Okay, that commercial really got annoying after a while, but how many of us use that saying, over, and over again.

Perhaps, if you listen closely, you may hear your horse saying that to you.

Your horse is always saying something to you through his/her body language, eyes, ears, aggression, foot stomping, voice, or kindness.  Some days they are suggesting and some days they are screaming it in their heads.  When the smoke and fire starts coming out of their eyes, ears, and noses, we do catch on.

Let’s look at some of these:

• Body language – a. Tense – I’m scared (this thing is going to eat or hurt me), b.  Angry usually goes along with scared (think about when you’re angry, it’s usually a follow-up caused by hurt or being scared) or c. Relaxed – I’m happy about what we are doing.  There is nothing that is going to hurt me.
• Eyes – a. Soft eyes equal secure and relaxed (Life is good).  b. Chicken eyes (also known as deer caught in the head lights), in which you see the whites around the color, (except in the case of Appaloosas who have the sclera) usually indicates panic.
• Ears – a. Relaxed and floppy equal totally content, not a care in the world.  b. Pricked forward, interested in what going on ahead.  Alert and attentive.  c. Really intensely forward, oh my gosh, it’s the boogeyman. d. Casually back, listening for things behind or a word from the rider.  e.  Flat back pressed against the neck.  Attack mode, man the torpedoes, bombs away!
• Aggression – I’ve had it, I’m done, get out of my way.
• Foot stomping.  I haven’t seen it in many horses.  Usually they are just stomping to get a fly off, but Bob’s Clydesdale mare, Maggie, used to do it when she was angry, (and so do some children).  When Dawn was a baby and did something that Maggie didn’t like she would stomp her foot (when a Clyde stomps their foot it shows on the Richter Scale) and Dawn would stop what she was doing and spring to attention.  I started doing it when I was training Dawn and at first she acknowledged it, then she realized I didn’t have the same impact as mom, and just ignored my stomping.  Now that she’s all grown up I see her do it to other horses, and they pay attention.
• Voice – There are different calls for different occasions.  a, You’ve all heard them call when it’s dinner time and you’re late.  b. The nicker of welcome to a friend or a mare to its foal.  c. Screaming out of fear of being left and vulnerable.
• Kindness –  a. A nuzzle to show affection to another.  b. Standing over their friend, protecting and ready to warn in case of danger, or dinner.  c. Were you ever in the pasture and just had your horse come up and stand next to you, maybe touch you gently.  d.  Mutual grooming between friends (animal or person).

Remember a horse judges everything based on what’s important in his life.  Safety and food rank the highest in importance.

What they might be trying to tell you.

1. It hurts, I’m scared, this doesn’t fit right, I can’t do this, I don’t understand.
2. Head tossing – is the bit too tight, too small, have you checked the contour of his mouth does it fit right, are your hands too high causing the bit to hit the roof of his mouth, do you have the chain twisted, do you have heavy hands.  It may also be that he wants to take control of the situation, in other words, who’s the boss here?
3. Angry look when you are trying to saddle –  the saddle doesn’t fit, the girth pinches, you pull it up too tight too fast, my back hurts, I have a broken rib that you don’t know about, I don’t like you riding because you bounce on my spine.
4. This scares me – I don’t know what you are asking, I might get hurt, I am physically, or emotionally not prepared to do this, the boogeyman lives there, and I don’t trust you to take care of me, it’s dark in that trailer and I can’t get away if something bad happens.
5. I don’t understand – and if I don’t do it right you’re going to hit me.  I’m not a mind reader and I can’t figure out what you want.

But do you get my point?  They are always communicating with us, but we have our mute button turned on.

Horses aren’t born bad (although I’ve met a few that I have doubts about).  By not listening, sometimes we train them to be bad.

Sometimes they just don’t like doing something.  Is it because it hurts?  Is it because it scares them?  Do you and your horse like doing the same things?

An old saying comes to mind – are you trying to put a square peg in a round hole?  Is your horse cut out physically, mentally, and emotionally for the job you are asking him to do?  Are you two different personalities fighting against each other?

An athlete who doesn’t train and condition properly will hurt after his work out.  Do you only take your athlete out on the weekends and work him hard?  Then he aches for 5 days and it’s Saturday again and out you two go for another long hard ride again?  Ouch!

I always tell my students – Finding the right horse is like finding the right husband, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find that prince.  Don’t settle.

Don’t pick a horse because it’s pretty, or the right color.  Pick one that also enjoys what you want to do.  Pick one that compliments your personality.  You’ll both be a lot happier if you do.  Don’t make both of your lives miserable trying to make them into something they are not right for.  If a horse enjoys what he is doing he will give you 150%.  If he doesn’t like what he is doing, he won’t do it well or safely.  It could become dangerous to you both.

I think Amy Fleming from the TV series “Heartland” said it best – “We don’t whisper to horses, we listen to horses.”  Your horse is always trying to tell you something.

Are you listening?  Can you hear me now?