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Knowledge, Skill and Confidence - that's Savvy ... Horses are more than just a riding animal. They are an attitude with four feet. While some horses can be difficult to ride, people tend to have more problems with them on the ground. This is because horses are prey animals and are programmed by nature to outthink predators. When we are perceived as a predator it triggers defensive reflexes in a horse such as being hard to catch, biting, kicking, and even subtle or very pronounced resistances when being ridden. Unaware of the prey-predator element, we tend to call these behaviors as 'vices,' when in fact they are usually a sign of self-defense in the unconfident horse, or domination and disrespect in the confident one. Horses are herd animals who have a strong need for social order. They will test each other to find out who is the strongest, fastest, quickest, and the bravest. And once the alpha horse has been established, the dominance games go on until the pecking order is completed all the way down the line. And don't think it stops there. When we come into the picture they will play these same dominance games with us!
You will have a level of savvy that's rare in the horse-world. What will it do for me? For my horse?
What is Natural Horsemanship? | Test Your Savvy | Home Dana Cottle · 3025 Blackjack Ridge · Prescott,
AZ · 86305
928-717-1444 · cottle@northlink.com ©Copyright 2005 |