I’m working on an outline for a basic behavior/behavior analysis webinar, and possibly an in-person lecture if there’s enough interest and a great location. It’s designed to give you an overview of what we know about how the horse experiences their world, and help you problem-solve some of the issues you may be struggling with that training alone hasn’t completely solved. The topic is too big to be completely covered in one go, so I’m trying to decide how to narrow it down and structure it so it’s most useful to a wide variety of people.
I plan to talk about:
- Evolutionary design for functionality in their environment: an organism behaves in an environment to survive/thrive while also changing the environment, and an environment changes an organism’s behavior while also adapting to that behavior.
- The horse’s sensory capabilities and their function, and how they compare to humans.
- How management and environment affect behavior in domestic horses.
- Evidence of emotions through observable behavior, and a brief overview of what certain behaviors can mean in various contexts.
- Practical application: how behavior and training intersect, “functional anthropomorphism” and how our perceptions affect our management and training.
I would love to know:
- Do you think people are interested in horse behavior?
- Where do you see a need for more education about horse behavior?
- What do you want to know more about?
- Where are you struggling with the behavior of your horse?
This is a huge project and has already taken quite a bit of thought, organization, and research. I’m aiming to have it available for fall of 2025, but your help and input could make it go much faster! Please contact me with any thoughts or questions.
And as a quick aside, I also have a presentation for equine healthcare professionals on cooperative care training for horses, which is ready to go. Tell your vet/farrier/bodyworker/etc. friends! Would you want one for horse owners, too?
