What Horses Want: Motiva Training - Interacting with Horses in a Species-Appropriate and Intelligent Way

By Gertrud Pysall

This book is a revelation not just for horselovers but also for anyone who has ever felt inexplicably drawn to horses or riding. Gertrud Pysall has spent many years investigating the nature and behaviour of domesticated horses, how they deal with humans, and their reaction to life in the stable rather than in the wild. She gives her readers valuable advice on how to interact with horses in a harmonious and peaceful way.

The difficulties in dealing with horses cannot be solved simply by loving them. This book creates awareness for the needs of horses. The horse is not made into a culprit: instead, the aim is to show the path to establishing respectful cooperation.

This book describes for the first time the social rules of horses, including a vocabulary of around 130 horse “words” and 40 essential communication gestures for humans. When people learn to use these gestures, they become accepted by the horse as a social partner. It is this that creates the basis for the horse to decide to trust the person.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Narayana
• Release date: Oct 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9783955820800

Gertrud Pysall

Gertrud Pysall beschäftigt sich seit über 25 Jahren mit dem Verhalten von domestizierten Pferden. 1990 gründete sie mit ihrem Mann ihre erste Reitschule. 1994 erwarben sie einen größeren Hof mit Reitschule in Spenge/NRW, der Platz für 70 Pferde und Ponys mit großen Gemeinschaftsausläufen und reichlich Weiden bietet. Hier konnte sie dem facettenreichen Kommunikationssystem der Pferde auf den Grund gehen. Ihr Wissen gibt sie im Motiva-Training interessierten Pferdefreunden weiter.

Book preview

Preface

I have been fascinated by horses from early childhood. I found them more captivating than any other animals. I watched every episode of Fury on TV and dreamed of a very close friendship and relationship with a horse. I had the unforgettable experience of sitting on the back of a pony, while being led twice around a family friend’s backyard. Going round once did not take much longer than a minute, but I will never forget it. It was heaven on earth, the epitome of joy – two rounds on a pony in a concrete yard. From then on, this indescribable feeling became my personal benchmark for happiness. Many years later, in the Eifel Region, I experienced something similar when I was allowed to ride through the village on a very broad draught horse without a saddle. I did not have any riding skills, just sat blissfully astride the animal. He just trotted along nicely, carrying me to his stable. (I did not realise at the time that this was not a safe thing to do, but I would not have cared anyway.) These two experiences formed my own image of horse riding and the relationship between humans and horses. In the 1950s, horse riding was an upper class privilege, and I decided to take riding lessons with the first money I would earn.

This is exactly what I did in 1969 in an equestrian centre in Idar-Oberstein. The typical groundwork lessons, that I used to look forward to immensely, were followed by riding lessons on school horses. And this was where disillusionment started to set in. I saw how unhappy these horses were. They attempted to bite and to kick; there were warning signs next to the boxes, telling us which horse we were not supposed to touch. I witnessed a couple of falls – my own and those of my fellow students – because riding instructors whipped the horses to encourage them to speed up.

The riding lessons were bad and so was the atmosphere. The post-lesson drinks seemed more important than anything else. Students and horses were shouted at. I could not learn anything under these circumstances and started to be more scared of riding, rather than feeling elated. When I changed jobs, I also changed equestrian centres. Full of hope, I started afresh, only to experience the same conditions and principles. I tried out one riding school in my neighbourhood after another but could never find what I was looking for: a respectful and dignified interaction between humans and horses. An interaction that would enable me to re-experience the feelings I could remember so well.

The only ray of hope was a private horse riding and holiday farm in Oberstaufen. At Schlippe Farm I was allowed to ride privately owned horses. It was not an equestrian factory and the Schlippe family treated the horses and me with love and respect. My hopes were restored and I spent all my holidays and days off at the stables – and learned how to ride.

Later on, I spent a few years living in Berlin. Riding was almost impossible there, and my dream of owning a horse in the countryside became stronger and stronger. I moved to the countryside, bought a horse from a holiday farm and imagined my dream had come true. Far from it. The horse was difficult and I did not know enough (I was a reasonably good rider, but that was it).

I built a large stall for the mare I called Hella. I thoroughly mucked out the stall every day, led her onto a field, provided her with a companion in the form of my friend Gunda’s horse, groomed her meticulously and gave her lots of cuddles. But she did not put her trust in me, not in the way I had imagined. For example, she never wanted to hack out with me and that made me think. If nothing I did was enough or I was not doing the right thing, what should I be doing? I wanted to know what horses want, what horses need to be happy and content. I was searching for the conditions that would allow me to experience with a horse what was anchored in my imagination: a deep sense of trust, harmonious mutual understanding, closeness that could be established and maintained without fear, stress or pain for either party. I had already felt it, I knew it was possible and I really wanted to find this feeling again.

I tried to find as much information as possible. I read scientific journals, talked to riders, horse breeders, vets, and met Manfred Pysall who was running Hunsrücker riding workshops and who is now my husband. He was equally frustrated by the conventional treatment of horses he had been taught as a riding instructor. He was also looking for a different direction. We held many attitudes and desires in common. Eventually we opened up our own riding school in a small place called Ellenberg near Birkenfeld. During the 1990s, as part of the Hunsrücker riding workshops, we ran some weekly courses, such as Horse riding without fear or stress and Learning to ride horses – but differently. Four years later, the facilities in Ellenberg had become too small for us, and we moved to our current riding school, here in Spenge. Here we have an indoor and an outdoor arena, boarding stables and enough space for 70 horses and ponies including a large paddock and plenty of fields. We have been established here since 1994. All through the years, while we were developing the riding school, lessons and courses, I held on to this memory of feeling perfectly in tune with a horse. I knew, I could find it again, and the secret had to do with horses’ needs. I wanted to find out

WHAT HORSES WANT!

Introduction

What horses want or, phrased as a question: what do horses want? became my guiding principle for interacting with them. Previously, when I lived in Ellenberg, I used to observe our little herd of twelve animals often and very closely in order to discover the secret of what their needs really were. I wanted to understand their personal needs and how these are expressed in the herd, if and how these needs change over the course of the seasons and when new members join and old ones leave the herd.

Through intensive observation, numerous video recordings and studying these recordings in slow motion, I discovered the subtle signals horses give each other, which were repeated so many times that I recognised a pattern. This was activity, this was information. I began to understand. I had never read about this in any of my numerous books on horses. Others apparently had little or no knowledge of this information. After moving to Spenge I had even more opportunities to carry on with my research. Over time, we owned six herds of various compositions, 70 animals in total. This really improved the conditions for my research. I was able to film naturally occurring situations at all times as well as setting the stage for studying certain constellations. I analysed and catalogued these observations in uncounted hours.

In order to use my knowledge for the benefit of horses and to impart it to other people, I developed a method called Motiva, which was patented in Munich in 1996.

I became aware that horse herds are characterised by a very complex language and highly developed social behaviour which also includes a set hierarchy. Every horse knows his place in the hierarchy and this gives him security and certainty.

What is Motiva?

A society of horses is based on the interactions of individual animals. For this community to work, social rules are necessary. They guide interactions in the herd. Basically, they are very simple and robust rules that have been passed on and have stood the test of time. They can be expressed and enforced using the equine communication system. Both unilateral and reciprocal rights and obligations are passed down from older to younger herd members. Within the society of horses, it is hardly possible to ignore the authority of the lead animals. This authority establishes a natural order in the herd and ensures continuance of the social rules and of the entire herd, as well as the development of a sense of belonging.

Motiva teaches precisely these rules and relationships. It comprises knowledge about the social rules as such, as well as the highly developed modes of expression that horses use to convey, enforce and monitor these rules. Not only does Motiva teach humans to understand over 130 expressions of horses, but also how to use these expressions to speak with them. Motiva also trains people to recognise and resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner and to communicate effectively.

When we talk about communicating with horses, we must recognise that understanding is an integral part of communication. We need to gain a deep understanding of their nature, their social rules and rituals, their instinctive behaviour, their fears and decisions, their ways of life. The ability to speak and understand their language, informed by this complete body of knowledge, leads to the answer to our question: what horses want. And this clearly is the insight:

THEY WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

Info

Motiva comprises knowledge about the social rules as such, as well as the highly developed modes of expression that horses use to convey, enforce and monitor these rules.

EQUINE EXPRESSIONS

When interacting with humans, horses always communicate. They cannot not communicate.

First tentative contact with a human

I will guard you while you rest.

Blowing softly into the nostrils as a sign of mutual friendship

Nuzzling as a gesture of friendship

The horse is blowing quietly to express contentment

Invitation for mutual scratching using his lips

Yawning as an appeasement gesture: I do not want to invade your space

Yawning is repeated to reinforce the previous statement

Checking for pheromones

Once more easing the situation by yawning

Shaking head, indicating that he does not want to offend the human (higher rank).

Info

Motiva teaches people to understand and communicate using over 130 equine expressions.

I. THEORY

1.THE HORSE IN HUMAN HANDS

1. The Horse in Human Hands

When Manfred Pysall and I first came to our farm in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), we found it to be an ordinary equestrian centre with the type of customers we were familiar with from our past professional experience. Western riders mixed and competed with English riders. After a settling-in period during which we observed the horse owners and riders, we established some new rules. One of these rules was that on our farm, horses must not be beaten. We also prohibited certain methods which are used to train horses by inflicting pain. Before long, some people were looking for a different riding centre where they could continue to train using the methods they were accustomed to.

Over the course of time, I was able to observe a very interesting phenomenon. It happens all the time: new people come to the farm and are struck by the atmosphere, the peace and quiet, the happy horses; they describe it as being in an oasis. It is very healthy for them not to experience fear and aggression when interacting with horses and to learn that there is no need for it at all. Our horses, trained in a very different way, are easy to ride, are very content and radiate calm and trust. Almost everyone enjoys this.

However, as soon as these people realise that the rejection of traditional training methods also means they have to reflect upon their thoughts and actions, to improve and to retrain, some of them decide to switch stables. Even though they are fascinated by our philosophy, they are not always able to overcome their inner obstacles, a process which requires critical self-examination and sometimes changes in attitudes and behaviour. It is much easier to think that only the horse has to learn and change - not the human.

Freya

THE SECRET OF HONESTY

In Germany, horses became popular as a hobby or as a luxury commodity from the 1950s onwards. As riding or owning horses became more affordable, the number of horse owners and riders increased. The different characteristics and traits of horses have not changed, however, even though the human requirements have. Horses are now no longer livestock, but may substitute for a partner or a child or a cuddly toy. They can be status symbols or compensate for other deficiencies in the lives of humans. Any of the roles humans assign to horses fundamentally benefit the former. A horse represents something to humans, something they are looking for or believe they need. If they do not find it among their own kind, they use the horse as a substitute and lo and behold, it works. Horses can give us a lot emotionally. That is why they are, you could say, the ideal therapist in difficult times. They are always there, big and strong, they love us, carry us and wait for us; they are reliable.

This is okay so long as the horse is not used as a whipping boy to compensate for a bad mood.

Obviously, if you choose riding as a hobby or as a recreational activity, all you want to do is relax on the horse; you are not primarily concerned with making the horse happy and content.

In our riding school we encounter people who are searching for this experience. They just want to spend a relaxing evening in the saddle, or perhaps their ideal start to the weekend consists of an anxiety-free riding lesson with a reliable horse on a Saturday morning. We accommodate the demands of these people and still try to meet the horse’s needs. It is rather stressful for a school horse to change riders frequently. The horse cannot establish a stable relationship with every rider, because these riders only come sporadically and are not really interested in a close relationship with a horse.

Horses are unfamiliar with anything like this because they live in a herd. There is continuity in a herd. Unless a member dies or a young stallion leaves, herd members usually stay together. The horses know each other, come to terms with each other, establish a dominance hierarchy and live together in emotional security. Nobody dares give orders if their social position does not authorise them to do so. Consequently, this is what horses instinctively expect of a herd, even if they are domesticated.

Naturally, school horses are trained to reduce their expectations.

But deep inside they harbour the desire for closeness and to sort out dominance according to herd rules. Regardless of whether a horse is living in the wild or is domesticated, he will have these needs and attempt to fulfil them somehow. School horses, also, try to find out immediately who they are dealing with. They touch their rider or rub against him or her. If a horse is allowed to do that, he concludes that he should take on the role of the leader, which he obligingly does. He decides whether and how to walk along with this human.

The horse does not just observe external behaviour as an indicator for who is calling the shots, he can also sense the attitudes of the riding customers. This can act as a basis for the horse’s own behaviour.

Even though our school horses are very well-behaved and are able to deal with scared and insecure riding students and carry them dutifully around the arena, they have not given up their longing for honest interaction. If you pay attention to horse-rider pairs, you can almost daily observe how the horses act according to their nature and try to make appropriate decisions. I would like to illustrate this with an example, an incident that occurred last autumn.

We have a mare called Freya, self-confident, 16 hands high and about 10 years old. She knows the social rules of horses very well and lives in a mare herd with 13 members. She came to us as a straggler a couple of years earlier. A woman had bought her and had then been unable to keep her due to a change in personal circumstances. The mare was used to living as a privately owned horse, but has accommodated herself to life as a school horse. However, she still has the need for honest interaction and expects to be treated with respect. Further on in this book you can see her in the photo series where I perform a stop and she does a haunch turn. Freya is astute, sensitive, and likes cuddles, but she is also a self-confident animal and very perceptive of human psychological processes.

This is what happened on the aforementioned autumn day:

It was a Saturday morning and an adult riding student wanted to get this horse ready for a ride.

As the student was new to our school and Freya was standing with her herd-mates, a friendly horse owner said to her:

You probably want your horse; I’ll get her and lead her through this door.

The woman replied: Yes, madam is just standing in the corner of the pasture.

I just happened to be in the stable aisle and heard the conversation that ensued:

"You call Freya madam?"

Yes, sure.

What do you mean by that and why do you call her that?

Because that is what she is.

How do you determine this and what makes someone a madam in your eyes?

Because that is what she is like; the way she looks at me. And she has a mind of her own.

Well, who doesn’t have a mind of their own? What do you actually mean?

I am just saying that she has her own mind and that is a good thing, as far as I am concerned. She should do what she wants.

But in the riding lesson, if she turns left and you want her to turn right, you won’t think that. In that situation you will want her to do whatever you want, won’t you?

No, I always think it is a positive trait if someone knows what they want. I like it if someone has their own mind, children, too. By now she was leading Freya to the grooming area to brush and saddle her and get her ready for the riding lesson. Approximately 10 minutes later I passed them again. The woman looked at me strangely and seemed unsure, so I asked her in a friendly manner:

How are you doing now, have you thought about what I said?

I was annoyed by it.

"I just wanted to say that I have heard people call someone madam before. It usually is some sort of negative judgment; mothers who call their daughters madam normally link this with a reprimand. Often just the word with a particular intonation is enough and children know what they did was wrong. Words are not hollow, they reflect our attitude to situations and this is why I wanted to call this to your attention, so you could think about it, nothing else."

To me, ‘madam’ just has positive connotations; I don’t mean it the way you suggested.

I can only tell you how I feel about it, but if you mean something else by it, Freya will know that. Horses can sense it; they can read our attitude irrespective of the words we utter. I know Freya well, and I wanted to give you a tip about how you can get the horse to bond with you and how you can unconsciously create difficulties for establishing a relationship. But if you mean it in such a positive way as you claim, Freya will sense that. Anyway it is totally irrelevant what I think, because you will be riding her now.

I walked away, as I had a couple of things to do and the riding lesson was about to start. A few minutes later, another woman, who had groomed Freya together with this customer, came to me and said:

Mrs Pysall, what should we do? Freya won’t enter the arena. We can’t get her to move. She’s just standing there.

They had finished grooming and saddling the horse and wanted to go into the indoor riding arena with her. But she had evidently understood something and what I had feared happened. Freya could sense the woman’s attitude and refused to walk another inch with her. The woman had tried to pull the horse and to lead her in a circle and then go through. Nothing worked, Freya stood there as if she was glued to the ground.

I explained: "This is what I meant."

Freya was led into the arena by someone else, with whom she walked without reservations.

After the riding lesson I ran into this woman again and asked her how she was doing, whether she now understood what I told her and whether she was coming back. She told me that yes, of course, she was here to learn and something like this would not throw her. She would be back next Saturday.

Her statement, that to her madam had positive connotations and was meant as a compliment, had been debunked by the horse. Now it was time to examine her own attitude. Nothing bad had happened. But it was a chance to reflect: what do I really mean by madam? That was it, and it was actually quite exciting, for this woman too, to catch a glimpse into the mind of a horse, to have a learning experience like that in an ordinary situation. The following Tuesday she called me and quit the course, she never came back. She had not been able to bring herself to examine what was below the surface of her comment; she did not realise what horses can sense and how helpful those kinds of reflections can be.

I know that there is never a bad intention behind such a term. Those terms are merely ill-considered, but they reflect attitudes nonetheless. They can be a trap when interacting with a horse. Horses have a very good nose for sensing attitudes. This impacts their relationship with us. In this case, well-intentioned advice could have helped this woman, not just with regard to her riding skills.

Horses can sense our attitude towards them. Often people do not notice how the horse deals with this. Especially if you are a beginner and still have a lot to learn, a little bit of humility goes a long way.

If the horse does not turn the corner and you say: He doesn’t want to do it! you learn a lot less than if you say: I don’t know how to do it.

If you look for the mistake in the riding aid, in other words, in you, it is correctable. Riding is sign language and it takes a long while before you can claim that you no longer make mistakes and miscommunicate.

Even though admitting these mistakes can lead to psychological stress, it is still the best way for truly effective learning to take place.

A six year old boy was playing by the pond prior to his riding lesson. His father called him over and asked him to help groom the pony. The boy did not take any notice and kept on playing. His father walked over to him, took his arm and said: "Over here, my friend, do as you’re told." The child absolutely understood that he had gone too far; he moaned about it but came along because the father was stronger. In terms of educating the boy, this was very firm and the right thing to do. But why did he call his son friend in this context?

The boy clearly recognised the word, he had heard it before. From a very young age he learned that friend can mean both, friend and... well – and what? Someone who makes mistakes? Surely, nobody spends a lot of time thinking about it, the boy just knows at some point who a friend is and who is not. He will learn it eventually. I would just like to point out, this is how we are. We say things we do not actually mean. Why?

Two mothers are having a chat before a riding lesson in the presence of their children. One of them complains: "What Justin did today... I could positively kill him!" In this case it is good that she does not mean what she says. However this is what humans do very often but horses never do. And as this is a well-established habit in the human realm, we feel at liberty to say things like this and worse. The listener needs to sort those statements into right and wrong. Horses cannot and do not do this. They do not understand human language, but they read the attitude behind it. Of course you could