Pets Information


How To Get Your Horse To Obey You and Look To You For Instruction


In the animal kingdom there is a pecking order. Richard Shrake points out that it's a lot like the military. He ranks in the pecking order go from General down to Private. The General will get first pick of the food, decide where to go and when, and so on.

The "second in command" will act just like the General but he won't pick on the General because the General dominates him. This string of command continues all the way down to the bottom of the pecking order. Any time a new animal comes into the group then the pecking order shifts. Knowing this information, you can use it to your advantage. You can make yourself the leader in the horse's eyes. He'll look to you for instruction. He'll obey you.

If you have a dominant horse it will be instinct for him to let a more dominant being make the decisions. In this case the dominant being will be you. You will become leader by using your body language to show you are confident. Being dominant doesn't mean you're being aggressive.

On the other hand, if your horse is the General, you may have to be more assertive. Make sure your horse doesn't think you're a threat. It's easy to come across as threatening when you're being assertive. If your horse feels threatened he'll fight back and you can't win. And if you are doing horse training, you will find it hard to get results.

In the wild, dominant and aggressive horses will make their bodies tight and make sudden moves with fury while getting into the other horse's space. The weaker horse will concede and move out of his space. Think of it as the General screaming an order and the Private is obeying.

Slow movements tend to draw one horse to another. Horses express calmness with relaxed, slow steps. This is how they welcome other horses in their space.

If a horse is trying to show you he's the General you may see a clamped-down tail with pinned ears. To get him to accept you as the General you will move him out of his space. You do this by matching any quick moves he makes with your own quick moves. The trick is to make the first strike before he does.

One way to do this is with a quick arm movement towards him - almost like you're violently shooing away some pesky flies. Also, you can use an aggressive tone of voice towards a horse if he's being aggressive.

How can you tell if he's conceding to you? If he turns his head or drops it, relaxes his tail, begins chewing, or takes a deep breath, then that's how you know. If any of these happen he's saying, "Okay, I'll do what you say because I want to listen to you." Pay attention to these clues that tell you your horse is in the Private mode (the follower) instead of the General mode.

When you go into the round pen to work with your horse first check to see how he responds to you. If he rubs his head on you or swings his rear end toward you then he's challenging your position in the pecking order. If you're with a horse that's not dominant you want to make sure he has confidence. Thus, be very careful not to be threatening.

About The Author

Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. For information visit his website at www.horsetrainingandtips.com. He is also the leading expert on Jesse Beery's horse training methods which can be seen at www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beerya.htm.


MORE RESOURCES:

China Daily

Pet stores struggle to cope with dogs abandoned after holidays
China Daily
By Zhou Wenting (China Daily) SHANGHAI-A 3-year-old Doberman Pinscher has been waiting for its owner for three weeks in a pet shop here, where it was taken for a bath in mid-January, to be claimed on the following day. Li Haigang, shopkeeper of Little ...

and more »


Pets rescued from burning clinic
Charleston Gazette
Several pets were rescued from a veterinarian clinic in Logan after a fire broke out there early Sunday morning. Firefighters were called to Knowles Animal Hospital, 615 Stratton St., around 2 am, Lt. Hatfield of the Logan Fire Department said.

and more »


Bogue: Don't let your pet swallow small objects
San Jose Mercury News
The moral of the story is: Keep your home free of small things that can harm your pets. That also includes golf balls and bigger dogs that can swallow them. a good idea to keep those objects hidden out of its reach. Particular problem objects include: ...

and more »


Bryan College Station Eagle

Expecting parents can help pets adapt
Green Bay Press Gazette
Experts say the countdown should include prep time for pets too. A baby changes everything for a pet — from how its home looks, smells and sounds to what the rules are. Low energy, friendly, social dogs are the most adaptable pets, while independent, ...
Baby on the way? Prepare your pet for new arrivalHerald Times Reporter
Pets need some prep for new babiesBryan College Station Eagle

all 12 news articles »


Cleveland News - Fox 8

Obesity epidemic strikes US pets
CNN
The majority of adult dogs and cats in US homes are overweight or obese, and the problem has gotten worse over the past year, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Fifty-three percent of adult dogs and 55% of cats were classified as ...
Avoid a Pet Emergency in Overtime: Super Sunday's Parties Can Be Dangerous To ...Sacramento Bee
Are We Feeding Our Pets to Death?Gawker
Half of All US Pets Dangerously OverweightCalorieLab Calorie Counter News

all 58 news articles »


Pets of the Week
St. Augustine Record
Pets are available at the St. Johns County Pet Center, 130 N. Stratton Road. Call 209-6190. Adoptions are $60, which includes neutering/spaying, rabies vaccinations and shots. Izzy is a two-year-old spayed female tabby cat. She is great with kids and ...



Good News For Pet Lovers Can Get Better
KXO Radio
The percentage of dogs and cats in homes adopted from shelters and rescue groups has risen from 27 to 29 percent in the last few years, while the number of healthy and treatable pets losing their lives for lack of a home has dropped from 3 million to ...
Homeless Pet ClubsPatch.com

all 3 news articles »


BigPond News

Ohio proposal would ban owners from buying exotic animals, create new caging ...
Washington Post
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Proposed legislation in Ohio would ban the purchase of lions, bears and other exotic animals, but current owners of the dangerous wildlife would be allowed to keep them as pets if they meet strict new requirements. State Sen.
Ohio bill would ban new ownership of exotic petsCBS News
State bill would ban new ownership of exotic petsFox News

all 212 news articles »


Hunterdon County Democrat - NJ.com

More pet owners take advantage of free rabies clinics in Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County Democrat - NJ.com
Twelve free rabies vaccination clinics were held over the past month in Hunterdon County, timed so that people registering their pets can show proof of current rabies vaccination. The next clinic is scheduled at the High Bridge rescue squad building on ...

and more »


New York Daily News

Courtney Love 'to sue over leaked testimony in which daughter Frances Bean ...
Daily Mail
In the explosive files, Frances Bean accused her mother of causing the death of their family pets. She filed the restraining order against Love in LA superior court in December 2009 after they got into a physical fight. Backed by evidence from her male ...
Courtney Love's accused of killing family pets by daughter?Gather Celebs News Channel
Courtney Love to sue over leaked restraining order filed by daughterZee News
Frances Bean Cobain: Courtney Love 'killed the family pets'New York Daily News
Fox News
all 130 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007