14 April 2020

Redwings shares horse behaviour expertise

Horses are remarkably co-operative animals, a characteristic that has won them a unique place in our lives. But anyone who interacts with horses can face situations when that co-operation seems out of reach and a horse doesn’t behave the way we want or need them to.

Redwings’ fourth edition in our series of practical Field Notes leaflets looks at how we can work with our horses to both prevent and overcome handling issues. Better Behaviour shares some of the experience and insights from our own exceptional Equine Behaviour team, accompanied by key principles from the fast-growing range of scientific research that is becoming available.

Download your free copy by clicking here. (PDF 1.2 MB)

Find out how we monitor horses for early signs of stress or confusion, to help us address an issue at the first opportunity, and read about how we used a simple positive reinforcement technique to help a pony overcome his fear of vital veterinary treatment. We also look at how using the Three Fs to reduce underlying stress and frustration in their daily lives can help reduce unwanted behaviour in our horses, and answer some common handling questions.

And for those heart-sinking moments when a horse is unhappy about leading, loading, standing for the farrier or having an injection, we have a fantastically simple but effective tool to help us calmly work through the issue with a horse, rather than against them. Download the leaflet for free to discover how we can help horses LEARN that they have nothing to worry about.

We should always remember that horses learn from every interaction with us, and anything we do that creates fear will not be forgotten, but potentially undermine a horse’s trust in us long into the future. Use Better Behaviour to improve understanding of how a horse may be thinking and feeling, and try our proven techniques to create clearer communication and stronger bonds with these sensitive, wonderful animals.