Have computer narrator Jennifer read this article to you

Horses Are Prey Animals. People Are Predators. Just by understanding the nature of this one simple concept, we de-mystify many of the seemingly unfathomable reactions that horses have, that have baffled mankind for generations. Man the hunter, horse the hunted.

 

Throughout the ages there have been those special few people who have displayed tremendous horsemanship skills. Many of whom not realising what it was that they did differently from others, or who lacked the ability to pass on their knowledge and techniques allowing others to repeat their successes. By nature or experience, these people understood instinctively what it took to be successful with horses; to act less predatory and to become more horse-like; to work with the horse rather than against him. Fortunately we humans - being an intelligent species with a large brain and something called reasoning power - are able to overcome our instincts. In other words, we have the ability to become less predatory, particularly around horses who see us as their natural enemies. As predators, our instincts are to hunt and kill. We live in an environment that can be controlled and protected. In fact, control is something we prize in ourselves and in our lives. We take pride in our possessions as a mark of achievement. We seek the approval of our peers and contemporaries and like to be held in esteem. When we feel threatened or endangered, we get angry and fight back, physically or verbally. On the other hand, as a prey animal, a horses instinct tells him to seek safety in numbers. To not allow himself to be caught or hemmed in, in a small, controlled or restricted area. At all times to seek the freedom to run or move if danger is imminent. At all costs safety comes first and only when this is found will they then seek comfort.

Horses have been around in one from or another for millions of years, from their earliest forest dwelling ancestors to their present day form. They are arguably the most successful and instinctively intelligent prey animals alive. They do not have the reasoning power of a predator which allows us to plan; being prey animals they rely on their instincts for survival, instincts so highly developed that they have survived and thrived all this time in a predators world. To humans as predators, this means that horses will instinctively and automatically do the opposite to what we ask them to do. They do not think about their actions, they just do it. This opposite response is called Opposition Reflex “ to do the opposite as a reflex action. Opposition Reflex is Mother Nature telling horses that to do what a predator wants could be fatal stopping to think about it just as dangerous. Just be sure, that if a predator suggested it, he probably doesn't have your best interests at heart, so do what ever it takes to get out of there. In order to have success with horses, we must first look to ourselves to make some changes. To win their trust respect and partnership we must use our reasoning power to learn to become less predatory and to overcome our own instincts.

- This article was written by Meredith Ransley
Throughout the ages there have been those special few people who have displayed tremendous horsemanship skills. Many of whom not realising what it was that they did differently from others, or who lacked the ability to pass on their knowledge and techniques allowing others to repeat their successes. By nature or experience, these people understood instinctively what it took to be successful with horses; to act less predatory and to become more horse-like; to work with the horse rather than against him. Fortunately we humans - being an intelligent species with a large brain and something called reasoning power - are able to overcome our instincts. In other words, we have the ability to become less predatory, particularly around horses who see us as their natural enemies. As predators, our instincts are to hunt and kill. We live in an environment that can be controlled and protected. In fact, control is something we prize in ourselves and in our lives. We take pride in our possessions as a mark of achievement. We seek the approval of our peers and contemporaries and like to be held in esteem. When we feel threatened or endangered, we get angry and fight back, physically or verbally. On the other hand, as a prey animal, a horses instinct tells him to seek safety in numbers. To not allow himself to be caught or hemmed in, in a small, controlled or restricted area. At all times to seek the freedom to run or move if danger is imminent. At all costs safety comes first and only when this is found will they then seek comfort.

Horses have been around in one from or another for millions of years, from their earliest forest dwelling ancestors to their present day form. They are arguably the most successful and instinctively intelligent prey animals alive. They do not have the reasoning power of a predator which allows us to plan; being prey animals they rely on their instincts for survival, instincts so highly developed that they have survived and thrived all this time in a predators world. To humans as predators, this means that horses will instinctively and automatically do the opposite to what we ask them to do. They do not think about their actions, they just do it. This opposite response is called Opposition Reflex “ to do the opposite as a reflex action. Opposition Reflex is Mother Nature telling horses that to do what a predator wants could be fatal stopping to think about it just as dangerous. Just be sure, that if a predator suggested it, he probably doesn't have your best interests at heart, so do what ever it takes to get out of there. In order to have success with horses, we must first look to ourselves to make some changes. To win their trust respect and partnership we must use our reasoning power to learn to become less predatory and to overcome our own instincts.

- This article was written by Meredith Ransley