16 CUMBRIA FARMER June 2009CumbriaHorse
With Alex Jakob-Whitworth
Alex Jakob-Whitworth specialises in
behaviour/handling and is an equine masseur.
Phone 017683 62664 or 07891 921416
or email alex@equine-awareness.co.uk
(www.equine-awareness.co.uk)
ALEX JAKOB-WHITWORTH
Take time to observe your horse
T
he summer is
here with its
long nights,
shows and � we
hope! � decent weath-
er. Longer daylight
hours mean we have
more time to spend
with our horses �
grooming, washing
and generally hang-
ing out with them.
Now is also a good
time to learn about our
horses' behaviour in
more subtle and fasci-
nating ways. We spend
a lot of time doing all
the jobs that need
doing, and doing our
schooling or ground-
work � and this helps
us get to know them.
We know how they
react, how they will
treat new situations
and how quickly they
may learn something
new.
By thinking about
the following, you may
find you will under-
stand your horse even
better and learn things
that will not only
inform the work you do
with them, but will
deepen your relation-
ship as well.
We know that hors-
es are herd animals �
we know that their
prime motivator is
survival (often at all
costs) and we know
that they are sociable
and often seem to have
a herd hierarchy. But
how often have we
seen this in action?
When was the last
time you were able to
watch these subtle
exchanges between
one horse and anoth-
er? I am not talking
about feeding time or
when horses are
brought in, but those
times when we have
little to do with them.
Taking time to
observe your horse in
its natural environ-
ment can reap benefits.
Spend some time in the
field learning about
your horse.
There are many jobs
that need doing in the
field, but if you can,
try to find a good
length of time one day
when you can simply
observe � you may be
surprised. It is a little
tricky if your horse
only has a small turn-
out paddock with
maybe only one other �
but you will still be
able to see the herd
dynamics to a certain
extent.
Watch how the hors-
es behave together �
look where they
graze, look at who
they graze with,
watch where they
move to; they are
rarely still. They may
even make a pattern
around the field.
Even though you
may have a herd `boss'
just watch carefully
who actually initiated
moving off to a new
patch of grass � or
going for a drink or a
rest. It may well not be
the bossy horse, but
another � often a
mare. If they lie down
� who lies down first?
Who stays standing
up? Do they take it in
turns to lie down �
often one horse
remains standing � as
a look-out � but they
will get `their turn'
later on.
If one horse begins
mutually to groom
another, who initiates
this? Who finishes?
There have been stud-
ies of this behaviour
and, although the gen-
eral opinion has been
that the subordinate
horse started the
grooming and the dom-
inant horse ceased it �
the results were not
conclusive.
This is also a good
time to get to know
your horse in the field
as well. Our horses are
used to us catching
them whenever we go
to visit them in the
field � but spending
time simply chatting
or massaging or even
a bit of free grooming
can be time well spent.
It may even result in
you catching them a
lot easier in the
future.
If your horse is
unused to this, then
don't rush. On the first
day, simply stroke and
walk away; on the sec-
ond and third day do
the same; on the fourth
day, stroke and scratch
and walk away. Gradu-
ally increase your con-
tact time.
Each time, walk away
when you have fin-
ished. Try to do this
before the horse walks
away.
Obviously, catch on
days you want to catch
� but spending this
`quality' time with
your hose in the sum-
mer, when the horses
feel good and warm
and everything is that
bit more relaxed and
laid-back can reap
great rewards.
Horse TalkHorse Talk
Relationship: We spend more time with our horses in the
summer and that means we get to know them better

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