Why The Horses Eyes Are So Important When Training Him!

They say the eyes are are the gateway to the soul. When it was said, they were referring to us humans. But the truth is, it also refers to horses.

Many horse owners don't understand the importance and usefulness of the horse's eyes while training. That being so, let me share with you some things you may find useful - some you may know...some you may not.

First, there's the eye which reveals a little about the character of the horse you're working with. It may have a kind eye. A kind eye indicates the horse will be agreeable to train and will readily respond to your aids while training.

One way to tell if the horse is nervous is by noting his eyes. Horses can be very expressive in their looks. And you can tell if a horse is a nervous horse by the eyes appearing sort of "worried like."

Obviously, this nervous horse would require more thoughtful handling than would a non-nervous horse.

I have a horse that would get mad after a while of riding. She used to get what I call mad eyes. Her expression was actually a sort of angry expression. Mostly, the expression came from her eyes. Here eyes would get red after a while.

Jesse Beery, a famous horse trainer from the 1800's, talked a lot about the eyes of the horse. Even those many years ago he knew about the horse's eyes. Beery discovered there were four different disposition types of a horse. Certain characteristics of the eyes would tell you much about the horse's personality and how much work it would be to train the horse.

Berry's classic disposition type 3 was most interesting. Beery said "Where type #2 will allow you to do all the work, type 3 will do all the work for you. You only need to control its movements."

In all my training experience and many things I've read, I concur with Beery's discovery. The eyes play an enormous role in horse training.

To read more about Beery and his methods, you can go to this web address:

http://www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beery_etips.htm

There is still more to know about the horse's eyes.

For one, when you work with a horse, it's advisable to look him in the eye a lot. Why? Because horse's an extremely observant animal and they study their surroundings. If you're in their surroundings they are studying you too. If they see you looking at them in the eye it sends a message to them about who is in control.

If you're working with a horse that's cunning and known to run over people then you rarely want to lose eye contact with this horse. Sometimes when you look away for just a second he knows it's his chance to charge at you. But keeping eye contact helps minimize that possibility.

Although a horse's ears are part of the plan. the eyes are how the horse interprets his world. The horse gladly desires to approach an object or person that has caused him pleasure. Likewise, he runs from objects or persons that cause him pain. (Pain could be a number of things like work, misuse of aids such as spurs, being talked to in an abrasive manner, etc.)

Lots of horse owners get discouraged with their horse because they develop bad habits. One particular habit is kicking. I once read a great book on horses and it said this about kicking:

If a horse kicks at a man and sees he inspired the man with fear and makes him draw back, he will remember this and kick any man who goes near him whom he fears or has the memory of displeasure with.

Note the author said "...and see he inspired the man with fear". The point is the horse "saw" the man was inspired with fear. The horse used one of his greatest tools...his eyes. If a man shows no fear and knows how to handle a kicker, the horse will "see" he cannot inspire fear in the man and be less apt to kick (although, if confirmed in the habit of kicking, it may require several training sessions to eradicate this from the horse's memory).

In short, the eyes are the mirror of the horse's mind. Quiet eyes indicate quietness and sincerity. Quick and lively eye indicate vivacity. Restless eyes turning in all directions indicate suspicion and show the horse is studying all around him and may perhaps be preparing some freak of self will. Turbid eyes indicate fear or anger.

There's a proverb that tells us not to trust the horse that shows the white of his eyes. Perhaps it's because the white shows when he's looking sideways and he's intent on seizing the moment when no attention is being paid for escape or attack.

I could go on about the eyes but this hopefully gives you a great idea as to how important the horse's eyes are. Make it a habit to continually watch the horse's eyes. Learn what he is thinking by learning his eyes.

About The Author

Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. For information visit his website at www.horsetrainingandtips.com. He is also the leading expert on Jesse Beery's horse training methods which can be seen at www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beerya.htm.

---

4 Ways In Which You Can Show Your Dog How Much You Love Him

Do you have at least one framed photo of your... Read More

Comparison of the Cost and Effectiveness of Holistic Horse Care versus Conventional Care

After years of practicing both conventional and holistic medicine for... Read More

How to Ensure that Your Cat is Healthy and Lives a Long and Happy Life

Incredible advances in veterinary medicine are making it possible for... Read More

?Sit Up? Buddy: Training Your Dog To Sit Like You

The trick of "sitting up" is easily taught to small... Read More

Seizures in Pets

Witnessing your precious dog or cat having a seizure can... Read More

Here?s How To Find The Right Pet Meds For Your Favorite Pet

Our pets depend on us for their every need, including... Read More

Dog Training - How To Win Your Dogs Confidence

Settling a puppy into a new home successful is often... Read More

The Birds and the Bees for Adults (Parrots, That Is!)

The days are getting longer, and if you have a... Read More

Training Your Dog To Sit

A poorly trained dog is a nuisance and can even... Read More

Choosing the Right Size for Your Dog

Dog fashions are all the rage and have become quite... Read More

Scottish Terrier Rescue - For the Love of Scotties

Purebred dogs of all breeds can be found in shelters,... Read More

The TOP 7 Mistakes Horse Owners Make

Mistake #7 ? Assuming You Can Get On Any Horse... Read More

What Should I Make My Snake Cage From?

What kind of materials should you use when constructing a... Read More

Pets Looking for Humans, Humans Looking for Pets

Attention breeders, livestock owners and pet lovers! *Pets looking for... Read More

Canine Infectious Hepatitis

What is Canine Infectious Hepatitis?The word hepatitis refers to an... Read More

Weaning Puppies Is Only Natural

Weaning puppies is a perfectly natural process. Mamma dogs have... Read More

Rules of Thumb for Saddle Fit

In compiling some information on achieving a proper fit to... Read More

Dog Vaccinations: Doing Shots

Vaccinations play an important part in the preventive healthcare of... Read More

Raw Feed? Are You Joking?

Let's think about this for a minute: God did not... Read More

Horse Training Gets A New Face Lift From A 108 Year Old Horse Training Manual!

If you have a passion to learn all you can... Read More

Scottie & Westie - This Mistake is Perfectly Understandable

Show an uninformed dog lover a photo of a Westie,... Read More

Dog Vomiting? Help Your Dog Now

In most cases you should not be too concerned about... Read More

Introduce Your Puppy To New Situations And Ensure Good Behaviour For The Rest Of Her Life

They may seem to be bold explorers - sniffing at... Read More

A Horse Training Secret From The 1800s To Teach A Horse To Drive Without Lines!

Horse owners who are history buffs may recognize the name... Read More

Ten Important Things Your Dog Wants You To Know

If your dog could talk, these are some of most... Read More

Tips that May Help Your Arthritic Dog

Arthritis refers to inflammation or swelling in a joint. The... Read More

The Geriatric (Older) Dog

Dogs mature and age at much different rates, usually according... Read More

Ensure a Good Relationship Between Your Cat and Your Kids

Many parents know that the best way for children to... Read More

Apistogramma , Dwarf Cichlids in the Aquarium

The real apistogramma's come from southern America, they all have... Read More

Buster the Beloved Pussycat

"Dogs have owners; cats have staff," and I have worked... Read More

Nutrition and Your Dogs Behavior

Nutrition and Your Dog's Behavior Proper nutrition is the fundamental... Read More

Filtration Methods For The Discus Tank

Good filtration is the prime priority in the discus tank.... Read More

A German Shepherd Puppy May Be Just What Your Family Needs!

A German Shepherd puppy can become a very welcome member... Read More