Bring in the Human
Your horse should conduct itself respectfully in your presence. Most people would agree that this means a horse mustn't kick, bite, strike out with a foreleg, or treat you like one of its pasture mates. Your horse must respect your personal space so that it does not step on you or knock you down. And no matter how cute it may look, your horse should not be allowed to rub its head on you or use you as a scratching post, as such actions from a one-ton animal pose a potential danger to a human.
Domestic horses are products of their environment and the quality of training they receive from humans. Most people think of training as something someone did before they bought the horse to make it amenable to being ridden. But training involves a lot more than breaking to saddle and bridle. Training occurs every moment a human spends with a horse, for better or for worse. From riding to grooming to just picking out the horse's feet, the horse is learning from you what he can and cannot do.
For instance, if after you take his bridle off, your horse rubs his head up and down your arm to scratch his sweaty, itchy ears, and you think, “Oh, that's cute,” and you do not push his head away to stop it, you've just taught him that it's okay to do that. Later, he does it several more times, and you proudly show someone else how much he adores you and how amazing it is that an animal so big could express his affection in such a manner.
Then one day, while using you as a rubbing post, he knocks your glasses off and accidentally steps on them, or he bangs the bridle into your cheek and the buckle cuts a nice line up the side of your face, barely missing your eye. Suddenly, his head rubbing doesn't seem so cute. Preventable accidents like this happen all the time because unwitting owners don't realize that the average horse's head is heavy because it contains a lot of bone. If that head bangs into your face with the right amount of force, it can easily knock you senseless or even kill you.
Clever Hans was a Berlin horse whose owner, Wilhelm von Osten, taught him to solve mathematical equations, answer geography questions, identify musical scores, and perform other tricks. The secret? Von Osten was giving signals to Clever Hans from a spot behind the horse. Horses can see almost completely behind them, but unless you knew this you wouldn't have guessed the trick.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with a nice rub around the ears after a workout. Just make sure you do the rubbing with a towel and a soft brush. Even if you've been giving your horse the wrong messages all these years — letting him rummage in your pockets for treats or move off before you are mounted and settled in the saddle — it's never too late to start teaching new messages. Although it's harder to undo bad habits once they're well established, horses are smart and can learn new things if you are consistent and persistent in what you ask for.
If you observe a herd interact in the field, you will soon realize that horses usually signal an upcoming action. For example, before a horse kicks out with a hind leg, it has to shift weight off the leg that kicks out. Often, a glance back with ears slightly pinned accompanies the weight shift. If you learn to be aware of these subtle signals, you can learn to anticipate what your horse is going to do next. Your increased awareness will greatly enhance your ability to safely handle and ride horses.
Horses naturally look for a leader to follow. It is the way of the herd animal. In the horse/human relationship, the human must assume the role of leader. For the safety of both parties, it can be no other way. Being the leader doesn't preclude having a partnership with your horse. It definitely doesn't mean establishing a relationship with your horse that is based on fear — in fact, that is exactly what you don't want. A horse can follow its leader either out of fear or out of respect. To the novice horse handler, the outcome of either approach may look the same; however, they are radically different.
As with people, some horses are natural-born leaders. Every herd needs a leader, and the alpha animals naturally assume that job. They can be the most challenging and the most interesting to work with. If you are a beginner, you will probably need some help from a skilled horseman if your horse has this personality type. These horses seem to think, “Well, if this human isn't going to be the leader, then I am.” A horse that seems a bit of a rogue in the hands of a beginner can be a gentle horse when handled by an experienced horse person who knows how to establish leadership.
Horses decide the position of other horse herd members and human members of their herd according to who the movers are. Higher-ranking herd members do not need to exert much effort to get lower-ranking herd mates to move out of their space (or to not move into it). Ears back or a leg barely raised can be enough.
If dominance is determined by who does the moving, the human needs to be the mover, not the moved. This is not easy — every interaction you have with your horse presents an opportunity to be moved. You always need to be aware of this, even when you are just going into your horse's paddock to fill the water tub or grooming him in the barn aisle. Some horses want to dance in the crossties while you brush and curry them. This is understandable for a young horse or one just introduced to the crossties. But eventually the horse needs to learn that he must stand still when you are working around him.
Pay attention to how your horse interacts with you. For instance, it is common for a young horse that is learning to lead to drop his shoulder into you and push you out of his way. If you allow this, he will learn that it is correct. Instead, you need to push him back and show him where he belongs.
Novice horse owners typically have no clue what dangers such behaviors can lead to; however, the horse with the personality type that will take advantage of this experience will present you with all kinds of related dominance issues to deal with later on. Even the most submissive horse will remember that he can simply move you out of the way when a real crisis comes up. For your safety, you must insist that the horse respect your personal space. Of course, this doesn't mean you must be aggressive or brutal to your horse. You simply need to be assertive, consistent, and aware of the consequences of your interactions with your horse.
Within a horse herd, the pecking order system will be in high gear at feeding time, especially around grain. The person feeding a group of horses needs to be on high alert to avoid being kicked or trampled. It is safest for you to bring each horse into its stall and feed it separately. If that isn't possible, set up your feeding area so that you can feed them from outside the fence, without going into the enclosure with the herd. If you must go in with the group, carry a big stick, a flag (a three- or four-foot metal or fiberglass rod with a piece of cloth attached to one end and comfortable handle on the other), a whip, or something that can help you establish your personal space and help them learn that you are not approachable at feeding time. Remember to spread hay piles far enough apart so that each horse gets a chance to eat.
