Submission to Leadership in Arabian Horses

I can't believe I'm still doing this, but What's Up with Licking and Chewing and Arabian Horses has quite a discussion going. I personally don't think that anyone is really off the mark, even the "stupid comment" fits into the parameters of the responses coming in here.

photogchic stated "I still have to agree with Robert Miller and Rick Lamb that licking and chewing comes from simulated eating or drinking which signals submission to leadership." While I haven't read the work she speaks of, I think that it is all related.

Trying to explain what I see I need to go back to a basic of equine behavior. A horse is either going to lead or be led. Most horses would gladly be led by another but if there is not a horse (or person) in that leadership role, the horse will move in to fill that void. Even the most submissive horse in the field will become dominate over a new owner who is not the established leader.

With leadership comes stress. In the wild the leader makes all of the decisions for the herd. Where they go? How long they stay? What they eat? The list goes on. So it would seem to me that if a horse submits, it must be a relief for the horse because the horse can be be led instead of worrying about being the leader. So with submission would come a release from stress, a softening eye, a dropping head and probably licking and chewing.

I think it's safe to say that most of us have relationships with our horses where we are trying to establish that we are the leader on a daily basis. If as a handler we allow anything at all that leads the horse to believe we aren't in control, the horse perceives that as an invitation to move up the pecking order.

Since most of us haven't achieved the kind of prowess at handling horses as the John Lyons, Clinton Andersons etc of the world, we are continually working towards achieving that kind of relationship with our horses. Those men can get complete submission in minutes or a couple of hours, for me, I'm happy if I get it at all and even happier when I can keep it.

Watching the various clinicians work horses, I've seen some pretty nervous horses in those exhibitions. But the closer the horse gets to submitting to the cowboy, the more calm the horse becomes.

Take a horse that's frantically running around the round pen and control the movements of its feet. Next thing you know the horse is getting quiet and attentive. The eye gets softer. The head gets lower. And the horse goes to licking and chewing.

Harvey Jacobs says the very action of controlling the horse's feet, usually can convince the horse you are in charge. The amount of control is the illusive part if you ask me. It's easier to sit and watch than to achieve the same results.

I know the reason for that lies in reading the horse's body language and timing. I swear Harvey Jacobs can hear what a horse is thinking. Because of that his timing is flawless. I have seen the man counter a move and release the horse before I've even figured out what the horse was thinking about doing in the first place. The result is that the horse quickly learns that Harvey is the boss. I guess that total submission can be detected when the horse decides it want to follow Harvey around the ring.

More on Submission


Visit Blog Village and vote daily for this blog Here They are now measuring the rankings by votes out, so if you find my blog on the site, please click that link too to improve my rankings. TY



Arabian horse Arabian horses horses horse John Lyons Clinton Anderson Harvey Jacobs Horse Whisperer