplines include reining (similar to dressage), barrel racing, and team penning, among others.
More about English Riding
English riding is quite different from Western riding, with the most obvious visual differences being the riders’ clothes and the horses’ tack (saddle, bridle, and so forth). Many people consider English-style riding more difficult to learn than Western primarily because it requires greater balance in a smaller saddle, without the support offered by the larger Western saddle that has a horn (handle) in front. At more advanced skill levels, however, both styles focus heavily on the rapport between horse and rider to achieve specific goals, whether it be jumping a series of fences or separating a particular cow from the herd.
English riding, which includes activities such as show jumping, classical dressage, and three-phase eventing, is practiced throughout the world. It combines the earliest horse-training and riding traditions, which were developed by cavalry units and nobility over the centuries, with theories from the world’s finest horsemen, going back through all of recorded history to perhaps the earliest known, Xenophon the Greek (431–355 BCE).
Individuals who pursue English riding at the highest levels view it as a true art, to be studied and perfected through a lifetime of dedicated effort.
The discipline’s foundation in mounted combat training, is particularly evident in dressage, a formal discipline that dates back to the Greeks and Romans. Examples of these combat moves include the pirouette (a spin on the haunches to the left or right) to quickly evade an enemy’s sword thrust and the capriole (in which the horse leaps straight into the air and lashes out with his hind legs), which was used against foot soldiers and to unhorse enemy riders. These advanced maneuvers are seen only at the highest levels.
Some Basic Equine Information
Horses are naturally social animals and feel most comfortable and relaxed when surrounded by other horses. They can also find comfort in being handled by an experienced and confident rider, as their natural tendency is to follow and obey a respected leader. In the wild, the herd leader (usually a mare) watches over the herd, warns of danger, leads them to water and good grazing, and keeps discipline and order.
How Many Hands?
Horses are measured in units called “hands.” The measurement for height is taken from the point of the withers (where the horse’s neck meets his back; that is, the top of the shoulder blades) to the ground. One hand equals four inches (10 cm).
To understand how this works, here are some sample conversions:
12 hands: 12 × 4 = 48 inches (122 cm) or 4 feet (1.2 m) at the withers
16.2 hands: 16.2 × 4 = 64.8 inches (165 cm) or 5 feet, 4 inches (1.6 m) at the withers
Remember that the horse’s or pony’s head reaches much higher than the withers!
There is a firm line, however, between responsible leadership and harsh treatment, and the two should never be confused. A good leader knows the difference and understands that pain and fear never take the place of respect and understanding.
It may seem odd that an animal as large as the horse would allow comparably small humans to control it so thoroughly, yet this partnership has existed for centuries. What allows us to handle horses is their psychology — a strong herd instinct and the related recognition of pecking order with the natural deference to a leader.
Consistent training helps to reinforce the horse’s recognition of the rider as its leader, but even the best training can be defeated by survival instincts such as the “fight or flight” instinct of all prey animals. Understanding just how far training can take you with a horse — when instincts will supersede all training and how to respond appropriately and safely — is the study of a lifetime.
“Horse” Spoken Here
Because horses obviously cannot speak “human,” it’s imperative that humans learn to speak “horse.” Even if you never plan to ride a horse, your understanding and enjoyment of your child’s experience will be greatly enhanced if you become familiar with the basics of equine “language.” Most equine communication is nonverbal; that is, horses tell one another (and us) a great deal by the way they move and hold their bodies.
The Expressive Ears
Horses can point their ears in all directions and can move them independently of each other, which allows for a variety of expressions. For example, a horse whose ears are held loose and relaxed, as in the top drawing, facing somewhat sideways out from his head, is happy and relaxed.
Ears that are up and facing gently forward signal that the horse is alert and happy.
Ears that point slightly back but appear soft and relaxed indicate that the horse is paying attention to something behind him — your child on his back, for instance. The horse is calm and attentive, doing his job pleasantly. If the horse periodically moves the ears backward more, he may be protesting the rider’s signals — for example, expressing unhappiness with hands that are holding the reins too tightly (which can make the bit uncomfortable or even painful) or simply grumping about being asked to work when he would rather go back to his friends.
Ears that are pointed hard forward express extreme interest, tension, or even fear, particularly if the horse’s head is held high, his neck muscles are visible, and his body appears tense.
Ears that are pinned backward so that they almost touch the horse’s neck or disappear into his mane mean that the horse is seriously angry. This is an expression of threat and aggression, which may arise from fear (the flip side of “flight” is “fight”).
Ears that flick back and forth quickly, especially if the head is held high, along with the whites of the eyes showing, and the horse possibly snorting loudly through his nostrils, indicates that the horse is very worried about something. A horse giving these signals might decide to bolt quickly and suddenly.
The Mobile Muzzle
Because horses don’t have hands, they experience the world most intimately through their flexible and sensitive lips and muzzle. This is especially true of foals, who can often be described as “mouthy.” Such exploration is well intentioned and should not be confused with biting or grabbing. For an inexperienced horse person, it can be difficult to determine if the horse is being overly friendly or is looking to nip.
A horse who makes chewing motions, especially in combination with licking his lips, is expressing good intentions and friendliness.
A horse who bares his teeth and/ or snaps, however, is showing extreme aggression — either because he is enraged or because he is terrified.
A horse who scrunches up his top lip and appears to be grimacing is exhibiting the “flehmen response.” Horses, especially males, often do this when they smell something particularly interesting, like certain scents or pheromones.
FROM A HORSE-CRAZY KID
I’ve always loved horses. Horses make me happy — just being on my pony and being close. Thinking of my pony, Little Bit, makes me smile all through my day, because she always loves to be with me. I show my pony I love her just by being close to her and hugging her. All of the other ponies in the world love to bite and kick, but not Little Bit. She is the sweetest pony ever.
I know my pony loves me when she comes close to me and stands so I can put her halter on. And when she comes to me fast when I call her. When I go into her stall, she always comes and stands close to me, with her head against my chest. And I know she loves me because she lets me hug her and she always listens to me and minds her manners.
I will always have horses in my life. I’ll have kids and get horses for my kids. I will own a farm and a lot of people will board their horses there in my barn. I want to always have horses to take care of.
The Physical Stance
It may seem unlikely, but the way a horse stands can tell you a lot about how he’s feeling. You often see a horse standing with one hind foot cocked so that the front of the hoof (the toe) is resting on the ground; this indicates that the animal is relaxed and comfortable with his surroundings.
A horse who stands with his head elevated and his body tense is either very excited or is worried about something he sees, hears, or smells. If the former, he may begin to dance around in excitement; if the latter, he’s trying to make a fast decision about what it is and how to react to it (flight or fight).
A horse who turns his rear end toward a person is expressing anger and threat — stay away! A horse who hitches his hip while lifting a foot from the ground is threatening to kick — watch out. If, however, the horse uses that hind leg to rub the underside of his own belly, he’s simply rubbing off flies or gnats that are tickling him there, and he means no harm to anyone … except the insects!
The Telling Tail
You already know that horses use their tails to swish away flies and other insects that can make them miserable. A lazily swishing tail is also the horse’s way of showing relaxation and general satisfaction with the world.
Sometimes a horse will lash its tail while he’s being worked or ridden. Like the briefly turned-back ears, a quick tail-lash is the horse’s way of protesting. It’s almost always a very mild form of protest and is just the horse saying, “Look, I’ll do what you just asked me to do, but I’d really rather be back in the field with my buddies.”
A horse who repeatedly lashes his tail with great urgency (especially if he also has his ears pinned, his head elevated, and is showing the whites of his eyes) is expressing extreme agitation — and anything could be causing the problem. Sometimes, it’s a particularly determined biting insect (many of which have very painful bites and draw blood). Sometimes, it’s a harsh bit or something painful under the saddle pad (like a sharp thorn) that’s causing the horse distress. And, sometimes, the horse is angry and flat-out does not want to do anything the rider or handler is asking of him.
Equine Sounds and Vocalizations
Although body language is paramount, horses do communicate with a variety of sounds. A bugling neigh is the horse’s way of calling out to other horses. A stallion neighs to tell the mares, “I’m here, ladies!” Horses also neigh to call to a buddy who is out of sight or to figure out where the herd is.
A whicker, deep in the horse’s chest, is an expression of happiness. Horses use this sound to welcome a good human friend, a mare uses it to comfort her baby, and a barn full of horses make this sound at feeding time to welcome the person who feeds them.
Occasionally you will hear horses make a short, high-pitched, squealing sound at one another. This lets other horses know that they’ve had enough of the other horse’s attentions — most often, this occurs during initial meetings between two strange horses. And a mare will squeal at a stallion to flirt with him. We may find it strange, but stallions love it!
A horse will make a loud, high-pitched blowing sound through dilated nostrils when he is highly aroused — perhaps in extreme excitement upon seeing a new horse walking toward the herd or in severe agitation upon sensing a possible threat. This blowing sound is often accompanied by high head and tail carriage, tense body posture, and lots of prancing around.
Learn from the “Expert”
It’s a rare thing for a child to be the most knowledgeable person in the family. Yet that is probably the case in your own household when the topic is horses. What a wonderful gift you can give your child, therefore, by “talking horses” with her and allowing her to share her knowledge with you and to teach you some of what she knows about her favorite topic. A great way to do this is to have her quiz you: “What’s a bay? Where does the bridle go? What do you call a female horse?” It’s okay — preferable, actually — that you not have all the answers to her questions. The joy is twofold — being the teacher and spending time with you.