Eyes wide with anxiety, their pupils eclipsed by white, and the frothy, trembling neck of the horse revealed his inner trepidation. His hooves pawed and danced - left, then right, then left again. The horse desperately tried to move anywhere but forward, deriving security on the proven ground. For the horse feels certain that advancing forward into the unknown depths (of the puddle) could result in his demise.
As a predatory species, humans do not have to be on constant vigilance with regard to our continuance, whereas the horse must consider their mortality in all they do, such as crossing the puddle illustrated in the story above. We must not perceive the horses' persistent acuity and initial dubiousness as foolish or stubborn behavior, as it is the foundation of their survival. Rather, these innate characteristics should be considered the mark of a finely tuned intuition and intelligence.
Last week's column talked about horse psychology and behavior. It introduced the horse as a prey animal and discussed how their instinct of self-preservation affects their interaction with you. Click here to read "The Nature of the Horse".
Equipped with this awareness of the horse, we are able to fully appreciate the extent to which our perceptions of the world differ from his (and we'll use the masculine pronoun for simplicity's sake-I own and appreciate both mares and geldings, so believe me when I say I'm not biased!).
To help you further understand this difference, this week we will delve into the use and meaning of the horses' language of leadership, its implications in the social hierarchy and what that means for you.
When observing horses in the natural herd setting, it does not take long to recognize that a dominance hierarchy is present-in other words, there is a clear boss. The specific order of dominance within the herd is determined by certain behaviors. Ultimately, the herd hierarchy reveals a dominant leader and, further down the chain of the command, other members of the herd exhibit a decreasing order of authority.
You will notice that certain horses get to eat or drink first, while the remaining members of the herd wait their turn. You will see some horses exerting low energy, traveling where and when they want, while other individuals are chased about, their location at the continual mercy of more dominant herd members. It becomes evident that not only does a chain of command exist throughout the herd, but also that each horse both understands the significance of their specific position in the herd, as well as that position's implications to those horses above and those herd members below.
Horses not only conceptualize leadership, they also have an intense and innate desire for an assertive and reliable leader. It is through proper leadership in their herd that they experience security
