Most people associate natural horsemanship with Monty Roberts or John Lyons or Pat Parelli. The reality, however, is that these horse trainers have simply leveraged the fundamentals of natural horsemanship for their own teachings, but they cannot be credited with founding this horse training philosophy.
The principles of natural horsemanship are found in the writings of the mercenary Xenophon, but the philosophy has evolved over time and taken many different directions. Indeed, what one horseman calls natural horsemanship might not make any sense to another horse trainer, and vice versa.
Herd Mentality
The first of the principles of natural horsemanship deals with the herd mentality. Horses naturally gravitate into herds when they live in the wild, and might even develop herds domestically when turned out together in a field or pasture. The purpose of this is to protect one another from predators and to ensure the survival of the species by relying on each other for food, water, mating and security.
When practicing natural horsemanship, it is important to understand how horses relate to one another in the wild. They communicate primarily through body language, using all of their body parts to signal to the other horses. These include:
- Ears: The direction of the ears indicates where the horse's attention is focused. In natural horsemanship, horse trainers watch the movement of the ears to determine where the horse is looking.
- Tail: Horses that carry their tails high might be agitated, while mares shift their tails to the side to show they are receptive to mating.
- Head Carriage: Dipping the head down toward the ground indicates submission, while a head raised high can signal danger or irritation.
- Teeth & Hooves: Horses bite and kick to express dominance over one another, or over humans. Natural horsemanship teaches several ways to stop horses from using their teeth and hooves.
In natural horsemanship, it is important to watch the horse for body language that communicates discomfort or fear. A horse will change the juxtaposition of his body to his trainer to indicate either submission or dominance, and this acts as a running meter for how one's horse training philosophy is working.
Operant Conditioning
Natural horsemanship teaches that horses learn best through systems of pressure and release. When negative behavior is exhibited, pressure is applied to indicate displeasure from the trainer; similarly, release of pressure indicates a job well done. When applied correctly, neither fear nor pain is necessary in horse training.
Operant conditioning is where many horse trainers differ. A horse training philosophy cannot be too passive because negative behavior--particularly dangerous behavior--cannot be tolerated by trainers. However, it is a good idea to commit to pain-free and fear-free training so the horse and trainer can build a foundation of trust.
Predictive Behavior
Many horse trainers who teach and use natural horsemanship believe that equine behavior can be predicted accurately when one has a full understanding of equine instincts. It is true that horses operate based primarily on instinct; they are flight animals, for example, which means that their first instinct is to run away from danger.
Nevertheless, it is dangerous to put too much stock in predictive behavior because, like other animals, horses become domesticated and learned behavior can replace instincts rather quickly. Just like dogs and cats, horses will test their riders to see what they can get away with. When building relationships with horses, remember that each animal has a distinctive and unique personality.
Why Use Natural Horsemanship?
Natural horsemanship has evolved and changed over the years, and one horse training philosophy based on it might be entirely different from another. A better way is to learn the core principles of natural horsemanship, then use that information to develop one's own horse training philosophy. This can help horse trainers and riders who are building relationships with horses.
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