Introducing Horses
By Melissa
Brawner
Sonshine Acres
http://www.SonshineAcres.net
One
of my favorite things about having our farm, is that I get to introduce
children to horses. There
is something magical about seeing a huge horse and a tiny child
together. It can be a bit
scary for both the horse and the child initially, but the end result is
worth every second of the work you put in to make it a safe, comfortable
learning experience.
I remember myself as a horse crazy child.
I loped my imaginary horse everywhere.
In retrospect, I am sure I was quite a sight in my light green
fuzzy bikini and cowboy boots running around on my imaginary steed in
Phoenix, Arizona. Horses
were all I could think about.
I couldn’t even go to sleep at night unless I drove my team of
horses, aka my knees under the sheets,
to a few far off places.
As you can see, I can truly empathize with those horse crazy
children! Here at Sonshine
Acres, there are all types of people that visit.
Many of the folks visiting were or are the horse crazy youngster
that I was, some have never been introduced to horses and are at times
fearful, and the last are those individuals that are reminiscent of the
times they have had with horses in the past.
The
children and adults that love horses and have no fear are in some ways
easier to introduce to horses.
The lack of fear lets them approach the horses, and the horse
will not sense fear, and will not react to it.
The individual and the horse will progress in making a connection
much quicker because they have no fear to overcome.
On the other hand, I am usually half terrified taking
fearless people into
a herd of horses because they can unknowingly put themselves in
dangerous situations! They
will quite often run up and hug the legs of the horses.
I thank God that we have kind horses that are patient, and
unafraid. One child ran up
behind a 3 month old colt and hugged both back legs together.
The colt looked over his shoulder, a bit surprised, but unafraid.
Because of this type of reaction, I usually begin introductions
outside the fence, and talk about safety rules.
The
folks that have never been around horses and are a bit fearful take
quite a bit more encouragement to approach and touch the horses.
Especially with the children, I use my hand over theirs as a
guard when petting or feeding the horses.
To eliminate the sense of the horses being so much bigger than
they are, I try to pick the child up if they are young enough, and if
not, I encourage them to climb up on the fence for their first
experience petting or feeding the horses.
My cousin still is unsure about horses because they are so much
larger than she is, she feels intimidated and frightened.
The other thing that I find extremely beneficial when introducing
people to horses is to encourage the individual to lean up against the
body of the horse. The
sense of touch of ones body against the body of the horses is calming,
fulfilling and restful.
Horses are so strong, solid, and warm, that if an individual can relax
against them, it can create an instant bond.
It is no wonder that horses are used in therapy!
Many
of the folks that have boarded horses with us, or that tour the farm are
those folks that have always liked horses, and may have been around them
in the past. Many folks
have ridden when they were younger, and treasured the experience, but
didn’t keep up with the horse habit, and are now a bit unsure.
My mother fits in this category.
She can tell all kinds of stories about her youth and horses, but
now she squeaks when they move funny, and hops out of the way
frantically if they step towards her and she isn’t expecting it.
I walk her through everything calmly, verbally explaining
everything I do. When a
horse reacts in a way that she is fearful of, I explain what they are
doing, and if possible why.
I try and have her do many hands on tasks with extremely gentle horses
with me by her side walking her through it.
The thing that is most beneficial right now is a very calm colt
to work with. She is bigger
than it, and doesn’t feel as threatened.
She can move it away from her if she is fearful, and is less
hesitant to boss it around.
Most folks find that if they interact with horses frequently, the fear
and wariness fades away, and the attachment and confidence is all that
is left.
When
you are introducing or reacquainting individuals to horses, it is a good
thing to set ground rules for safety, encourage lessons, and start with
the easy things first such as how to approach and move around a horse.
Some individuals seem to take to horses like ducks to water, and
others will need you to help them every step of the way.
It is a blessing to see the sense of accomplishment that people
have when they can interact with the horses in a safe and capable way.
I think the best gift I receive is when individuals return to
Sonshine Acres with friends and family to have them share in similar
experiences.
Copyright 2008 © Melissa Brawner
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