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WE ALL KNOW that the benefits of turning out horses vastly outweighs keeping them boxed in a stable, and these benefits become even greater if they can be turned out in a group. However, a herd of horses peacefully grazing, playing, or grooming can quickly sour if one horse becomes picked on.
As with humans, horses naturally have disagreements, but what happens if your horse is too shy to stick up for himself?
“There are lots of reasons why your horse might be timid or shy,” says equine behaviourist Debbie Busby. “You have to look at it holistically. What is his environment, his situation with his conspecifics [members of the same species] and his routine? Then you have to look more broadly. What is his history? How was he weaned? Has he experienced any trauma or significant frightening events? All of these things and more go together into establishing why a particular horse may be timid.”
It isn't all just about experiences, though, as timidity also comes down to personality.
“Personality itself is a disputed construct. It's a combination of temperament and innate characteristics, which is combined with experiences and environmental influences,” explains Debbie. “We tend to talk about horses having temperament, characteristics and learned behaviours, but it could be looked at under the umbrella of ‘personality’.”
As with humans, horses all have their own personalities. Some are naturally more shy than
