Communication with Horses by: Krista Schuler **This site is best viewed with screen settings of 800 x 600 pixels**

Mentality Personality Learning Process Communication Standing Still Grooming References Links

Introduction

Communication is essential within any species. Animals communicate with other animals, humans communicate with other humans. What happens when animals become domesticated? There is a choice: for a communication system to be effective or not effective. With horses, research has shown that with the correct communication between horse and human better results are achieved. To effectively communicate with a horse, we must understand what it is like for horses to communicate with each other. Thus, "If we can understand what it means to be a horse, react like a horse, and relate to other things like a horse, then we can have a more productive relationship with a horse" (Pony Boy 11).

To understand how to communicate with horses, we must understand their mentality and personality. Horses in the wild travel in herds and have herd instincts. Domesticated horses have inherited herd instincts from their ancestors. Thus, to better understand our horses, we must understand their mentality and personality. The picture to the left illustrates wild horses traveling in herds.

Once this is achieved we can focus on how horses learn. Only then can we understand the communication process that can evolve between human and horse to build a working relationship. This webpage is intended for horse owners, riders, and trainers so they will attain better results with the performance of their horse. I will explore topics such as the horse mentality, how to determine your horse's personality from his physical characteristics, and how horses learn as well as examining how to communicate with horses through both training them to stand still, and how they communicate to us when we groom them. All pictures and graphics used on this site that are from the web are referenced on the "Links" page. All other photos are from books and the books are referenced on the "References" page.