Horse Behaviour & Psychology

The Unridden Horse - Improving Connection and Communication with Your Horse

Updated:

March 15, 2024

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If you’ve ever walked your horse, even with a saddle on, down a trail and past people, you know how it feels. You’re enjoying your horse time and minding your own business, when someone asks Why aren’t you riding that horse? Or someone jokes about taking your “very large dog” for a walk. I had one barn neighbour show her friend on video chat “the girl that doesn’t ride her horse” (me) as we were walking by. It would be awkward if it wasn’t so common. Horses and riding are synonymous in the human psyche, and any departure from this norm is considered very odd indeed, despite the fact that some horses don’t benefit from riding and some humans really don’t enjoy riding.

CPCHE: Guidelines for the Humane Treatment of All Horses

Updated:

March 3, 2024

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Did you know that a Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines (CPCHE) was introduced in Canada in 2013? It was developed with contributions from various organizations, including Equestrian Canada, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), and the Canadian Feed Inspection Agency, all under the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). These partners continue to support the industry-recognized guidelines and standards for proper equine care outlined in the Code. Let’s explore what this equine Code involves.

Back to Schooling Horses - Mistakes, Mishaps, and Misbehaviours

Updated:

December 15, 2023

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Rebuilding After Setbacks - The end of the horse show season is time for evaluation. What went well? What would you like to change? Competitors entering the next horse show without reflection often revisit mistakes like a Groundhog Day time loop.

Are Ponies Capable of Recognizing Human Facial Expressions?

Updated:

November 21, 2023

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Ever wondered if ponies can interpret human emotions through facial expressions? While humans may instinctively avoid someone with a furrowed brow, how well do horses understand our feelings? A recent study by Dr. Katrina Merkies, an associate professor and researcher at the University of Guelph, set out to answer this intriguing question. Dr. Merkies and her team conducted an experiment involving 20 lesson ponies and a group of skilled actors to determine whether ponies could distinguish between happy, sad, angry, and neutral human facial expressions.

Compromised Welfare in Individually Housed Horses

Updated:

November 13, 2023

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Horses are commonly housed in individual boxes. While this may be convenient and prevent injuries from other horses, it may also be detrimental to the horse’s welfare, especially if access to pasture is limited. A paper by Alice Ruet and colleagues investigated the effect of various management practices on the display of behavioural indicators of compromised welfare in housed horses.

Dogs and Horses - Man’s Best Friends

Updated:

November 9, 2023

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If a dog is man’s best friend, then the horse is his most loyal servant. – Joseph V. DiBianca, Loudly They Speak: The Memoirs of a Horse Listener - What is it that makes the vast majority of horse people love dogs? Dogs indeed possess some of the same admirable traits as horses and complement the lifestyle of a horse person very well.

The Science of Schooling Horses

Updated:

October 27, 2023

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Keys to an effective horse training session. I’ve trained a lot of horses. After nailing up my sign as a “professional horse trainer” several decades ago, I learned quickly that overhead is high in the horse business so you’d better make some hay if you’re going to pay your bills. Consequently, I rode many horses each day, breaking young ones and tuning up show horses.

Belief in Horses' Capacity for Emotion Linked to Better Health and Welfare

Updated:

October 26, 2023

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According to recent research, equids whose owners believe in their capacity to experience emotions or share an emotional bond with them tend to be in significantly better health.

How to Enjoy Fall and Winter with Your Horse - 10 Ways

Updated:

October 21, 2023

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Fall fairs, circuit championships, and club awards banquets signal the end of another horse show season. So how did it go? Did your shows, rodeos, or competitive trail rides meet your expectations? For the majority of horse owners, the answer to this question will likely be no. Stuff happens. And so we look toward the next year. But with chilly fall and winter weather looming, we all need some goals to motivate us to get off the couch and out to the arena on those cold nights!

Complicated Horses

Updated:

August 22, 2023

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I work with a large variety of horses and have worked with thousands of horses and riders in the past eight years. This has given me the opportunity to work with some fairly complicated horses. Although more difficult and sometimes seemingly impossible to train, the complicated ones teach us the most and challenge us to work the horse as an individual.