What’s your horse’s ‘love language’? 5* rider and Journey iQ coach Sinead Maynard sat down along with her husband Tik Maynard on Journey iQ’s In Stride podcast to debate horses’ love languages and tips on how to make the most of them for higher understanding and connection.
This text was written after an episode of Sinead Halpin Maynard’s podcast, In Stride on Journey iQ, along with her husband and 4* rider/Highway to the Horse Champion Tik Maynard. To study extra about Journey iQ’s revolutionary coaching platform, click on right here. Need to take heed to the complete episode? In Stride is obtainable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and in every single place else you hear.
Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville at WEG. Picture by Jenni Autry.
Our horses are all the time attempting to inform us one thing, whether or not by constructive or destructive suggestions. I imply, give it some thought. What number of instances have you ever been in a scenario along with your horse the place they both licked their lips or pinned their ears again to tell us they’re agreeing or disagreeing with the scenario? Horses could also be seen as advanced animals, however the extra we sit again and take heed to what they’re attempting to inform us, the extra we are able to perceive.
U.S. 5* rider and Journey iQ coach Sinead Maynard sat down along with her husband Tik Maynard on Journey iQ’s In Stride podcast to debate horses’ love languages and tips on how to make the most of them for higher understanding and connection.
Tik Maynard is the 2024 Highway to the Horse World Champion, a wanted pure horsemanship coach, and he’s represented Canada at a number of World Championships and the Pan American video games in eventing.
Tik Maynard works with a horse. Picture courtesy of Kaitlin Hartford.
Love Languages in Horses
Identical to people, horses have love languages. The 5 recognized love languages for people are phrases of affirmation, high quality time, bodily contact, acts of service, and receiving presents. In accordance with Tik, a horse’s love languages embody consolation, play, high quality time and meals.Equally to people, horses could also be given an satisfactory quantity of affection and a focus and nonetheless have behavioral points or a lack of awareness with their proprietor or rider. Why is that this?
People usually resonate with one or two of the love languages, which means that they usually discover, recognize, and are influenced by these probably the most. Though the opposite three love languages could also be given, they aren’t obtained and don’t resonate as a lot. The identical goes for horses.With a purpose to acquire a greater understanding of our horses, step one is figuring out what motivates them to be our companions. Via commentary, Tik was capable of discover how horses really feel, assume, and play to find out their love languages or how we are able to extra successfully present our horses we care.
Love Language #1: Consolation
At present we’ll be discussing the primary — and arguably an important — love language in horses: consolation. To start, consider horses like little children. What issues to them most? Meals, shelter, and water must be anticipated, however what comes subsequent?
Identical to little children, horses search consolation. They need to really feel secure, heard, and revered. Already difficult sufficient, horses can’t verbally talk with us, making it tougher to find out what they’re feeling. It’s by observing each the bodily and emotional aspect of your horse that it is possible for you to to start to find out the place they discover probably the most consolation.
Picture by Sally Spickard.
Examples of Bodily Consolation
When horses search bodily consolation, they’re looking for to be seen, heard, and accepted. For instance, a horse might constantly rub their head up in opposition to you while you take off the bridle after a journey. Some riders may even see this as their horse changing into “pushy”, however what if it’s their method of expressing discomfort?
Put your self of their sneakers and film how uncomfortable it’s to have an itch you may’t attain. In these conditions, fairly than leaping to conclusions, taking the time to note what your horse is attempting to let you know and scratching their itches is an effective way to indicate them love.One other element of bodily consolation is area and freedom. Some horses actually recognize having their very own bodily area. This could seem like a horse who doesn’t like to be groomed or a horse whose happiness comes from being turned out and having free vary. Making the suitable adjustments in your horse’s routine to acknowledge your horse’s want for area and freedom could make a world of distinction in your relationship with them.
Examples of Emotional Consolation
The opposite element of consolation is emotional consolation. This could current in lots of alternative ways, some that you might have by no means seen. A horse expressing the necessity to attain emotional consolation can seem like a horse who doesn’t like being alone. As herd-bound animals, this may be fairly frequent. Somewhat than forcing the scenario and having your horse hack out alone on the paths from the beginning, the answer could also be to have one other horse hack out with you till your horse turns into extra comfy and emotionally balanced.
In these kind of conditions, it’s vital to notice that we should earn respect from our horses. We will acknowledge when our horses do or don’t like sure issues by bodily indicators. On the subject of assembly your horse’s want for emotional consolation, take an empathetic and affected person strategy.
Pats for Off the Document. Picture by Shannon Brinkman Pictures.
Exhibiting Respect Via Motion
What could also be deciphered as a controversial assertion, Tik explains that typically with the those who we love, there’s a lack of respect or politeness. As a substitute, we must always make an effort to exhibit our love partly by respect and politeness? A technique we are able to do that with horses is to have the endurance to study their preferences, discover their consolation or discomfort, and meet them with empathy.
Goal to be extra current along with your horse. Sit within the second and see what your horse is definitely attempting to let you know. By doing this you’ll start to study what your horse’s likes and dislikes are primarily based on their actions. Some indicators that your horse is comfy embody licking of the lips and chewing.
Listening to your horse’s suggestions is an open-ended query. There are millions of choices, and the one option to know what works is thru trial and error. The aim right here is to acknowledge any signal of enchancment, even when that’s simply 1%. Generally issues will occur that you just’ve by no means heard or seen earlier than, and that’s okay.
At that time, there’s no set of requirements to observe. You’ll should be inventive. Consider your horse’s habits as a puzzle you’re attempting to unravel. You could not know the reply instantly, however the extra you’re employed to know your horse and present them respect, the extra they are going to be prepared to disclose the solutions.