Intimidating

My first horse came to me when I was 11 years old.  He was 9 years old and 15.3 hands high- I was maybe 5 feet tall.  He was 17 times my body weight. I was fearless and so was he- my parents, on the other hand, were not.  It was Anglo-arab gelding meets farm girl who does not understand slow, stop, or even yield.  He made me the rider I am today but it would be a lie to say our relationship was without fear throughout it's history.  One year into owning him, I was thrown and seriously injured.  I did not tell my parents for fear that they would take my horse away. So I sucked up the pain and rode on even though I was intimidated. 

Poncho and Myself- 1992

I have been thrown by many horses, which can be part of the learning experience with riding and training horses.  Often when you apprentice with a senior trainer, for example, they may put you on the horses they don't want to ride, the ones they know will buck or are scared and scarred from being mis-treated and I have spent some time in these positions.  I simply worked through the fear which is what many people expect horses to do.  This does not present a happy scenario.  Life is so much easier when it is lead with respect and understanding.  Although I am no expert, I believe these are the keys to getting along with each other and with horses.


When a person who is not used to being around horses all the time (and some that are) approaches a horse, they can be intimidated by their size.  It is true that a horse could hurt you, there is always that possibility with any horse. However, the heart and soul of these creatures goes far beyond their size and a respectful introduction and understanding does wonders for the handler and the horse.  
Many of us have 'baggage' from others in our lives who have tried to control, bully, or intimidate us in some manner or another, so do many horses.  Like people, you can see it in their eyes, read it in their body language although many humans have adapted to hide their pain, to push it into the corners of their very being and when asked "How are you?" the answer "Fine" is a common one.  When a horse is asked how they are (When being caught or asked to work for example) they don't lie.  They are honest all the time, their life depends on it. If they are not willing, it will show in their way of being, for example: a swish of the tail or toss of the head.

Pinned ears = horse unsatisfied with current situation

It is this honesty that makes horses great therapeutic partners.  There are no maybes, just yes or no.  We cannot lie to them either, they mirror what they sense in us and if they sense uneasyness, they will react accordingly.  I have noticed this when going out to feed my horses.  If I am in a bad mood (which quickly dissapates just being in their presence) they will stay clear.  I do not feel that I giving off any physical signs that I am 'in a bad mood' but they can sense the energy.  It is similar to when your partner or friend can walk into a room and right away you can sense what mood they are in. With horses, however, this sense is 'turned on' all the time.  As humans we have a tendency to 'tune out'.  Human and equine intuition are powerful tools.  Paired with understanding and respect, we now have the foundation to overcome Intimidation.