The Use Of Force

All too often there is a vicious circle of - some force >> negative behavioural response >> more force - in the equestrian world. 'Bad behaviour' is a common misconception, as the horse is not against you; he is merely for his own self-preservation. Many horse owners, who do not understand this concept, term their horses as naughty, stubborn or brat, when the horse does not oblige to their commands. Certainly some horses are more strong-willed or stubborn than others (at varying degrees, just like people), but more often than not, there is a reason for a horse saying no. A good horse handler will try to discover this reason (for instance, by going through the check-list below) and find a solution, but more commonly, people will simply amplify what they were asking in the first place by applying more pressure in some way. This seems the easier option to them, but is it really worth the risk of building up problems that may cause complications later as well as jeopardising your relationship with your horse? This is the reason many horse trainers have commented that they have had to fix the 'problem owner' and not so much the problem horse - to educate them on what they were, in fact, doing wrong which was causing the horse to act that way.  The following is a list of the most common reasons for behavioural problems in horses taken from 'The Ultimate Horse Behaviour and Training Book', Linda Tellington-Jones:

1. Poor Saddle Fit 
2. Shoeing and Hoof Issues 
3. Soreness 
4. Teeth and Dental Issues 
5. Dietary Considerations 
6. Conformational Clues 
7. Hormonal Havoc 
8. Training Techniques and Riding Style 
9. Rider Attitude 
10. The Stress Factor 
11. Neurological Dysfunction 
12. Exercise and Stabling Practices 
13. Environmental Impact 
14. Eyesight 

The persistent use of force leads to one of two things: defiance or compliance. Horse #1 is a strong-willed horse and would sooner act with defiance, but this causes him to be further clamped down upon until he loses that will and becomes like horse #2. Horse #2 will become compliant, but develop a 'numb personality' in an attempt to desensitise himself to more maltreatment (even though some people genuinely don't even realise it is maltreatment). These situations vary according to the degree and type of force used, but I have seen many cases in the extreme and they are common enough. Do we really want to confine our horses to these two bleak outcomes? 

So, assuming one of the factors listed above is the reason behind a horse's particular behavioural problem, it is important not to make the all-too-easy-to-make judgement of: bad horse. The heart-breaking reason that this judgement and the use of force are often so 'effective' with horses is that many of them are such passive creatures that they will carry on, through the discomfort and in spite of their unheeded petitions, out of fear. These people utilise force by raising the pressure until it is less desirable than what was causing the discomfort in the first place, so the horse is basically choosing the lesser of two evils. Their fear is of something worse, which is what they are offered in return for trying to explain the problem. Strong-willed horses are likely to take more persuasion (e.g. brute force) because they are the ones brave enough to 'stand up for themselves'. These are the horses who are often put down because they are 'too much trouble'. 

Just one example of the use of force in horses is 'rollkur' or 'hyperflexion', used as an extra degree of control to create the submissive ridden horse and sometimes to cure the annoying habits of rushing, head tossing or generally napping. This technique is often utilised by trainers so that their horses will appear to have a good outline (form or shape when ridden) which is a sign that they are submissive to the rider's aids. Often horses' bits will be changed to harsher ones until they will submit to the pressure (raising the pressure until it is less desirable than the original discomfort) and in extreme cases they may even be left for extended periods in positions such as the one pictured below. Proper outlines are reached through good balance, muscle tone and conformation as well as a relaxed and comfortable horse who is listening to his rider, but this takes much time and dedication. (Rollkur has now been banned by the FEI in competitions, but still occurs in warm-up rings and private riding yards.) 

Above left: Rollkur in the showring  

http://everyrider.typepad.com/everyrider/2007/03/the_rollkur_deb.html 

Above: Horse's head and neck trapped into rollkur position www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1852516

If horses are not against us, but for themselves, surely the most productive thing we can do is cause our goal to coincide with their sense of self-preservation or, at least, not oppose it. Considering their needs (mental or physical) and finding a way to meet them whilst working towards our own goals would be setting yourself up to win instead of putting the horse in the position where he must choose between disloyalty or discomfort. I believe in relationship first, performance second and that if you get the first one right the second will fall into place much more easily.