Saturday, November 24, 2007

More on Submission to Leadership in Arabian Horses




I started this series off writing What's Up with Licking and Chewing in Arabian Horses and from there have led into the discussions on Submission to Leadership in Arabian Horses Even as I was writing my wheels were turning down the road that the subject of submission takes me. Submission in the horse is really very complicated.

Ro from Tiggerish Tails provides a great example of this complexity. She doesn't understand why her mare, Zoyra, submits to the humans in her life but totally dominates the other mare, Ruby. While Ruby doesn't respect the humans at all. I think this is a great example of the twist and turns of a horse's views of submission.

It's good to remember that submission is not a "blanket" gift once given forever and for everyone. It is given by the horse with all kinds of "catches." If the horse sees any reason that require it to move into the leadership role, it will step right up to the plate. Instinct tells it to do so.

Obviously Zoyra sees that Ruby needs a leader and has been able to impress Ruby that she is that leader. And why not, they are both horses. They totally understand the language and what it means. With every fiber in their being they are watching and looking for the signs that tell them who is in charge. It is a matter of survival.

The humans throughout Ruby's life have not been as effective at establishing dominance as Zoyra has or Ruby would not be pushy. We, humans, are relatively new at even beginning to understand this unspoken language between the horse. Some of us have only bits and pieces of the vocabulary and others haven't a clue at all. Since only the most proficient are able to get total complete submission from the horse, it only makes sense that many horses have no experience with trusting humans to be their leader. Ruby is one of those.

The end result is Ruby respects Zoyra because Zoyra has earned it. She doesn't respect humans because they have never sufficiently impressed upon her their leadership. However, Zoyra who rules Ruby because she saw the need for a leader is totally lead by humans because her entire life history with humans tells her that they are her leader. She was one of those fortunate horses whose owners could convince her they were in charge.

The true test of that gift of submission by Zoyra would be a situation the horse perceives as life threatening. If a horse submits to a human in that type of scenario, you know that horse truly believes that human is the leader.

When I first bought Scandalous, she had great manners on the ground. She was the sweetest horse to be around. But as I posted in A Baby Boomer Dreams of Arabian Horses Part 3 if Scandalous was startled when we were loping, she would run off with me. It took me years to figure out how to overcome this one thing in her behavior. For all intents and purposes anyone would think that she was a totally submissive horse but it took years before Scandalous was convinced.

The Arabian horse in this picture is Scandalous, my foundation mare.

8 comments:

  1. "The true test of that gift of submission by Zoyra would be a situation the horse perceives as life threatening. If a horse submits to a human in that type of scenario, you know that horse truly believes that human is the leader."

    Yes!

    "For all intents and purposes anyone would think that she was a totally submissive horse but it took years before Scandalous was convinced."

    I guess she was just so sweet that she wanted to go along with whatever you wanted, so that people didn't realize she wasn't totally submissive but just very good tempered?


    Great post!

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  2. I've been reading all along here and I have to say it's a great topic. Complicated on some levels and very easy on others.

    I have that submission problem with a couple of my mares. Two have never been handled. One was handled incorrectly when she was handled. And my new weanling will try to run off on a lead. She'll just bolt.

    It takes patience, consitency and a long time to work through issues like that.

    Submission is important but it really can't be forced either. It has to be earned and each horse has it's own views on what earns leadership.

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  3. This is a great post. Makes sense!

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  4. just to put a bit more into the mix, before we had her, Ruby had very little 'done' with her. she was put in foal at 3, broken when it was weaned, put in foal again and then after weaning re-trained for about 6 weeks before we got her. It was clear when we went to see her that she had great potential (just in case you think we were totally mad) but I don't think any of us can quite believe that this giant horse (she's grown since we've had her from 16.2 to 17.1) has turned out quite the way she has. I suspect she's always tried to use her size to intimidate people (horses aren't at all impressed by that sort of thing) but unfortunately with us - especially Smem - it just doesn't wash!

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  5. I am finding this so interesting. As you know I can stand at the kitchen window for hours or sit out in the field with my camera and watch my horses and their interaction all day. I think this has beenone of the reasons that I have been so successful when it has been time to mix and match them up out in the pastures together and when they are stabled. I have a few that think I am the boss mare but there are a few that think they are LOL. With Wiggle and hand rearing her has presented all its own problems with heirarchy and respect. I should write some about it sometime (yeah right like all the thousand other things I have said I will write about LOL!!!)

    I am worried that I havent heard from you other than in this blog but know you are probably swamped too. Hope all is well. ((((Hugs))))

    Lori
    xx

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  6. Also wanted to add that I love this photo of Scandalous, she truly was a beautiful mare.

    ((((Hugs))))

    Lori
    xx

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  7. GREAT post! I have a friend who believes Diago should be submissive to everyone and although I agree...he just doesn't. I'll have to direct her to this post! Thanks for running this discussion.

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  8. Wonderful post.

    Submission goes along with trust ... horse or human.

    I had a mare that would not submit to anyone, but was bonded to our gelding. She had been badly abused in her past.

    She eventually learned to trust me, and even like me. Submissive? Not so sure. Perhaps more cooperative.

    However, the vet was clearly her enemy. Must have brought back memories of the men in her life.

    I must say, "Scandalous" is spectacular!

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