TEACHING HORSES TO BE BRAVE

TEACHING HORSES TO BE BRAVE

    "What a fine horse that is which they are spoiling! The clumsy cowards, they can't handle him."
 Prince Alexander.

To Download a PDF of this article please Click On:
 www.meetup.com/Must-Love-Dogs/files/



KING ALEXANDER

    King Alexander conquered half of the known world by the time he was 28 years old. And, Bucephalas was his brave charger who he led his winning cavalry charges on.

BUCEPHALAS

    According to Plutarch when, the then 12 years old, Prince Alexander met Bucephalas:

    "He [Bucephalas] would neither allow anybody to mount him, nor obey any of Philip's attendants, but reared and plunged against them all, so that the king in a rage bade them take him away for an utterly wild and unbroken brute."
    "But Alexander, who was by, cried out, 'What a fine horse that is which they are spoiling! The clumsy cowards, they can't handle him.'."

    Prince Alexander had noticed that Bucephalas was afraid of his own shadow so Prince Alexander turned Bucephalas to face the sun.
    Coaxed Bucephalas.
    And, quietly slipped off his cloak before mounting Bucephalas.
    Then feeling the bit gently with the reins, he restrained him, without whipping or hurting him, until he settled.
    Then, when Bucephalas was ready, Prince Alexander let him go.

PRINCE ALEXANDER

    Compare what, the twelve year old, Prince Alexander did with what you can so often see so many people doing at racecourses today.

    Prince Alexander:

    1: introduced himself
        to Bucephalas correctly;
    2: showed consideration;
    3: removed what was
        frightening Bucephalas;
    4: reassured Bucephalas;
    5: did not frighten Bucephalas;
    6: did not abuse, whip, hurt
        or intimidate Bucephalas;
    7: waited until Bucephalas
        was settled and ready;
    8: before
        letting Bucephalas go.

XENOPHON

    Xenophon was a high ranking officer in the Spartan cavalry.
    Xenophon wrote "The Art Of Horsemanship", in about 360 BC.
    It is the oldest book on horses, in any language, still in existence.
    Xenophon wrote about buying, riding and training war horses – but, most applies to any horse.

THE ART OF HORSEMANSHIP

    "When your horse shies at an object and is unwilling to go up to it, he should to be shown that there is nothing fearful in it, least of all to a courageous horse like him; but if this fails, touch the object yourself that seems so dreadful to him, and lead him up to it with gentleness."
    "Compulsion and blows inspire only the more fear; for when horses are at all hurt at such a time, they think that what they shied at is the cause of the hurt."
    Xenophon: Chapter Ⅵ,
The Art Of Horsemanship,
as translated by Morris H. Morgan PhD, 1894.

LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR

    Xenophon wrote "The Art Of Horsemanship" more than 2300 years ago and Morris H. Morgan translated it more than 100 years ago.
    And, you can see – from just that one quote – how much so many racehorse trainers, stable staff, clerks of the course, jockeys and barrier attendants have to learn.
    How few of them today could turn Bucephalas, frightened of his own shadow, into a courageous war horse – leading King Alexander's winning cavalry charges?
    Or, even into a horse who could walk into a racecourse mounting yard or barrier stalls without fear?
    King Alexander and his cavalry rode stallions and charged into enemy armies – something that truly was frightening.
    How few of them today could ride over rough ground – without whips, spurs, saddles and stirrups – while fighting on horse back?
    Or, even ride a stallion at all?
    How few racehorse trainers and staff today are as gentle, kind and understanding of horses' fears as King Alexander and Xenophon?
    And, how many are – clumsy cowards spoiling fine horses?

RACECOURSES TODAY

    At racecourses today trainers, stable staff, clerks of the course, barrier attendants and jockeys, often do not:

    1: introduce themselves
        to horses correctly
        or even at all;
    2: show horses consideration;
    3: reassure frightened horses;
    4: wait until horses
        are settled and ready
        before the jockeys get on.

    But, they often do:

    1: abuse horses;
    2: intimidate horses;
    3: frighten horses;
    4: whip and hurt horses;
    5: ignore and neglect horses.

    If I trained racehorses I would not employ 90% of the people currently employed with horses at racecourses in Melbourne.
    And, I think it is just as bad in the rest of Australia, the United States and many other countries.

TEACHING HORSES
TO BE BRAVE

    Too many people today are ruining fine horses by abusing, intimidating, whipping, spurring, breaking and subjugating horses.
    Yet, more than 2300 years ago,  12 years old Prince Alexander knew what to do – to introduce himself correctly and to reassure and calm an abused, upset horse.
    A horse abused and upset by – "clumsy cowards".
    And, through consideration and kindness, Prince Alexander taught Bucephalas, a horse afraid of his own shadow, to become his courageous charger – who he led his winning cavalry charges on.
    Now, almost every book on horses, I have ever seen, advocates psychological or physical abuse or both of horses. Books that do not advocate either psychological body language intimidation or whips or both are almost nonexistent.
    Yet, more than 2300 years ago Xenophon, an officer in the Spartan cavalry, showed consideration and kindness, when he wrote to, "touch the object yourself that seems so dreadful to him, and lead him up to it with gentleness. Compulsion and blows inspire only the more fear."